How Much Does a Website Cost in the UK?

It is the first question almost everyone asks, and the honest answer is that it depends. Not as a dodge, but because "a website" covers everything from a free template you build on a wet Sunday to a custom system that runs your whole business.

Here is what websites actually cost in the UK, what moves the number, and what to budget if you are a small business.

The short answer

Most small businesses land between £900 and £3,000 for a professional site built to be found on Google. That is the range we work in and, for the vast majority of local businesses, it sits in the gap between cheap and useless and expensive and over specified.

What actually moves the price

Two sites can look similar and cost wildly different amounts. These are the things that make the difference.

Whether the copy is included. The most underestimated factor and often a four figure swing on its own. Writing good copy for a business you have just met takes real time. Cheap quotes almost always assume you are writing it, and most people then stall for months.

Template or built from scratch. Adapting a template is measured in hours. Designing around your business is measured in days. Both produce a working site; only one looks like yours.

Page count, though less than people think. Ten pages is not double the work of five, because the design system is built once.

Functionality. A contact form is nothing. Booking, payments, member logins or a product catalogue each add real work.

Whether SEO is in the build. Some quotes include the technical foundations, some sell them afterwards for £500 to £1,500. Two quotes can look identical and differ entirely on this point.

Why the cheapest option often is not

A £400 site that never appears in search has not saved you £500. It has cost you £400 and produced nothing, and you will pay again within a year or two to have it done properly. Meanwhile the enquiries you did not receive went somewhere else.

That is not an argument for spending as much as possible. It is an argument for spending enough that the thing works, which for most small businesses means somewhere around £900 to £2,000. We have written separately about why cheap templates cost more in the long run and what affordable actually means.

Do not forget the running costs

The build is one off. Keeping it going is not.

Budget roughly £15 to £50 a month for a small business site. That covers your domain at £10 to £15 a year, a hosting or platform plan, and business email if you want an address at your own domain. Ecommerce runs higher, typically £80 to £200 plus transaction fees.

Ongoing SEO is separate again and genuinely optional. For a lot of local businesses the foundations plus a well kept Google Business Profile does most of the work. Our SEO starts at £550 if you want it handled properly.

What we charge

Websites from £900, branding from £350, SEO from £550. Fixed, agreed in writing before anything starts, so there is no hourly billing and nothing appears on the invoice that was not discussed.

Most builds run four to eight weeks. I started WebOws Design in Medway in 2018 and we have 143 five star reviews across Google and Wix. Full detail on the pricing page, and the portfolio shows what it looks like in practice.

Frequently asked questions

Is a cheap website ever worth it?

If you need a placeholder, yes. If you need it to bring in work, rarely. A cheap site usually means a template that is slow, generic and hard to rank, so it costs you customers while appearing to save you money.

How much does a website cost per month?

Typically £15 to £50 once you include domain, hosting and email. Ecommerce is higher because of transaction fees, usually 1.4% to 2.9% per sale.

How much should a small business spend?

£900 to £3,000 for a professional custom site built to generate enquiries. Below about £500 you are usually buying a template with your logo on it.

What is not included in most quotes?

Copywriting, photography, hosting and post launch changes are the four most commonly excluded. Always ask what is outside the price before you agree it.

If you want a fixed number for your own project rather than a range, get in touch. No obligation and you will get a figure, not an estimate.