A small business website can cost almost nothing or several thousand pounds. The difference comes down to how it is built, how many pages it needs and who looks after it. Here is what moves the price, what you pay every month after launch, and what we charge.
The three ways to get a website
| Option | Upfront cost | Monthly cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself with a website builder | Your time | A monthly subscription, often with extra plans for more features | A simple page you are happy to edit yourself |
| A custom site from a small company | One-off build price | Domain and hosting, often a few pounds or less | A fast site you own, built around your business |
| A larger agency project | Usually much higher | Often a retainer | Complex sites with many integrations |
Website builders are a reasonable start, but the subscription never ends and you are tied to the platform. A custom site costs more on day one and very little to run, and you own the code.
What changes the price
- Number of pages. A home page, services, about and contact is a small site. Every extra page type adds design and build time.
- Content. If you have the text and photos ready, the build is quicker. Writing content from scratch takes longer than most people expect.
- A blog or news section. Useful for search, but it adds templates and a way to publish posts.
- Forms and bookings. A contact form is simple. Bookings, payments or member areas add real work and are scoped separately.
- Design. Starting from a clear, simple layout is quicker than a fully bespoke design.
Costs after launch
- Domain name. Usually a small yearly fee.
- Hosting. A fast static site can be hosted for very little, sometimes for free. Sites with a database or bookings cost more.
- Updates. Text changes, new pages and small fixes. Some owners do this themselves, others pay for a few hours when needed.
What we charge
We are a small UK company and we publish our prices. A small website of a few pages is typically £400 to £1,000 and takes 1 to 2 weeks. A larger site with more pages or a blog is typically £950 to £2,700 and takes 2 to 5 weeks.
Every site is mobile friendly, set up with the search basics and deployed to your domain. You own the code, and the domain stays in your name. See website development for what is included, or answer a few questions in the project estimate.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Have your text and photos ready before the build starts.
- Start with the pages you need now and add the rest later.
- Pick a clear, simple layout over a fully custom design.
- Keep bookings or payments for a second phase if you can.