How much does a website cost in the UK? What decides the price.
Ask five providers what a website costs and you’ll get five very different answers. Nobody is necessarily being evasive: “a website” can mean one page or a full online shop, and the price follows the work. Here’s what decides it, how providers charge, and how to compare quotes fairly.
· 5 min read
Why the answers vary so much
It’s a bit like asking what a kitchen costs. The room, the units, the fitting and the appliances all change the answer. A website is the same: the number of pages, what they have to do, how much is designed from scratch, who writes the words and takes the photos, and what happens after launch all move the price.
That’s why a quote without a clear scope tells you very little. Two numbers can look far apart simply because they cover different things.
What actually sets the price
- Size. The number of pages, and how much each one has to do.
- Features. A contact form is simple. Bookings, an online shop, customer accounts or file uploads add planning, building and testing. Our guide to the types of website shows what each kind involves.
- Design. Adapting a template is quicker than designing from a blank page around your customers.
- Content. Who writes the wording and takes the photographs. Ready-made content saves time, and commissioning it adds work.
- Being found. Clear structure, sensible page titles and local search set-up, such as a Google Business Profile, are either part of the build or an extra.
- Connections. Payments, email lists, calendars and any other tools the site has to talk to.
Three ways providers charge
A one-off project fee. You agree a price, pay it, and the site is built. It’s easy to budget for, but check what’s excluded. Hosting, updates, small changes and support are often charged separately, and changes after launch may be billed by the hour.
A monthly plan. The cost is spread, and it usually covers hosting, security, updates and support as well as the build. It suits businesses that prefer a predictable monthly cost to a large payment up front. Check the length of the agreement, the notice period and, above all, what you own if you leave.
Doing it yourself with a website builder. The cash cost is low, but the time is yours, and there are limits on design, speed and search. You usually pay a subscription for as long as the site exists, so the cost doesn’t disappear.
None of these is automatically best. The right one depends on how much time you have, how much you want to hand over, and how you prefer to pay.
Costs people forget
- A domain name, which renews every year.
- Hosting, and whether security and backups are included.
- Business email addresses.
- Updates and fixes after launch, and who does them.
- Photography, copywriting or video, if you don’t already have them.
- Legal basics such as a privacy policy.
- Transaction fees, if you take payments online.
- VAT: ask whether a quote includes it.
A website isn’t a one-off purchase. Like a shop front, it needs looking after, so budget for the ongoing cost as well as the build.
How to compare quotes fairly
Ask every provider the same questions, and get the answers in writing:
- What exactly is included: pages, rounds of changes, photos, wording?
- What will it cost each month or year to keep running, and what does that cover?
- Who owns the design, the code and the domain if we part ways?
- Is it built to be found on Google, including local search?
- Who makes changes after launch, and how quickly?
- How long is the agreement, and how much notice do I give?
- Does the price include VAT?
A clear answer to each of these matters more than the headline number.
Warning signs
- A very low price followed by a long list of extras.
- No written scope of what you’re buying.
- Your domain registered in the provider’s name instead of yours.
- No way to take your site with you if you leave.
- A guaranteed number one spot on Google. Nobody can promise that, because search engines make their own decisions.
How to set a sensible budget
Start with what the website has to do for your business: more enquiries, bookings or sales. Then think about what one new customer is worth to you. A site that brings in a few customers a year can justify a very different spend from one that brings in none.
You don’t have to build everything at once. A well-planned smaller site that you can add to is usually better value than a large one built before you know what your customers use.
How we price our work
We charge monthly rather than as one big payment up front, and that includes the website. You own the design, the code and the domain. Every proposal sets out what’s included, the monthly price and the term before you commit, so you can compare it fairly with any other quote.
Want a clear idea of what yours would involve? Answer a few quick questions and we’ll send a written proposal, or send us a message. Our web design page explains how we work.