How much does a small business website cost in the UK?
There is no single price, because “a website” covers very different things. There is a clear way to compare quotes, though: split each one into the build, the running costs and who is responsible after launch.
01 - The Short Answer
Three parts to every price.
There is no single price for a small business website in the UK, because "a website" covers very different things. The cost depends on three decisions: how the site is built, what it needs to do, and who is responsible for it after launch.
A useful way to compare quotes is to split every price into three parts: the build (a one-off cost), the running costs (domain, hosting, email and any subscriptions), and ongoing responsibility (who keeps it working, changes it and fixes it). Two quotes that look far apart are often pricing different amounts of the third part.
Dettogni's own prices are published further down this page, so you can see a real example of how these parts are priced.
02 - The Routes
Four ways to get a website.
Do it yourself with a website builder
Website builders charge a monthly or annual subscription and give you templates to fill in. The cash cost is low. The real cost is your time: writing the copy, choosing images, setting up forms and keeping it current. You are also responsible for everything, including noticing when something stops working. Some builders make it hard or impossible to move your site elsewhere later, which is worth checking before you commit.
A freelancer
Freelancers usually charge a fixed price for the build, sometimes with a monthly fee for hosting or support afterwards. Prices vary widely with experience and scope. A good freelancer can produce excellent work at a fair price. The things to check are what happens after launch, whose accounts the domain and hosting sit in, and what happens if the freelancer becomes unavailable.
A web design agency
Agencies typically cost more because the price covers a team: design, development, project management and often copywriting. That suits larger or more complex projects. After launch, many agencies offer a separate support or maintenance contract, and what that contract actually covers varies a great deal.
A managed website service
A managed service combines the build with ongoing responsibility, usually for a monthly fee, sometimes with the build cost spread across a minimum term. You pay more over time than for hosting alone, and in return someone is accountable for keeping the website working. Whether that is worth it depends on how much your business relies on the website. Our comparison of freelancers, agencies and managed services covers the trade-offs.
Our guide to website hosting versus website management explains why these monthly fees are so hard to compare.
03 - The Build
What pushes the cost up or down.
- Number and type of pages. A one-page site with your services, area and contact details is quicker to build than a multi-page site with a page per service.
- Who writes the words. Copywriting takes real time. If you supply finished copy, the build is cheaper. If the provider writes it, expect to pay for that, and expect a better result than most owners write themselves.
- Template or bespoke design. Adapting an existing template is faster. A design made for your business costs more. Bespoke is not automatically better; it should be chosen because the business needs it.
- Online shops and bookings. Selling products, taking payments or taking bookings on the site adds significant work and ongoing responsibility. Linking out to an existing booking system is far simpler.
- Integrations. Each connection to another system, such as a CRM, ordering platform or calendar, adds build time and something else that can break later.
- Migration. Moving content, redirects and email from an existing site needs care, especially to protect existing search rankings and email.
- How ready you are. Projects stall most often waiting for content, photos or approvals. Having these ready keeps the cost down.
04 - After Launch
The running costs every site has.
Every website has some running costs, even if the build was free:
- Domain registration. Renewed every year or every few years, paid to the registrar. Keep it in your own name; our guide to who owns your business website explains why.
- Hosting. The service that keeps the site online. Simple sites can be hosted cheaply; sites running a database and plugins need more.
- Email. Usually a separate subscription per mailbox, not part of the website.
- Subscriptions. Website builders, plugins, booking tools, premium themes and similar.
- Changes. Either included in a monthly fee, charged per change, or done by you.
- Maintenance and support. Updates, monitoring, security and fixing problems. This is the part most often missing from cheap quotes, and the part that costs most when it is missing and something goes wrong. Our guide to website maintenance costs breaks it down.
06 - What Dettogni Charges
A real example, published.
Dettogni publishes its prices for small business websites, so you can see a real example of how a build and its running costs are priced. All prices exclude VAT unless stated.
Get a website
Keep Starter is a one-page website, written and built for your business, then hosted. It costs £595 + VAT (£714) to build, then £25 + VAT (£30) a month, or £250 + VAT (£300) a year, for hosting. Changes after launch are made when you ask, at £60 + VAT (£72) each. There is no care plan: it suits a business whose website rarely changes.
Look after my website
Keep Care is the care plan, at £165 a month. It includes monthly content updates, a monthly report, a monthly contact form test, and downtime fixed within stated times. A website of up to five pages is built first from £1,800, paid 50% to start and 50% before launch, or £0 upfront with the build spread over the first 12 months.
Each page sets out exactly what is and is not included. If you are not sure which fits, start with the free Website Check. For a business-critical website, start with a discovery call.
07 - Comparing Quotes
Six steps to a fair comparison.
- 1. Split each quote into build, running costs and ongoing responsibility.
- 2. Ask what is included after launch, in writing, and what each change costs.
- 3. Ask whose accounts the domain, hosting and code will be in.
- 4. Ask what happens if the site goes down, and how quickly it is fixed.
- 5. Ask what you receive if you leave, and whether anything is held back.
- 6. Compare the total over two or three years, not only the first invoice.
08 - Common Questions
Website costs, plainly answered.
Can I spread the cost of a website?
Many providers offer this, usually by adding the build cost to a monthly fee for a fixed term. Check what happens if you cancel early: whether you can keep the site, and what you would need to pay to do so.
Will a more expensive website rank better on Google?
Not by itself. A well-built site gives search engines what they need to understand and list it, which makes it eligible to rank. Where it ranks also depends on competition, reviews, links and how long the business has been visible online. Be wary of anyone who guarantees rankings.
Why do monthly website fees vary so much?
Because they pay for different things. Some cover hosting only. Others include changes, monitoring, fixes and someone accountable for the site. Ask what the provider does when the site breaks, and compare that.
Not sure which you need?
A free Website Check starts with what your business actually needs from its website, not with a package. For a business-critical website, request a discovery call instead.