How Much Does a
Website Cost in the UK?

One of the first things people do when thinking about a new website is Google the price. And one of the first things they discover is that the answer is essentially “anywhere from free to £20,000.” That’s not very helpful.

The reason pricing varies so much is that “a website” covers everything from a one-page placeholder to a complex e-commerce platform with thousands of products. This post focuses on what the majority of small service businesses in the UK actually need — and what they should realistically expect to pay.

The three tiers of website cost

DIY builders (Wix, Squarespace, Framer): £0–£500/year

These platforms make it easy to get something online quickly. Monthly subscription costs are low, templates are available, and you don’t need any technical knowledge. The trade-off is that your site will look like a template — because it is one — and you’re limited by the platform’s constraints. Performance tends to be mediocre, and customisation beyond the template structure requires workarounds.

Independent web designer: £1,500–£5,000+

This is the sweet spot for most small businesses. You get a custom-designed site built around your brand and your goals, from someone who is focused entirely on your project. No account managers, no handoffs. The range varies depending on the number of pages, whether copywriting is included, and the complexity of the design. A typical 5–8 page site sits in the £2,500–£4,000 range.

Agency: £3,000–£15,000+

Agencies have larger teams, more process, and higher overheads. For complex projects — large e-commerce sites, custom web applications, enterprise-level systems — they make sense. For a 5-page brochure site for a local business, you’re paying a significant premium for infrastructure you don’t need.

What actually affects the price

Number of pages. More pages means more design, more development, more content. A 4-page site costs meaningfully less than a 12-page one.

Custom design vs template. A genuinely bespoke design takes longer to produce. It also performs better, converts better, and doesn’t look like 40,000 other websites.

Copywriting. Writing the words on your website is one of the most undervalued parts of the process. Good copy drives enquiries. If you supply it yourself, the cost goes down. If you need help, it’s worth budgeting for.

SEO. Basic on-page SEO — structure, metadata, page speed — should be included in any good build. More advanced keyword strategy and content planning is a separate service.

Ongoing support. Hosting, updates, security patches, and content changes add a monthly or annual cost. Worth budgeting £50–£150/month depending on the level of support.

What most small businesses actually need

If you run a service business — a tradesperson, consultant, event planner, therapist, local retailer — you probably need three to five pages: a homepage, a services overview, an about page, and a contact page. Possibly a gallery or testimonials page if your work is highly visual.

What matters most is that those pages load fast on a phone, communicate clearly what you do and who it’s for, and make it easy for someone to get in touch. Everything else is secondary.

The mistake most people make

Going cheap gets you something that looks cheap — and for most businesses, your website is the first impression a potential client gets. It signals the quality of your work before you’ve even spoken to them. A poor website won’t just fail to generate enquiries; it can actively put people off.

But overpaying for unnecessary complexity isn’t the answer either. A local business with a five-page site doesn’t need enterprise-level infrastructure. The right investment is proportionate to the business.

My approach

I build custom websites for small businesses — designed around your brand, built properly from scratch, optimised for speed and search. Projects typically start from £2,500+VAT for a complete 4–6 page site. Every project includes an honest conversation about what you need before any money changes hands.

Paul Gregory

Web designer based in Lichfield, West Midlands. Get in touch.