How much should a small business website cost in the UK?
For a typical local business site of 4 to 8 pages, expect to pay somewhere between £0 and £5,000 upfront, plus £10 to £100 a month to keep it running. Where you land depends on one thing more than anything: how much of the work you want to do yourself.
"How much is a website?" is the first question almost everyone asks us, and the honest answer is that prices vary wildly. Below are the four main routes, what each typically costs, and the extras that catch people out.
Typical prices at a glance
What actually makes up the cost
Whichever route you choose, every website is made of the same parts. It helps to know them so you can compare quotes properly.
The costs people forget
The upfront price is only half the story. Before you sign anything, ask what happens in year two. Who renews the domain? Who fixes it if it breaks? What does it cost to change your prices? A £600 website that needs £40 every time you update it can end up costing more than a monthly plan.
The other hidden cost is a site that doesn't work. If it's slow, hard to use on a phone, or buries your phone number, customers go to the next result on Google. That's the most expensive website of all.
What a small business actually needs
Most local businesses don't need anything fancy. A good site does a few things well:
We charge £99 a month with nothing upfront. That covers the design, build, hosting, domain, security and your changes. We build your site first and you only pay if you love it. Over a year that's £1,188, which sits between a DIY builder and a freelancer, without you doing the work or paying for every update. After the first 3 months it's month-to-month.
Compare Ashcroft with an agency and Wix →Common questions
How much does a basic website cost in the UK?+
From around £10 a month if you build it yourself, £500 to £1,500 with a freelancer, or £1,500 to £5,000 or more with an agency. Managed websites spread the cost monthly instead.
What ongoing costs does a website have?+
A domain name, hosting, security updates, email, and the time or cost of making changes.
Is a cheap website worth it?+
Only if it still loads fast, works well on phones and makes it easy for customers to get in touch. A site that does none of those costs you customers.