Montana web design. Native-owned.
Montana web design for businesses that have outgrown their website
I'm Charles Werk, a Native-owned web and security developer in Montana. I build fast, secure websites for established businesses, set up the hosting in your name, and hand over everything another developer would need. You work with me from the first call through launch.
- You own everything: domain, hosting and code are in your name from day one.
- Documented handover, so any developer could pick it up.
- Fixed prices, no hourly billing.
- Security built in, not added later.
Where to start
Fixed prices, half to start and half at launch. Every option includes secure hosting, backups, and a documented handover.
Website Build
Typical project investment
$5,000–$9,000
A 5–10 page custom site for an established business. I help with the words, set up contact and quote forms, Google Search Console, your Business Profile, and analytics, and put secure hosting in your name. You get a training video so your team can update it.
How Website Build worksWebsite Rescue
Fixed price
$2,500 fixed
For a site that's old, slow, or at risk. I update it or move it to safe hosting, set up backups and test them, put Cloudflare in front, speed it up, and give you a one-page report of what you have.
How Website Rescue works
Who it's for
Established Montana businesses, usually 5 or more staff or $500k+ in revenue, whose website no longer matches the business. I'm based in Montana and work remotely across the state.
- Businesses in and around Bozeman
- Businesses in and around Missoula
- Businesses in and around Billings
- Businesses in and around Great Falls
- Businesses in and around Havre
- Businesses in and around Kalispell
- Businesses in and around Helena
What a website costs in Montana
Most quotes fall into one of three groups. The real difference is what happens after launch: who updates it, who owns it, and what it costs to keep it safe.
Do it yourself
A monthly subscription
Squarespace, Wix, and similar builders work well for a new or very small business. You trade a low price for your own time, and you rent the site rather than own it.
Template site
Usually a few thousand dollars
A freelancer or agency fills in a theme, often WordPress. It can look good on launch day. The question is who updates the plugins, PHP, and hosting a year later.
Custom build, maintained
$5,000–$9,000 with me
A site built around how your business actually works, with hosting, backups, and security set up in your name and a plan for who keeps it current.
What moves the price
- How many pages, and how much of the writing I help with
- Forms that need to do real work: quotes, job applications, intake
- Moving content and keeping search rankings from an old site
- Logins, booking, payments, or a portal behind the site
Built for how Montana businesses work
Fast on a weak signal
A lot of Montana runs on one bar of LTE. I build pages that load quickly on a phone at the edge of town, not just on office Wi-Fi.
Ready for busy season
Tourism, agriculture, and construction all have peaks. The site should handle the rush and still bring in work in the off months.
Hiring built in
Many of the businesses I talk to are hiring as much as they're selling. A clear jobs page and a simple application make a difference.
Something your team can run
Most owners don't have a web person on staff. You get a site your team can update and a written record of how it's set up.
How a website build works
Step 1
A first call
We talk through what the site needs to do, what's not working now, and your budget. If I'm not the right fit, I'll say so.
Step 2
A fixed-price proposal
You get the pages, features, timeline, and price in writing before anything starts. Half is due to start.
Step 3
Build on a private link
You watch the site come together and comment as it does. I help with the words, but you approve every page.
Step 4
Launch and hand over
I launch, test every form, and hand over the logins, a short setup document, and a training video. The second half is due at launch.
Recent web projects
Each case study covers the goals, the decisions, and what was delivered.
Montana Native Growth Fund
A custom website and Sanity content platform for a Native-led CDFI on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, supporting lending, financial education, and homeownership programs.
Read the Montana Native Growth Fund case studyFarris Harvesting
A mobile-first, hiring-ready site for a custom harvesting crew, launched in about four weeks and later simplified to a static site with no servers to maintain.
Read the Farris Harvesting case studyBlackWolf for Montana
A U.S. Senate campaign website on Next.js and Sanity, with issues and updates the team manages, secure hosting, and Google Workspace.
Read the BlackWolf for Montana case studyStarQuilts247
A storefront and order system for a Montana star quilt maker, who runs her listings, photos, and order book herself.
Read the StarQuilts247 case study
Is this a good fit?
Probably, if
- You have staff, steady customers, and a site that no longer matches the business
- You want to own your domain, hosting, and code
- You'd rather pay a fixed price than an hourly bill
- You want someone who can also look after hosting and security
Probably not, if
- You need a site this week for under a thousand dollars
- You want a large agency with an account team
- You need 24/7 emergency support
Common questions
How much does a website cost in Montana?
It depends on what the site needs to do. A do-it-yourself builder costs a monthly subscription, and a template site usually runs a few thousand dollars. My Website Build is $5,000–$9,000 for a 5–10 page custom site with hosting, backups, and a handover in your name. A Website Rescue for an existing site is $2,500 fixed.
Do you work with businesses outside Bozeman and Missoula?
Yes. I'm based in Montana and work remotely with businesses across the state, from Billings and Great Falls to Havre, Kalispell, and smaller towns. Most of the work happens over calls and a shared preview link.
Do you build on WordPress?
For new sites I usually build with modern tools like Next.js, with an editor such as Sanity when your team needs to update content. Fewer plugins means fewer things to patch. If you're on WordPress and want to keep it, a Website Rescue can update, secure, and speed it up.
Who owns the website when it's done?
You do. The domain, hosting, and code are in your name from day one. If you stop working with me, you keep everything, and the handover document lets another developer pick it up.
How long does a website take?
It depends on the number of pages and how quickly content comes together. The proposal sets the timeline before we start. As one example, a four-page hiring site for a harvesting crew launched in about four weeks.
What happens after launch?
You can run the site yourself with the training video and setup document. If you'd rather not, Website Care ($1,800–$3,600 per year) covers hosting, updates, security monitoring, tested backups, and small changes.
Worth reading first
Looking for cloud or server help instead?
I also review cloud bills, servers, and software subscriptions for Montana organizations.
Montana cloud consultingLet’s talk about your website.
Tell me what your site needs to do and what’s getting in the way. If I’m not the right fit, I’ll tell you.
Book a 20-minute call