Short answer: a simple, professional small business website can cost anything from a couple of hundred pounds to a few thousand. The price depends on how many pages you need, what the site has to do, and whether you pay once or monthly.
What affects the price
- Number of pages. A one page site is quicker to design and build than a site with separate pages for each service.
- Features. Online booking, menus, galleries and quote forms all add time.
- Words and photos. Someone has to write your copy and prepare images. Ask whether that's included.
- Who builds it. Doing it yourself, hiring a freelancer or using an agency all come with very different price tags.
Your three main options
| Option | Typical cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself on a website builder | A monthly plan, plus your time | Confident DIYers with time to spare |
| Pay monthly website company | Often around £40 to £200 a month, usually with a 12 month minimum | Spreading the cost with everything looked after |
| Freelancer or small studio | A one-off fee, from a few hundred pounds upwards | A website that's yours, made for your business |
Ongoing costs
Whichever option you choose, a website has a few running costs. These are typical figures from UK pricing guides:
- Domain name: usually £10 to £15 a year for a .co.uk. Check the renewal price, not just the first year offer.
- Hosting: roughly £5 to £30 a month from a freelancer, and more from larger agencies.
- Updates and maintenance: anything from occasional paid edits to a monthly support plan.
Hidden extras to watch for
- Domains registered in the designer's name rather than yours.
- Setup fees on top of a monthly price.
- Long contracts that are hard to leave.
- Charges for every small change once the site is live.
- Copywriting or Google Business Profile setup sold as extras.
Before you sign anything, ask for the total cost over the first year in writing. A good designer will happily give it to you.
What I charge
My prices are fixed and published, so you know where you stand before I start:
- The Calling Card, £199: a single page, live within three days.
- The Starter, from £449: a multi-page website with booking, a menu or a gallery. See website design.
- Site and Care, £37 a month: a fully looked after website, including hosting, your domain and monthly edits, with no setup fee.
- The Growth Plan, £89 a month: local SEO, your Google Business Profile, reviews and social media posts. See local marketing.
Your domain is always registered in your name. Compare my packages, or read do I need a website if I have a Facebook page?
Want an exact price for your business?
Tell me what you need and I'll send you a fixed quote.