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Website from a friend? When the favour gets expensive.

A friend or acquaintance builds your website, cheaply or for free. That can go well. Here is when it is enough, where the limits are and what to settle beforehand.

By Patryk Awierianow · 3 November 2026

DomainHostingMaintenance

In short

For a simple business card page, a friend can be a good choice. It gets expensive when the site should bring customers: then the domain and the access details must be in your hands, someone must look after the site after launch, Google must be able to find it (SEO) and responsibility must be clear. Ask the six questions below first.

Why people ask friends, and why that makes sense

You know the person, they are cheap or do it as a favour, and they may make time for you. Those are real advantages, and many good websites started this way. This article does not put anyone down. It shows how to tell whether a favour is enough or whether you need a website that reliably brings enquiries.

When a friend is enough

You need a simple business card: who you are, what you do, how to reach you.
There are only a few pages and one language.
The site does not need to win customers through Google, it is only shared by link or QR code.
Your acquaintance has time, really knows the field and will look after the site later too.

Six questions to settle first

Who owns the domain and the hosting? The contracts should be in your name or your company's name, not your acquaintance's. Otherwise your address hangs on a private person.
Who has the access details? You need user names and passwords for the domain, the hosting and the site itself, in writing and stored safely.
Who looks after the site after launch? A website is not finished when it goes online. Updates and backups have to run regularly more on maintenance.
What happens if your acquaintance has no time any more? Ask for a short handover document so someone else can carry on.
Who takes care of the legal notice, privacy policy and consents? These are required pages. Whether they are right for you should, if in doubt, be checked by a lawyer. This is a hint, not legal advice.
How will Google find the site? Titles, descriptions, headings and a sitemap are part of the basics more on SEO.

What often happens

Typical example, not a real customer: A restaurant has an acquaintance build the site. It looks good on a laptop. Two years later the opening hours need changing, the acquaintance no longer answers, and nobody knows where the domain is registered. In the end the site is rebuilt, and the favour costs twice.

The fair middle way

You do not have to choose between friend and professional. Your acquaintance can contribute photos, texts or ideas, while technology, upkeep and findability are clearly arranged. What matters is that someone is bindingly responsible and that you put it in writing.

When to ask a professional instead

The site should bring enquiries, for example through Google, WhatsApp or bookings.
You need several languages, a booking function, orders or other features.
You do not want to deal with technology, updates and security.
You want a fixed contact person and a written offer with a clear scope.

Prices are on the prices page. On the sample websites you can see in advance what a finished site looks like. How fast a site should be is covered in Website speed and Core Web Vitals.

Terms in this article

Explained simply, without jargon.

Domain (web address): The address of your website, for example your-company.me. It is like your business’s phone number on the internet: it belongs to you and is paid for yearly. More
Hosting: The place on the internet where your website and email live so they are available around the clock. With every Alavija website, the first year of hosting is included. More
Maintenance: Regular care of your website: updates, backups, monitoring and small changes so it runs safely and stays current. More
Backup: A copy of your website that is saved regularly so it can be back online quickly after a problem. More

Frequently asked questions

Is a website from a friend always bad?

No. For a simple business card it can work well. What matters are clear agreements on ownership, access and upkeep.

Who should own the domain?

You. It should be registered in your name or your company's name, and you should know the login details.

Is switching later expensive?

That depends on how the site was built and whether documentation exists. With access details and a handover document, switching is usually easier. Ask for a clear scope in writing beforehand.