What to Expect

WEBSITE COSTS

• What does a website actually cost?

  • Your website has two basic costs:

    • Website Development
      What you pay us to build, refresh, or manage your website.

    • Website Platform
      What you pay the company that powers your website.​

  • For a typical small ecommerce website, you can realistically expect:

    • Annual billing: about $350–$550 per year

    • Monthly billing: about $30–$50 per month

    • Domain: usually a small additional annual cost

    • Payment processing: a small fee on each transaction

    • Apps/add-ons: only if your website needs them

  • Other website platforms may cost more or less depending on what they offer.

• What are platform fees?

  • Platform fees are the cost of using the service that hosts and powers your website.

  • They cover things like:

    • Hosting your website

    • Your online store and checkout

    • Product and inventory management

    • Website security

    • Website tools and features

    • Customer orders

  • For most small custom tackle businesses, expect to pay roughly $30–$50 per month for a basic ecommerce platform, depending on the provider and billing plan.

  • You pay these fees directly to the website platform — they are separate from our website development fees.

• Do I have to pay the website platform (Wix, Shopify, etc) separately?

  • Yes.

    • Our website development fees cover the work we do to build, refresh, or manage your website.

    • The platform fee is paid directly to the company that powers your website, such as Wix, Shopify, or another provider.

  • Think of it this way:

    • You pay us for the work.
      You pay the platform to run the website.

    • These are two separate costs.

• Do I need to pay for a domain?

  • Yes. Your domain is your website address, such as yourbrand.com.

    • Domain registration is a separate cost from your website platform and typically runs around $10–$25 per year, depending on the domain and provider.

    • You can usually register a domain for multiple years at once. The longer you register it, the lower the average yearly cost may be, but the higher your upfront payment will be.

    • For example, paying for 5 years may cost more today, but give you a lower effective yearly cost than renewing one year at a time.

• What about payment processing fees?

  • Payment processing fees are charged when a customer pays through your website.

  • They are typically a small percentage of the transaction plus a fixed fee per purchase. The exact amount depends on your payment provider and the platform you use.

  • For planning purposes, expect roughly 3% of each online sale, plus a small transaction fee.

  • These fees are separate from your website platform and development costs and are generally deducted from the payment before the money reaches your account.

• Are apps or add-ons required?

  • No.

    • Most small custom tackle websites can be built using the standard features included with the website platform.

    • Apps or add-ons are only needed when you want additional features or functionality that isn't included with your plan.

    • If you do need them, the cost varies by app. Some are free, while others may have a monthly or one-time fee.

    • We’ll only recommend additional tools when they actually serve a purpose for your business.

 

WORKING WITH US

• What exactly is included in the website build?

  • Our website build includes everything needed to get your online store up and running:

    • Website design and branding

    • Mobile-optimized layout

    • E-commerce setup

    • Product and variation setup

    • Product organization and navigation

    • Essential pages such as Home, Shop, About, and Contact

    • Contact forms

    • Basic SEO setup

    • Calls-to-action and conversion-focused layout

    • Testing before launch

  • Website Build: Up to 150 product variations
    Website Build+: 150+ product variations and expanded product setup

  • The website platform, domain, payment processing, and optional apps are separate costs.

• How many products can I have?

  • Our standard Website Build includes up to 150 product variations.

  • That doesn't necessarily mean 150 individual products. Variations such as colors, sizes, or styles count toward the total.

    • For example:

      • 10 products × 15 colors = 150 variations

      • 15 products × 10 colors = 150 variations

      • 25 products × 6 colors = 150 variations

      • 30 products × 5 colors = 150 variations

  • If your product line is larger than that, Website Build+ is designed for larger catalogs and expanded product setup.

• What happens if I have more than 150 variations?

  • Yes, with Website Build+.

  • If your product line exceeds 150 product/color variations, we'll use the expanded setup included with the $500 Website Build+ package.

  • We'll organize the larger catalog so customers can still easily find, browse, and shop your products.

  • Have a really large catalog? We can discuss your specific needs and determine the best setup before we start.

• Can you work on my existing website?

  • Absolutely!

  • If you already have a website but it needs some work, we can improve what you have instead of starting over.

  • A Website Refresh can include:

    • Homepage improvements

    • Navigation cleanup

    • Product organization

    • Mobile improvements

    • Calls-to-action

    • Minor design and layout changes

  • The cost depends on the scope of the work, with Website Refresh projects starting at $150.

• Can you build a website from scratch?

  • Yes, we can build your website from the ground up, including:

    • Website design and branding

    • Mobile-optimized layout

    • Online store setup

    • Product organization

    • Essential pages

    • Product and color variations

    • Contact forms

    • Basic SEO

    • Calls-to-action

    • Launch testing

  • Our Website Build starts at $350 for up to 150 product variations.

  • For larger product catalogs, Website Build+ is $500.

• Can I send you product photos and have you add them?

  • Yes, send us your product photos and the information for each product, and we'll handle the setup for you.

  • We can add:

    • Product photos

    • Product names

    • Descriptions

    • Colors and variations

    • Pricing

    • Product categories

    • Other basic product information

  • This is also included with Website Management, so you can continue sending new products and photos after your site is launched and have us keep the store updated.

• What happens after my website launches?

  • You’re not left on your own.

  • Every Website Build includes a tutorial showing you how to:

    • Add new products

    • Add photos and product variations

    • Change pricing

    • Update product information

    • Make basic website changes

  • From there, you can manage the website yourself or choose Website Management and have us handle the updates for you.

• Can you manage my website for me?

  • Yes, with Website Management, you send us the photos and information, and we handle the website updates for you.

  • This can include:

    • Adding new products

    • Adding colors and variations

    • Uploading product photos

    • Updating descriptions

    • Changing prices

    • Making basic content updates

    • Keeping your product catalog organized

  • Website Management is $75/month and includes up to 10 product updates per month.

  • Need more than that? Additional updates are available, and larger changes or new functionality can be quoted separately.

 

THE BIG QUESTION

• Why work with Custom Tackle Authority?

  • You can hire almost anyone to build a website. What matters is whether they understand what the website needs to do.

  • I build websites specifically for custom tackle makers — with an understanding of the products you're selling, the anglers you're trying to reach, and how they actually shop for tackle.

  • That means your website isn't just built to look good. It's built to make it easier for anglers to find your tackle, understand what you make, and buy it.

 

WHAT I'LL NEED FROM YOU

• What do you need from me to build my website?

  • Not much. We'll need the basic information and materials that make your business yours:

    • Your logo and branding

    • Product photos

    • Product names, descriptions, and pricing

    • Available colors, sizes, and variations

    • Your business story and contact information

    • Social media links

    • Any specific features or ideas you want included

  • Don't have everything ready yet? That's okay. We'll work through what you have and let you know what we still need before we get started.

• Do I need professional product photos?

  • No, professional photography isn't required. Good-quality product photos will definitely help your website look better and make it easier for customers to see what they're buying, but your photos don't have to be professionally taken.

  • Clear, well-lit photos taken with a good phone can work very well.

  • If you have photos, send them. We'll work with what you have.

• Do I need my own domain?

  • Yes — we recommend having your own domain.

  • Your domain is your website address, such as yourbrand.com. It gives your business a professional, recognizable web address and makes it easier for customers to find you.

  • If you don't have one yet, we can help you choose and set one up.

  • Domain registration is a separate cost from your website build and platform fees.

• Do I need a logo?

  • No, a logo is helpful for building a recognizable brand, but you don't need one to get started.

  • If you already have a logo, we'll incorporate it into your website. If you don't have one, we can build the website around your business name and create a clean visual identity that works without a traditional logo.

  • Don't let not having a logo keep you from building your website.

• What happens if I don't have all my product information ready?

  • That's okay, you don't need to have everything figured out before we start. We can build the website around the products and information you have ready and add the rest as you go.

  • You can also send us missing information later, and we'll add it for you if you choose Website Management.

  • Your website doesn't have to be finished before we start building it.

 

AFTER LAUNCH

• Who owns my website?

  • You do, your business owns the website, its content, product information, images, and branding.

  • The website platform account should be set up in your name or your business's name, and you pay the platform directly.

  • If you choose Website Management, we can continue managing and updating the site for you, but you still own your website.

  • Your website isn't locked to us. If you ever decide to manage it yourself or work with someone else, you retain control of your site and its content.

• Who pays the platform?

  • You do, your website platform account is yours, and you pay the platform directly for your plan.

  • That keeps everything in your name, gives you control of your website, and means you're never paying us a markup on your platform fees.

  • We build it. You own it. You pay the platform directly.

• Can I make changes myself?

  • Yes, every Website Build includes a tutorial showing you how to make basic changes yourself, including:

    • Adding and removing products

    • Adding photos and variations

    • Changing prices

    • Updating product information

    • Making basic website updates

  • You own your website and have access to your platform account.

  • Want us to handle it instead? Website Management lets you send us the changes and we'll take care of them for you.

• What if I want you to manage it?

  • No problem, with Website Management, you send us your product photos and information, and we handle the updates for you.

  • For $75/month, you get up to 10 product updates per month, including:

    • Adding new products

    • Adding colors and variations

    • Uploading photos

    • Updating descriptions

    • Changing prices

    • Basic content updates

  • Need more than that? Additional updates are available. Larger changes or new features can be quoted separately.

• What happens if I want additional features later?

  • That's not a problem, your website can grow as your business grows. If you decide you need additional features, pages, functionality, or integrations after your website launches, we can add them later.

  • We'll look at what you need and provide a separate quote based on the scope of the work.

  • You don't have to pay for features you don't need today. Start with what you need and add to it when you're ready.