# Blog

> Plain-English guides on websites, local SEO, and small-business software from the person who builds them.

Topics: Pricing (3), AI Search (2), Local SEO (2), Research (2), Hiring a Dev (1), Performance (1), Websites (1)

## All guides, newest first

- 2026-08-08 — [Court reporting website design: what it costs, and what I built for Workhorse Court Reporting](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/court-reporting-website-design-cost/) [Pricing]: Two shops build only for court reporters. One charges $159, one won't say. I charge $750. The five-year math, and when cheap is the right buy.

- 2026-08-08 — [I checked 205 web design companies to see how many publish a price](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/why-web-designers-wont-tell-you-the-price/) [Research]: I checked 205 Midwest web design companies. 48 publish a real price. Here's what the other 157 say instead.

- 2026-08-08 — [My care plan is $49 a month. Here's every line of what that buys.](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/what-website-care-plan-actually-buys/) [Pricing]: Most care plans run $95–$395 a month. Mine starts at $49. The gap isn't a discount — it's that a hand-coded site has less wrong with it.

- 2026-07-29 — [Why Isn't My Business Showing Up on Google Maps?](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/why-isnt-my-business-showing-up-on-google-maps/) [Local SEO]: You search your own business and don't see it. Here's what actually decides Google Maps rankings in 2026 — including the part most web guys never mention: your website is a Maps ranking factor.

- 2026-07-20 (updated 2026-08-01) — [How to Get Your Kansas City Business Recommended by ChatGPT (2026)](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/get-your-business-recommended-by-chatgpt/) [AI Search]: More customers are asking ChatGPT 'who's the best near me' instead of Googling. Here's the honest, practical playbook for getting your business recommended — and the 'AEO' tricks that don't work.

- 2026-07-20 — [Wix, Squarespace, or a Custom Website? An Honest Guide for Small Businesses (2026)](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/wix-squarespace-or-custom-website/) [Websites]: Wix and Squarespace look cheap and easy — and for some businesses they're the right call. Here's the honest trade-off nobody mentions: what you rent, what you own, and how to actually choose.

- 2026-07-10 — [You Have a Facebook Page. Here's Why Google Still Can't Find You.](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/do-i-need-a-website-if-i-have-a-facebook-page/) [Local SEO]: You can run a small business on just Facebook — but here's exactly what it costs you in customers who search instead of scroll, and why Google can't rank a Facebook page.

- 2026-07-08 — [I Made My Website Agent-Ready. Here's What That Actually Means.](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/made-my-website-agent-ready/) [AI Search]: AI agents are starting to shop the web for people. I made 2kwebdev.com queryable by them — machine-readable services, pricing, and coverage — and I'm telling you exactly what that means, honestly.

- 2026-07-08 — [The State of Kansas City Small-Business Websites (2026)](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/state-of-kc-small-business-websites-2026/) [Research]: I measured 105 KC small-business websites, reproducibly. Where real-user data exists most pass Core Web Vitals — but 62% are too small to have any, and lab speed lags.

- 2026-07-06 — [How to Tell if Your Kansas City Web Developer Is Overcharging You](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/web-developer-overcharging-kansas-city/) [Hiring a Dev]: Most business owners can't tell if their web developer is charging fairly or padding the bill. Here are the red flags — and checks you can run yourself in 10 minutes.

- 2026-07-06 (updated 2026-07-07) — [How Much Does a Website Cost in Kansas City? (2026 Honest Breakdown)](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/how-much-website-cost-kansas-city/) [Pricing]: A new small-business website in Kansas City typically runs $3,000–$8,000 at a shop — but a lot of that is padding. Here's the honest breakdown, plus where mine start.

- 2026-07-06 — [Why Is Your Website Slow — And Is It Costing You Kansas City Customers?](https://2kwebdev.com/blog/why-is-my-website-slow/) [Performance]: If your website takes over 3 seconds to load, half your mobile visitors leave before they see it. Here's why KC sites are slow, free fixes, and when it's the build.

Source: https://2kwebdev.com/blog/