Business · 4 min read
How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in the UK?
Oasis Web Services
"How much does a website cost?" is a bit like asking "How much does a car cost?" The honest answer is "it depends", which is also the least helpful answer in the world. So let's do better than that.
This guide covers what you can expect to pay for a small business website in the UK, what affects the price, the ongoing costs people forget about, and how to tell a fair quote from a dodgy one. We'll use our own prices as examples, because we think every web designer should be this open.
The short answer
For a small business, a professionally built website usually means:
- A single landing page: a few hundred pounds
- A small business site of around five pages: roughly £1,000 to £2,000
- A larger site with more pages, advanced SEO or an online shop: from about £1,500 upwards
- Custom web apps or large online shops: several thousand pounds and up
DIY website builders can cost less upfront, and big agencies can cost much more. The ranges above are where most small businesses land when they hire a professional.
What our websites cost
Here are our fixed website packages, so you can see real numbers rather than "from £POA":
| Package | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | £350 | A single landing page that converts |
| Starter | £1,100 | Small businesses, 5 pages with SEO set up |
| Professional | £1,499 | Growing businesses, 10 pages, SEO, AEO and e-commerce |
| Enterprise | £3,999 | Large projects, unlimited pages, full e-commerce |
Every package includes responsive design, an SSL certificate, a contact form, basic SEO and analytics, and a month of support after launch.
What affects the price?
Number of pages
More pages means more design, writing and building. A five-page site (home, services, about, contact and one more) covers most small businesses well.
Custom design or template
A custom design built around your brand takes longer than dropping your logo into a template, but it looks like you and usually loads faster. Our guide to custom development vs templates goes into the details.
Features
Online booking, an online shop, customer accounts, quote calculators and integrations with other systems all add time. A shop with three products is a very different job from one with three thousand.
Content
Who writes the words and takes the photos? If you provide them, the price stays down. If you need copywriting or photography, budget for it. Websites without good content are like shop windows with nothing in them.
SEO and AEO
Basic SEO should be included in any professional build. Ongoing SEO work, to climb the rankings over time, is a separate monthly service.
The ongoing costs people forget
The build is a one-off, but a website has running costs, like a car needs insurance and fuel:
- Domain name: usually a few pounds to around £20 a year for a .co.uk or .com
- Hosting: ours is £35 a month and includes fast, secure hosting with an SSL certificate
- Maintenance: updates, backups, security checks and small changes. Some businesses do this themselves; others pay for a plan.
- Ongoing SEO or AEO: optional, monthly, and worth it if search brings you customers
- Email: business email accounts are often billed separately
DIY builder, freelancer or agency?
- DIY builders such as Wix or Squarespace are cheap to start, but your time isn't free, monthly fees add up, and they can be slower and harder to make stand out.
- Freelancers and small studios usually offer the best value for small businesses, with a direct relationship and fair prices.
- Large agencies bring big teams and processes, and prices to match. Great for large organisations, often overkill for a local business.
How to spot a fair quote
A good quote:
- Lists exactly what is included: pages, features, revisions and support
- Gives a fixed price, or a clear range, before work starts
- Explains payment terms. Ours are a 40% deposit to start and the balance on completion.
- Says who owns the website and domain at the end (it should be you)
- Includes a realistic timeline. A simple business site takes us about four weeks from first call to launch.
Be wary of:
- Prices that seem too good to be true, especially with long contracts attached
- Vague quotes like "website: £2,000" with no breakdown
- Anyone who keeps your domain in their name
- Surprise extras for basics like a contact form or mobile-friendly design
Is a website worth the money?
A good website works around the clock as your shop window, salesperson and receptionist, which is why we call it your hardest-working employee. If it brings in even a couple of extra customers a month, it usually pays for itself quickly.
The expensive website isn't the one with the biggest invoice. It is the one that looks nice and brings in nobody.
Get a clear, fixed quote
Tell us what your business does and what you want your website to achieve, and we will reply within 24 hours with ideas and a fixed price. No jargon, no surprises. Get your free quote or see all our prices.
