Any type of web development project is going to be an important, necessary, and pricey job. This is especially true for small businesses, who are dependent upon new clients to keep their services up and running. One way to "sink and reel" new clients in is to have a great online website design, along with a functional web development application.
Companies that specialize in web development and design are offering an invaluable service to small businesses. Small business owners won't be able to create their own designs due to time constraints, and certainly won't be able to sacrifice many weeks of learning just to get a website up and running. In this sense, the fees of a web designer are very well justified.
A small business website design should usually be a professional and sophisticated design. Most business professionals and clientele will not appreciate a sloppily made layout. Having a special set of colors and a special logo also help in branding, which can make a consumer remember a service just because of colors and logos shown on the website. In that case, try to obtain logo creation and branding options.
Small businesses also need a way to keep in contact with clients. Web development isn't all for show, as it can also give small business owners a way to come into contact with clients via online applications. A contact form is the simplest matter to be addressed, so that that all questions or comments can be returned in a prompt manner.
As the industry goes, most small businesses will pay a lot more in the physical world for a web design job than they would if they purchased online services. Real world businesses know that customers that visit them are probably not too keen on web design elements, so they can charge extra where possible. Internet web design companies also face more competition, so they have to likewise stay competitive in pricing.
Web design and development is a big money-maker for those who take part in it, but don't expect to cut too many costs in the process. A cheap web design service will give you exactly what you pay for, while the "big dogs" will have a service that is on par with big business designs. In the end, one can easily spend hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on what is requested by the small business owner.
In Conclusion
Remember that there are more than just a few web design companies out and about- and always ask around for a few samples on previous works. In the end, let your instincts tell you where to take your small business next.