Web Design · North Bay Local Businesses · Sonoma · Marin · Napa · Solano

A custom-built website that helps local customers understand your business.

Willhite Strategy Group is a North Bay web-design studio that builds custom websites for small businesses across Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Solano. Each site is focused on mobile usability, clear service information, sound search foundations, and ownership of the code, domain, and work. Rankings and AI citations are never guaranteed.

Get your free audit What I build

Why most local business websites do not work

Most North Bay small business owners I talk to have the same story. They paid someone a few thousand dollars for a Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress site a few years ago. It sort of works on a phone but loads slowly. They cannot find their own site when they search their own business name on Google. They have no idea what their site is doing for SEO and they definitely do not show up when somebody asks ChatGPT or Perplexity "best [their category] in [their city]." Meanwhile, the customers who would have called them are calling the competitor who does show up.

It does not need to be that way. A small business site does not need to be expensive or complicated to rank, to look modern, and to actually convert visitors into calls or bookings. It just needs to be built correctly from the start.

What I build for North Bay small businesses

Fast custom-built sites

Built from scratch in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The focused implementation keeps page weight low, is measured on mobile before launch, and stays fully yours afterward. Performance varies by device, network, content, and hosting.

SEO + GEO + AEO from day one

Structured data, schema markup, Google Business Profile setup, llms.txt manifest, and the on-page work that makes your site visible to both Google and the AI search engines that are increasingly answering buyer questions first.

Mobile-first conversion design

Your customers are looking you up on a phone, usually while they are already deciding. Every site I build is designed mobile-first, tap targets, click-to-call, click-to-directions, single-thumb navigation, and a clear path from "found you" to "called you."

Booking, ordering, contact forms

Whatever moves your customer to the next step. Click-to-call, contact forms, reservation flows, online ordering integrations, or appointment scheduling. I connect to the tools you already use or build a custom flow if that is cleaner.

You own the work

The code, the design, the domain, all yours. No platform you rent. No agency that holds your site hostage if you want to switch providers. I hand over the keys at launch.

Optional ongoing care

If you want me to host, monitor, and maintain the site, I offer a small monthly care plan. If you would rather host it yourself or use the host you already have, I deploy there and step back. Your call.

SEO + GEO + AEO for the way local search works in 2026

Local search now spans traditional results, map listings, and AI-assisted answers. Accurate Google Business Profile information, clear local content, and relevant structured data help systems interpret a business and its service area. They do not guarantee a local-pack position, ranking, or AI citation.

For your business that means three concrete things: hyperlocal landing pages for each city or neighborhood you serve, proper schema markup so Google and the AI engines can read your business as a real entity, and a llms.txt manifest that tells AI crawlers exactly who you are and what you offer. I build all three by default on every site I ship.

Verticals I have dedicated experience in

While I serve any local business, I have built focused expertise in these verticals. Each has its own dedicated page covering the specific structured data, integrations, and conversion patterns that work:

If your vertical is not listed, that is no obstacle. The same fundamentals apply to any local business. Tell me what you do and I will scope from there.

What it costs

Every quote is fixed-price. No surprises after kickoff.

  • Multi-page marketing site: a Practice site of up to ten pages is $1,800. Home, about, services, blog, contact, photo galleries. Full SEO + GEO + AEO. Best for established businesses ready to invest in search visibility.
  • Sites with custom features: reservations, online ordering, e-commerce, member portals, custom integrations. Quoted per project once I have your written brief.
  • Monthly care: $79 to $299/mo. Hosting, security, content updates, SEO, GEO and AEO monitoring, quarterly re-audit. Optional.

See full pricing detail and what each tier includes at my pricing page.

How it works

  1. A short written brief. You tell me what you do, who your customer is, and what the site needs to accomplish. I tell you whether I am the right fit and what the build would look like.
  2. Fixed quote in 48 hours. You get a one-page quote with scope, timeline, and price. No retainers, no platform fees baked in.
  3. Design preview before any code. A clickable preview of the homepage and one inner page so you can see the direction before I build.
  4. Build and launch in four to six weeks. You review along the way. Final launch happens when you are ready, not on an arbitrary deadline.
  5. You own it. Code, domain, content, everything. Hosting and maintenance are optional services, not lock-ins.

North Bay small business web design FAQs

Who do you build websites for?

Small local businesses across the North Bay, Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties. Wineries, restaurants, contractors and trades, medical practices, cannabis dispensaries, retail, professional services, and the local boutiques that make up the regional economy. If your customers find you through Google or word of mouth, I am a fit.

What makes a custom-built site different from Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress?

Template platforms can ship code your business does not need and tie the site to their hosting and pricing. Custom-built means the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are written specifically for your business, with measured performance, relevant structured data, and full ownership of the code. You can host it wherever you want and hand it to another developer if you ever need to. Platform choice alone does not determine rankings.

What is AEO and GEO and why do they matter in 2026?

AEO and GEO organize content so search and AI systems can more accurately interpret a business, its services, and its location. I use clear content and relevant structured data by default. These practices improve machine readability but cannot guarantee inclusion or citations.

How long does a build take?

Two to three weeks for a typical small business site. Larger sites with custom integrations run longer and I tell you the timeline upfront.

What does a build cost?

Pricing is fixed. A one-page Starter site is $750, Practice is $1,800 for up to ten pages, and Growth is $3,500 for up to twenty pages or a larger redesign. Sites with custom integrations are quoted separately. Full pricing page.

Do you handle hosting?

If you want me to. Hosting is a small separate monthly fee if you need it. If you already have a host you like, I deploy there. You are never locked into my hosting.

Do I keep ownership of the site?

Always. Code, design, content, domain, all yours at launch. I hand over the keys. If you ever want to take it to another developer, you can.

Where are you based?

Downtown Santa Rosa, California. Justin Willhite runs the studio solo. I serve the North Bay, Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties, with most clients within an hour of Santa Rosa.

Custom-built. Fast. Yours.

A free written audit of the site you have now, with the fixes that matter most.

Get your free audit