Web Design in Mercer, North Dakota

Writing a website for Mercer residents

McLean County had 9,740 residents in 2025 and 12 incorporated municipalities. Census estimates for a city this size carry a wide margin of error, so the county is the better guide: households have a median income of $83,583, and half the residents are older than 47.7. 84.7% of households have broadband and 14.9% rely on a cellphone data plan alone. 84.2% of households own their home.

When Mercer customers need you: the seasons

By the 1991-2020 normals of the Turtle Lake weather station (8.5 miles from Mercer), July highs average 83°F and January lows average 1°F. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year, with June the wettest month. Freezing nights (32°F or below) come about 195 times a year. Cold winters mean furnace repair, snow removal, roofing and auto service, and the first freeze sends everyone searching at once. If you offer emergency or same-week service in bad weather, state it clearly and make the contact form fast to fill in.

Where Mercer customers come from

Distances from Mercer: Turtle Lake (8.7 miles), McClusky (12 miles), Washburn (20 miles) and Underwood (20 miles). There are 8 incorporated cities and towns within 25 miles of Mercer. Bismarck, a city of 77,963, is 47 miles south. Washburn, seat of McLean County, lies 20 miles to the southwest. The city spreads over 0.2 square miles of land, with roughly 550 people per square mile. If you serve more than one town, your website can have a service area page that names each of them, so a customer in Underwood or Turtle Lake sees right away that you cover them.

How big is the Mercer market?

Mercer’s median age of 58.8 compares with 35.9 across North Dakota.

Small business websites in Mercer: the local business mix

Across McLean County, County Business Patterns counts, among others:

• Insurance agencies (13): the lines you write (auto, home, business, life), the carriers you work with and a quote request form.
• Full-service restaurants (13): the current menu with prices, hours, the address with a map and photos of real dishes.
• Electrical contractors (5): a page per service (panels, wiring, generators, lighting), your service area and a quote form.
• Physician practices (5): the doctors, specialties, insurance accepted and a form for new-patient requests.

In McLean County, the Census counted 257 businesses with employees and 765 without a payroll in 2023; the second group is where a simple, affordable website changes the most. Compared with the U.S. as a whole, McLean County leans toward trucking companies (19 establishments, 3.6 times the national share). For them, shippers and brokers vet carriers, and the website should show lanes and regions, equipment, authority and insurance details and a quote form. The county also has a strong cluster of religious, civic and membership organizations (23 establishments, 2.4 times the national share). For any of them, a clear website is the difference between being compared and being skipped.

North Dakota and federal rules for small business websites

These are some of the North Dakota and federal rules a small business with a website runs into:

• North Dakota’s state sales tax rate is 5% for most retail sales, and cities and counties may levy their own sales and use taxes on top of it. North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner
• If you send marketing email from your new business address, the CAN-SPAM rules (16 CFR Part 316) apply, including an easy way for people to opt out. 16 CFR Part 316

Each business is different; this is general information, not legal advice.

How a website for $89 a month works

Aria is based in Curitiba, Brazil, and has built websites for small businesses since 2008. There is no Aria office in Mercer, and you don’t need one: sign-up, material and approval all happen online.

1. Start with the online sign-up, which takes about 5 minutes, and send your material by email.
2. Review the website on a temporary link, ready within 5 business days, and request any changes.
3. Once you approve it, the first monthly fee is issued and the website goes live on your domain.

Once the site is live, hosting, SSL, daily backups and security updates are handled for you, and content changes by email are included.