How much does a website cost for a small business?

22 Jun 2026

Website Design

Most small business websites in the UK cost between £1,000 and £5,000. A simple brochure site sits at the lower end. A larger site with more pages, an online shop, or proper SEO built in sits higher. Below about £1,000 you are usually getting a template with your logo dropped into it, which often costs more in lost enquiries than it saves upfront.

That range is wide for a reason. “A website” can mean a single page or a fifty product shop, so the honest answer depends on what you need the site to do. Here is how it breaks down.

Why the price ranges so much

Two quotes for “a website” can be hundreds of pounds apart and both be fair, because they are not the same thing. The things that move the price are simple:

Number of pages.
More pages means more design and more content to write.

Custom design versus template.
A design built around your brand takes longer than dropping content into a theme, and it tends to build more trust.

Selling online.
Products, baskets, checkout and payments add real work. An online shop is a bigger project than a brochure site.

Who builds it.
A DIY builder is cheapest in pounds but costs you weekends. A freelancer or small studio sits in the middle. A large agency carries higher overheads you end up paying for.

Typical UK website costs in 2026

To set expectations before you talk to anyone:

DIY website builders
Roughly £150 to £450 a year for hosting plus a lot of your own time. Fine for getting started, harder to make stand out.

Freelancers
Around £500 to £3,000, depending on experience and scope.

Small studios and agencies
Usually £1,500 to £6,000 for a professional, well-built site.

Large agencies and custom builds
£8,000 and up, often a lot more.

What you get at each level

Rather than a single price, it helps to think in terms of what the site needs to do. A few common examples:

A single scrolling page. Good for a new or simple business that needs a strong presence fast. The lowest-cost professional option.

A standard site of five to seven pages. The right fit for most small businesses with a few services to explain. This is where the majority of our projects land.

A larger site of eight pages or more. For businesses with more services, locations or content to cover.

If you need branding and a website together, doing both in one project usually works out better value than buying them separately, and it keeps the brand and the site consistent. We are happy to give you a clear, itemised quote once we understand what you are after, so there are no surprises.

What pushes the cost up

A few things add to a build, and it is worth knowing them before you budget:

More pages or locations. Each one is more design and copy.

An online shop. Selling through the site, including Shopify, is a bigger job than a brochure site. We are Shopify Partners, so we can advise on whether it is the right route.

Written content. If you write your own, you save. If you want us to write it, that takes time. Either way, good copy is what turns visitors into enquiries.

SEO setup. Usually a one-off add-on covering metadata, sitemap submission, indexing, Search Console and analytics. It is the difference between a site that exists and a site Google can actually find.

Ongoing costs to expect

Which option is right for you

A quick way to decide:

Tight budget and time to learn: a DIY builder will get you online.

You want something professional that brings in enquiries: a small studio in the £1,500 to £3,000 range is the sweet spot for most small businesses.

You want a long-term partner who knows your business: look for a studio that will look after the site after launch, not just build and disappear.

The cheapest build is not always the cheapest website. A site that ranks poorly, loads slowly or needs replacing in a year usually costs more in the end.

How much should a small business spend on a website?

Most UK small businesses should budget £1,000 to £5,000 for a professional site that is designed to bring in enquiries. The right figure depends on how many pages you need and whether you are selling online.

Is it cheaper to build my own website?

In pounds, yes. A DIY builder costs around £150 to £400 a year. The hidden cost is your time, and DIY sites are harder to make stand out or rank well. Many businesses move to a professional build within a year or two.

Do I have to pay for the website all at once?

We take a 50% deposit to secure the project, with the remaining balance due on completion. We will set this out clearly before any work starts.

What are the ongoing costs after the site is built?

Expect roughly £20 to £40 a month for hosting and £10 to £40 a year for your domain. Beyond that, you only pay for changes if you want someone to make them rather than doing them yourself.