Website Costs Explained
Website Costs Explained: What You Actually Pay For
Website costs break down into five clear categories. Here's exactly what you're paying for — and what each one should cost.
Introduction
Small business website costs fall into five categories. Ignore any of them and you'll either overspend or end up with a site that doesn't work. Here's the real breakdown.
Design & Development — £500 to £3,000. This is the biggest upfront cost. A professional 5-page website for a local business typically costs £500-£3,000 depending on complexity, custom features, and who builds it. Template sites (Wix, Squarespace) sit at the bottom. Custom hand-coded sites sit at the top. You get what you pay for — a £500 template looks like a £500 template.
Key Points
Hosting — £5 to £100/month. Hosting is what keeps your site online. Cheap shared hosting (£5-£30/month) is fine for brochure sites but expect slow speeds and downtime. Managed hosting (£20-£100/month) is faster, more secure, and includes automatic backups. If your site is how customers find you, don't cheap out on hosting.
Key Takeaway
2.
Domain Name — £10 to £20/year. Your domain is your online address (e.g. yourbusiness.co.uk). It's cheap but critical. Secure your exact business name plus common variations (.com, .uk). Renew it on time — losing your domain means losing your email and website overnight.
Content & Imagery — £200 to £500 per page. Words and pictures do the selling. Professional copywriting costs £200-£500 per page but converts visitors into customers. Good photos make an enormous difference — hire a photographer for a half day (£150-£300) or use your best phone shots in natural light. Stock photos scream "template."
What This Means for You
Maintenance & Updates — £50 to £200/month. This is the cost most businesses forget. Security patches, plugin updates, backups, content changes, broken link checks — they all need regular attention. Budget £50-£200/month for ongoing maintenance, or use a service like Coltura's care plans (£99/month) which include hosting, updates, and monthly edits.
Key Takeaway
5.
Total first-year cost for a professional small business website: £1,500-£5,000 including build, hosting, domain, content, and 12 months of maintenance.
FAQ
Common Questions
Because different providers include different things. A £495 quote might exclude content writing, SEO, and maintenance. A £3,000 quote usually includes design, development, copywriting, SEO setup, and sometimes the first year of hosting. Always ask: what's included? What's extra? What happens after launch?
Yes, with Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress. A DIY site costs £10-£30/month plus your time. But be honest about what you're getting: slower load times, weaker SEO, limited customisation, and nobody to call when something breaks. DIY works if you're just starting out. Most businesses outgrow it within 12 months.
Plan for three things: hosting (£60-£360/year), domain renewal (£10-£20/year), and maintenance — either your time or £50-£200/month for someone else to handle updates, security, and backups. Coltura's care plans bundle hosting + maintenance + content updates. Get in touch for pricing.
A £500 site is usually a template with your logo dropped in. One page, limited SEO, no custom design, no copywriting. A £3,000 site is custom-designed for your brand, includes professional copywriting, has proper SEO foundations, loads fast on mobile, and usually includes a year of support. The difference shows in your Google rankings and how many visitors actually call you.
Keep Reading
Read Next
Wix vs Custom Websites
Wix is fast to set up but limits speed, SEO, and flexibility. Custom websites cost more upfront but perform better and grow with your business.
Squarespace vs Hand Coded Websites
Squarespace looks good out of the box but limits speed, SEO, and custom features. Hand-coded websites perform better and grow with your business.
What Makes a Good Small Business Website
A good small business website is fast, mobile-friendly, and clearly explains what you do and why customers should choose you.
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