Buyer's guide
Website from your POS company, or from a web studio?
Many card-processing and POS companies now offer a website as part of the package. That can be convenient. It can also leave your domain, your Google rankings and your site tied to a payment contract. Here is how to tell the difference before you sign.
At a glance
- Is a POS-bundled website a bad idea?
- Not necessarily. It can work if you own the domain and content, can export the site, and the site is fast and indexable. Problems start when the site, domain or ordering page cannot leave with you if you change processors.
- What should I ask before signing?
- Whose name is the domain registered in? Can I export the site? Is the website billed separately from processing? What happens to the site if I cancel the processing contract? Can I see pages they built that rank on Google?
- What does an independent studio cost?
- At ZOE LUMOS, builds are $500–$2,400 and care plans $49–$499 a month, published openly and independent of how you process payments.
- Can I keep my POS and still use an independent website?
- Yes. Most POS systems have an online-ordering page or API; the website links to it or integrates it, so you keep the POS you like.
The trade-off, honestly
A bundled website is attractive because it is one vendor and one bill, and online ordering usually works on day one. For a business that only needs a menu and hours, that may be enough.
The risks are about control. If the domain is registered to the vendor, or the site lives on their platform with no export, changing processors can mean losing your website and the Google rankings it earned. Template sites can also be slow and rarely ship fully bilingual pages with separate Korean and English SEO.
An independent studio separates the two decisions: you choose a processor on fees and service, and a website on design, speed and search results — and either can change without the other.
Side by side
Domain ownership
Bundle: check the contract — sometimes the vendor's. Independent studio (ZOE LUMOS): always registered in your name.
If you switch
Bundle: the site may go with the processing contract. Studio: the site is yours regardless of how you take payments.
Search performance
Bundle: varies; ask for live examples. Studio: we publish results — TJ Flowers, 5× search visibility in six weeks.
Bilingual pages
Bundle: often one language or a translated copy. Studio: separate Korean and English pages, each with its own SEO.
Pricing
Bundle: often folded into processing — ask for the website line item. Studio: $500–$2,400 build, $49–$499/mo, published.
Real work
Shopify rebuild
TJ Flowers & Events
$10,000+ revenue within 3 months of the rebuild; 5× search visibility in 6 weeks.
Medical device · U.S. launch
EndoPia
U.S. launch site for an FDA 510(k)-cleared device — product, training, events and investor pages.
Restaurant
Vito's Pizza & Ristorante
Online ordering and a catering inquiry funnel that brings in group orders.
Published prices
No quote wall. The setup fee is waived with a 12-month care plan.
Builds (one-time)
- Basic · Up to ~5 pages$500–800
- Standard · Booking, ordering, bilingual$1,100–1,500
- Store · Shopify / e-commerce$1,800–2,400
Monthly care plans
- Basic · Hosting & protection$49/mo
- Care · Maintenance + small edits$89/mo
- Grow · Edits, GA4 report, SEO, Google Business Profile$199/mo
- Scale · Content + local SEO engine$499/mo
How it works
01
Free audit
We review your current site, Google profile and competitors.
02
Plan & price
A written plan with the published price for your tier.
03
Design & build
2–3 weeks for most sites, 4–6 weeks for stores. Copy in both languages.
04
Launch & grow
Redirects, Google Business Profile, analytics, then monthly care.
Questions
My POS company already built my site. Can you take it over?
If you control the domain, yes — we rebuild on your own hosting and redirect old URLs. If the vendor controls the domain, we help you request the transfer first.
Do you sell card processing or POS?
No. We only build and run websites, so our advice on payments is not tied to a commission.
Will an independent site work with Toast, Clover or Square?
Yes. These platforms offer online-ordering pages or integrations; we link or embed them so orders go straight to your POS.
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