A No-Nonsense Guide from the Crew at Coulee Creative

Let’s be honest: websites in 2025 aren’t just digital brochures—they’re your brand’s front door, lead machine, portfolio, and sales rep rolled into one. Whether you’re launching a new company, refreshing an outdated look, or building a platform with ecommerce and SEO baked in, the question remains:

What’s it gonna take—and what’s it gonna cost?

This guide breaks it all down based on what we do every day at Coulee Creative: designing and building custom websites that actually perform. We'll cover design, development, platforms (like WordPress, Webflow, Shopify), SEO, PPC, budgets, and timelines.

First, What Kind of Website Are We Talking About?

Not all websites are created equal, so here’s a quick breakdown:

1. Marketing Sites – Clean design, clear messaging, built to convert.

2. eCommerce Sites – Product-first, built for Shopify or WooCommerce.

3. Hybrid or Custom Builds – App-style sites, gated content, integrations.

1. Website Design: Custom vs. Template

✏️ Custom Design (Figma First)

When you need a design that’s fully on-brand, user-tested, and refined—custom is the move. We start in Figma, laying out every screen and interaction before we write a line of code. Think custom UI elements, animations, mobile-specific layouts, and flow.

💵 Cost: $7,000–$20,000
🕒 Timeline: 3–6 weeks (depending on revisions)

🧰 Template Customization (The Nimble Route)

For tighter timelines or budgets, we’ll work with high-quality templates (Framer, Webflow, Elementor, etc.) and tailor them to fit your brand. You still get a polished site—just without reinventing the wheel.

💵 Cost: $2,500–$6,000
🕒 Timeline: 1–3 weeks

2. Development: What’s Under the Hood?

WordPress (Still King for Content)

Tried-and-true. Great for content-heavy sites, blogging, and clients who want to manage their own pages. Paired with Elementor or WPBakery for page-building.

Webflow & Framer (For Marketing Sites)

If your site doesn’t need a blog or complex backend, these platforms are amazing for performance, design fidelity, and fast load times.

Shopify (Our eComm Weapon of Choice)

Perfect for product-focused brands with serious growth goals. We build custom themes or modify Shopify 2.0 templates for the right blend of control and speed.

💵 Typical Build Costs:

• WordPress/Webflow: $8,000–$20,000

• Shopify: $12,000–$40,000

• Custom WooCommerce: $15,000–$50,000 (especially for cannabis/CBD)

🕒 Timeline: 4–12 weeks depending on complexity

3. SEO: Getting Found in 2025

Good design’s useless if no one finds you. Every site we launch comes SEO-ready, but we offer deeper monthly strategies too:

What We Include:

• Keyword strategy

• Title/meta optimization

• Image compression & alt tags

• Internal linking

• Redirect mapping for redesigns

Ongoing SEO Support:

We monitor rankings, build backlinks, publish optimized blog posts, and refine site structure over time.

💵 Ongoing SEO: $1,000–$3,000/month
🕒 Initial Optimization During Build: Included on most custom builds

4. PPC: Quick Wins with Smart Ads

We offer PPC services on both Google and Meta platforms to help clients get leads fast while SEO ramps up.

Google Ads:

Great for lead-gen, eCommerce, and local services. We handle keyword research, copywriting, setup, and monthly optimization.

Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram):

Killer for visual products and retargeting. We design ads, manage audiences, and continuously test.

💵 Monthly PPC Budget Suggestions:

• Local service businesses: $1,000–$3,000/month

• eCommerce: $2,500–$10,000/month

• Management Fees: $750–$2,000/month

5. Website Hosting & Support

Once your site is live, we’ve got your back:

• Daily backups

• Plugin updates

• Uptime monitoring

• Minor content edits

💵 Annual Hosting & Support Plans: $250–$1,500/year

What It All Adds Up To

💡 Ballpark Budgets by Website Type:

Simple Template Site

• $2,500 – $6,000
• 1–3 weeks

Custom Marketing Site

• $8,000 – $20,000
• 4–8 weeks

Custom eCommerce Site

• $12,000 – $40,000
• 6–12 weeks

SEO + PPC Packages
$1,500 – $5,000/mo

Note: These ranges flex depending on content volume, design complexity, integrations, and timelines.

Why Work With Coulee Creative?

We’re not a mega agency with bloated teams and buzzwords. We’re a small, senior-level crew based in Bend, Oregon who’ve been building custom websites and apps since 2007.

What we bring to the table:

• 🧠 Strategy-led process (not just pixel pushing)

• 🎨 Clean, on-brand design (Figma-first or nimble templates)

• ⚙️ Technical expertise in WordPress, Shopify, Framer, Webflow, WooCommerce, and custom builds

• 📈 Full-funnel support with SEO, PPC, and analytics

More than anything—we actually care. We partner with brands we believe in, and we show up.

Ready to Build?

Whether you need a simple site refresh, a full-scale eComm redesign, or help getting ranked and clicked—we’re here for it.

👉 Let’s chat. No pressure. Just smart ideas and straight answers.

Coulee Creative — Custom websites, apps, and digital strategy from the high desert of Oregon.