---
title: "Basis: AI website builder for small business"
description: "Basis is an AI website builder for small business. You answer a short chat and pick from four designs generated live. Basis then publishes the site on your own domain with a built-in contact form and an optional professional inbox. The service starts at 7€ a month and requires no technical skills or agency."
canonical: "https://laboetie.io/products/basis"
language: en
---
# Basis: AI website builder for small business

Basis is an AI website builder for small business. You answer a short chat and pick from four designs generated live. Basis then publishes the site on your own domain with a built-in contact form and an optional professional inbox. The service starts at 7€ a month and requires no technical skills or agency.

## How it works

### Tell us about your business

Most answers in the two minute chat take a single tap. Basis uses your answers to describe your business, your offer and your customers.

### Pick a design

Four design directions appear live on your screen. You keep your preferred direction and ask for any tweaks. The change then appears in the preview.

### Go online

Basis puts the finished site online with your domain, your email and your contact form. You manage them from a simple dashboard.

## Included

### Your own domain

During setup you can buy a new domain or bring your own. The domain stays yours in both cases because it is registered in your name.

### A professional inbox

Basis sets up a professional address on your domain, such as you@your-business.com, so you have no mailbox to configure. This option costs two euros a month.

### Built-in contact form

Every site comes with a contact form that needs no setup. Each request reaches your dashboard as soon as a visitor sends it.

### Designs generated live

You receive four original design directions for your business and steer the look in plain words.

### A simple dashboard

You manage your site, your requests and your emails from one dashboard. You do not have to learn a builder or email an agency.

### No technical skills needed

The service requires no technical skills or agency because hosting is included and you have no plugins to update. After a few questions the site goes live on its own address.

## Basis pricing: from 7€ a month

- The site: 7€ / month. The price includes design, hosting, the contact form and the dashboard.
- Your domain: Included. Basis covers the domain up to a yearly cap. A pricier domain adds a supplement, which you see before you pay.
- Professional email: +2€ / month. This inbox on your own domain is optional.


## What an AI website builder does

An **AI website builder** creates a site from a description of your business. You answer questions in place of dragging blocks around a page. The software writes the text, picks the layout, builds the pages and publishes the result.

Most builders work from a stock of templates and fill them in. Basis generates four design directions for your business and builds the one you choose, so the structure and the look come from your answers.

## Who Basis is for

Basis suits a small business that needs a credible site and has no wish to manage one.

| Good fit | Poor fit |
|---|---|
| A plumber, a therapist, a local shop, a consultant | An online store with a large catalogue |
| A business with no site, or an old one | A site that needs custom software |
| An owner who wants requests by form | A team that edits pages every week |
| A new activity that needs an address fast | A site with bookings, logins or payments |

## How the build works

The journey takes place in one conversation.

1. **Access.** Basis is in private preview. You leave your email, our team approves the request and you receive a link.
2. **Interview.** You answer one question at a time, and most answers take a tap. The chat lasts about two minutes.
3. **Directions.** Four distinct designs are generated in parallel. You can leave while this runs.
4. **Review.** You react to each one in plain words, such as "warmer" or "less text".
5. **Build.** Basis builds the finished site from the direction you kept, for desktop and mobile.
6. **Domain and email.** You connect a domain or buy one, and add an inbox if you want it.
7. **Publication.** The site goes online with its contact form.

You can ask for changes in plain language before the site goes live, and each change appears in the preview.

## What a small business site needs

Visitors arrive with a few questions, and a good site answers them quickly.

| Element | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What you do, in the first line | Visitors decide in seconds whether they are in the right place |
| Where you work | Local customers and search engines both look for it |
| What it costs, or how pricing works | People leave when they have to ask |
| Proof, such as work or reviews | Trust comes from real examples |
| One clear way to contact you | Several competing buttons reduce requests |
| A phone friendly layout | Most local searches happen on a phone |
| Legal pages | Many countries require them |

Bring real material to the interview: your prices, your service area, your photos, your reviews. A generated page can only be as specific as what you tell it, and specific pages convert better than generic ones.

## What Basis includes

| Part | Details |
|---|---|
| Design | Four directions generated for your business, and changes you ask for in plain words |
| Hosting | Part of the monthly price, with no plugins to update |
| Contact form | Ready on publication, with requests sent to your dashboard |
| Dashboard | Site, requests, domain, emails and billing in one place |
| Domain | Bought during setup or connected, in your name |
| Inbox | Optional, on your own domain |

## Website costs

The headline price of a website builder is often an introductory rate. One guide we read on 1 November 2026 advertised $4.99 a month renewing at $15.99. Another vendor offered a free domain in year one and $22.50 after that. Inboxes are usually a separate charge.

Add up these lines before you compare offers.

| Line | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Site subscription | What is the price after the first term? |
| Domain | What is the renewal price? |
| Email | Is there a charge per mailbox? |
| Add ons | Are forms, removal of branding or analytics extra? |
| Exit | What happens to the site and the domain when you leave? |

Basis prices are stated without an introductory rate.

| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Site, with design, hosting, form and dashboard | 7€ a month |
| Professional inbox | 2€ a month, optional |
| Domain | Shown as its own line at checkout, before you pay |

The checkout lists every line, and the same calculation drives the screen and the charge.

## Which pages you need

Most small businesses need fewer pages than they think. Each page should have one job.

| Page | Job | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Say what you do, for whom and where | One clear sentence and your main action |
| Services | Explain each offer | Scope, price or range, how it works |
| About | Show who is behind the business | A real photo and your story |
| Reviews or work | Prove it | Client quotes and pictures, with permission |
| Contact | Make it easy | Form, phone, area, hours |
| Legal | Meet your duties | Company details and privacy notice |

Needs vary by trade.

| Business | Add | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber, electrician | Emergency number at the top, service area | People call in a hurry |
| Therapist, coach | How a first session works, confidentiality | People want to feel safe before they ask the price |
| Restaurant | Menu, hours, map | Those are the three questions people ask |
| Consultant | Case studies, a clear process | Buyers compare approaches |
| Shop | Opening hours, what you stock | Visitors want to know before they travel |

## How to write a home page that works

The first screen must answer three questions: what is this, is it for me, what do I do next?

| Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|
| "Quality solutions for your needs" | "Boiler repairs in Lyon, same day" |
| "Welcome to our website" | "Family dentist in Nantes, new patients welcome" |
| "Contact us" | "Get a quote in 24 hours" |

Name the place, the service and the proof. A visitor from a search result should recognise their problem in the first line.

Reviews work best with a name and a detail: "Marie, Villeurbanne: they replaced the boiler in a morning" says more than five stars alone.

## What photos to use

Real photos of you, your team and your work beat stock pictures. A phone is enough in daylight.

- A clear portrait of the owner
- The team at work
- Finished jobs, with client permission
- Your shop front, so people recognise it

Keep rights in mind: pictures from a search engine are protected by copyright, and logos of clients need their approval.

## How to prepare for the interview

Ten minutes of preparation will improve the result more than any design choice.

| Topic | What to have ready | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Your offer | Your top three services | Boiler repair, servicing, installation |
| Your customers | Who buys, and why they call | Homeowners with an urgent breakdown |
| Your area | Towns or districts you cover | Lyon and the eastern suburbs |
| Your prices | Fixed prices or ranges | Call out from 80€ |
| Your proof | Years in business, certificates, reviews | A real certificate with its number |
| Your difference | Why choose you | Reply within two hours |

## Choosing a domain name

| Advice | Why |
|---|---|
| Keep it short and easy to spell | People type it and say it on the phone |
| Prefer your business name | It lasts longer than a keyword |
| Use your country ending or `.com` | Local customers trust a familiar ending |
| Avoid hyphens and numbers | They get lost when spoken aloud |
| Check trademarks | A registered name can lead to a dispute |

Search the name before you buy it, and look for existing businesses with a similar one. Renew on time: a domain that lapses takes your site and your email with it.

## Common website mistakes

| Mistake | Effect | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No phone number at the top | Mobile visitors leave | Place a tap to call link in the header |
| A home page about you | Visitors look for their problem | Start with what they need |
| No prices at all | People assume the worst | Give a range or a starting price |
| Several actions on one screen | Nobody picks one | Keep one main action |
| Old news on the home page | The business looks closed | Remove dated items |
| Stock photos of smiling people | Weak trust | Use your own pictures |

## When a website is not enough

Some businesses need more than a presentation site. Bookings need a calendar, online sales need a catalogue and payments, and a client area needs accounts. Those needs usually call for a specialised tool or a custom build. Describe them in a brief, and the studio will tell you which route fits.

## Builder, freelancer or agency

| Question | AI builder | Freelancer | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to a live site | Minutes to a day | Weeks | Weeks to months |
| Cost | Monthly fee | One project fee, often with upkeep | Larger project fee, often a retainer |
| Your time needed | A short conversation | Several rounds | Several rounds and meetings |
| Custom features | Limited | Good | Strong |
| Strategy and copywriting | From your answers | Depends on the person | Usually included |

Choose a builder when speed and low cost matter most. Choose a person when your site is central to how you sell, or when it needs features a builder lacks. [La Boétie's studio work](https://laboetie.io/brief) covers those larger projects.

## Domains in plain language

A **domain** is your address on the web, such as `your-business.com`. A registrar rents it to you by the year, and the person named as registrant controls it.

Some services register the domain in their own name. Leaving then becomes painful, because your address and your email belong to someone else. Basis registers a purchased domain in your name.

**If you already own a domain**, you replace its nameservers at your provider with the two lines Basis gives you. A nameserver tells the internet where your domain's records live. Basis handles the rest. Changes can take some hours to spread.

**Check first** whether your existing domain carries email. Moving nameservers moves its records too, so tell us if you have active mailboxes.

## A professional email address

An address such as `you@your-business.com` looks more credible on a quote than a free mailbox. It also proves control of your domain when you register with a directory or a supplier. Basis sets the inbox up, including the DNS records that help your mail reach the inbox of your customers.

## Getting found on Google

A new site starts with no visibility. These steps help a local business more than anything else.

1. Create and complete your Google Business Profile, with the same name, address and phone as the site.
2. Add a page for each service and each area you truly cover.
3. Collect reviews from real customers and answer them.
4. Ask partners and local directories to link to you.
5. Put the search term in the title of each page, in natural wording.
6. Publish useful answers to the questions customers ask you.

No builder can guarantee a position. Growth takes months, even on a good site. For a brand that needs sustained organic growth, [Cortex](https://laboetie.io/products/cortex) runs that work, and it has a different scope and price.

## What the law asks of a small business site

Rules vary by country, so check yours. In France, a professional site must show legal mentions: the company name and form, the address, a contact, the registration number, the publication director and the host. A site that collects personal data through a form needs a privacy notice saying what you collect and why, and how long you keep it. Cookies that are not strictly necessary need consent.

Selling to consumers online adds further duties, such as prices including tax and information on the right of withdrawal. A lawyer or your chamber of commerce can confirm what applies to you.

## How a site brings in customers

| Source | Effort | When it pays |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Low | Weeks, for local searches |
| Word of mouth, with a link to share | Low | At once |
| Local directories | Low | Slowly |
| Search pages on the site | Medium | Months |
| Paid search ads | Budget | Days, while you pay |
| Social media | Regular work | Depends on your trade |

A site alone brings no visitors. It turns people who already heard of you, or who found you through a search, into a request. Put the address on your van, your invoices and your email signature.

## Before you publish: a checklist

- The business name, address and phone are correct on every page.
- Prices or a clear explanation of pricing appear.
- Photos are yours, or you hold the rights.
- Claims about results or qualifications are true.
- Legal mentions and a privacy notice match your country.
- A real test message sent through the contact form reaches you.
- The site reads well on your own phone.

You stay responsible for what the site says, and generated text should be read before it goes live.

## What happens if you cancel

You cancel from the dashboard. The service runs to the end of the paid period, and you can reverse the cancellation before that date. Your site then stops. The domain stays registered in your name, so you keep your address, and your invoices stay available.

## Next step

[Request access to the builder](https://laboetie.io/basis/build), or read the steps above and prepare your prices, your photos and your service area. A business that needs more than a presentation site can [send a brief](https://laboetie.io/brief) to the studio.


## Frequently asked questions

### What is Basis?

Basis is an AI website builder for small business. You answer a short chat about your business and pick from four designs generated live. Basis then publishes your site on your own domain with a built-in contact form and a professional email address. The service starts at 7€ a month and requires no technical skills or agency.

### How long does it take to build a website with AI?

Building your site takes minutes. In the chat of about two minutes, most answers take a single tap. Four design directions then appear on your screen, and each tweak you ask for is applied there. Basis finishes by putting the site online on your domain with your email and your contact form.

### How much does Basis cost?

The site costs 7€ a month and includes design, hosting, the contact form and the dashboard. Basis covers your domain up to a yearly cap. A pricier domain adds a supplement, which you see before you pay. A professional inbox on your domain is an optional 2€ a month. You can cancel anytime.

### Do I own my domain?

Yes. You can buy a new domain during setup. To connect a domain you already have, you replace the nameservers at your domain provider with the two lines Basis gives you, and Basis handles the rest. The domain stays yours in both cases because it is registered in your name.

### Do I need any technical skills?

No technical skills are needed. Basis builds the site from the plain words you use to describe your business. Hosting is part of the 7€ monthly price, and you do not have to learn a website builder or maintain plugins. After launch you manage your site, your requests and your emails from a simple dashboard.

### Does Basis include hosting and a professional email address?

Hosting is part of the 7€ monthly price, along with design, the contact form and the dashboard. A professional inbox on your own domain, such as you@your-business.com, is an optional 2€ a month, and Basis sets it up for you. You do not have to configure a mailbox or update plugins.

### Will my website look like every other AI site?

Each Basis site starts from four original design directions generated live for your business. You keep the one you prefer and steer the look in plain words, and the change then appears in the preview. The site goes online on your own domain at a 7€ monthly price that includes the design.

### Can I edit the design before it goes live?

Yes. You steer the design in plain language while Basis builds the site, and the change appears in the preview before you go online. The 7€ monthly price includes one dashboard where you manage your site, its domain, the requests it receives, your emails and your billing after launch.

### What happens if I cancel?

You can cancel anytime from the dashboard. The service runs until the end of the paid period, and you can reverse the cancellation before that date. The domain stays registered in your name, so you keep it after the site stops. Your past invoices stay available in the billing section of the dashboard.

### Is Basis open to everyone today?

Basis is in private preview, so the builder opens after approval. You leave your email on the access screen, our team approves the request and you receive a link that opens the builder. From there you follow the three steps on this page, and the prices shown here apply at checkout.