There’s no single price tag when it comes to building a business website. Costs can vary greatly, ranging from a few hundred pounds to thousands depending on the complexity and features required.
At the highest end, major corporations may invest hundreds of thousands to millions in crafting an intricate online presence. But for everyday entrepreneurs and SMEs, high-quality websites can be created on far more modest budgets.
The key is to do thorough research before selecting a web design service. Compare various options to strike the right balance between affordability and expertise. Checking client testimonials is crucial to ensure a company or freelancer can deliver on the promised functionality.
Independent website developers often offer competitive rates due to low overheads. Carefully examining their portfolio gives insight into their capabilities.
However, be wary of cut-price freelancers on online job marketplaces, as poor-quality work will often need to be fixed or redone later, making it a costly mistake.
The key point is that hiring a very cheap freelancer may initially seem like a good deal, but if they do a bad job building the website, you’ll end up paying someone else additionally to repair their mistakes. So it winds up being more expensive than just hiring a competent freelancer from the start.
How Much Does It Cost To Make A Website?
For small business owners aiming to create their initial website, here’s an approximate pricing estimate based on online rates.
Basic Website – A simple informational site with approximately 5 pages can be created bespoke for £400-£1,000 when working with a professional freelancer.
Medium Website – For a more sophisticated website with advanced functionality like integrated blogs, contact forms or user logins, expect costs to rise accordingly—plan for £1,000-£3,000 for a 10-page mid-range site.
E-Commerce Website – Transactional websites like online shops have the highest associated development costs. Exact pricing depends significantly on the business model – an automated digital product store has simpler needs than a membership or subscription box service. Prepare for an investment between £1,500-£5,000+.
Web design agencies do not often disclose pricing on their websites. This is because the majority do not offer fixed-priced packages; instead, they tailor charges based on individual project requirements.
Ongoing Expenses for Operating Websites
When launching a website, business owners must factor in various recurring costs beyond the initial build. These include web hosting, domain registration, email services, advertising, maintenance and support.
Some expenses can be avoided depending on needs. Many hosts provide free basic email capabilities, for instance. However, it’s important to budget for essential functionality.
Here is an overview of typical website running costs:
Domain Names – Domain name pricing varies depending on where you buy your domains from. On average expect to pay between £15-£20 per year for domain names.
Web Hosting – Similar to domain names, web hosting prices vary based on your website’s requirements. With hundreds of web hosts available, basic hosting for informational pages or small online shops typically ranges from £5 to £15 per month. For more demanding websites with heavy traffic, costs can range from £35 to £150+ per month.
Professional Email – Advanced email services like Google Workspace or Microsoft Outlook enable custom addresses and business collaboration features for around £6 per user monthly. Zoho Mail is also another good alternative and has plans from as little as £1 per month.
Marketing/Advertising – Online advertising spending varies greatly based on audience, positioning and targeting requirements, making it one of the biggest expenditures for any business.
Maintenance & Support – Monthly ongoing maintenance keeps your site updated, secure and running smoothly. Support assists with troubleshooting and fixing site issues when they come up. Website maintenance services range from £30-£100+ per month.
You also have the option to pay for maintenance and support services as needed, on an hourly cost basis. If something breaks, you can hire someone to fix your website on a one-off fix.
There may also be other recurring expenses depending on business operations and goals. But factoring the core costs above into operating budgets allows for sustaining an impactful website presence.
Limited Budget Options
Not everyone has a large budget to start a business, and that’s entirely normal – every business has to start somewhere. The good news is that you don’t have to spend hundreds of pounds to get a website up and running. Let’s explore the more affordable options.
WordPress – WordPress stands out as the most popular website content management system worldwide, and the best part is it’s free to use. Its user-friendly nature makes it relatively easy to learn. Starting with a basic WordPress website incurs web hosting costs ranging from £1.99 to £4.99 per month for a basic hosting account. If you have a little extra budget, consider investing in a ready-made WordPress theme that you can customise to align with your brand. The beauty of WordPress is its scalability – as your business expands, your WordPress website can grow with you, and you can enhance its capabilities by adding plugins.
WordPress.com – WordPress.com is a fully-managed version of WordPress that offers hosting and professional email for an extra fee. You can start for free, but to eliminate WordPress branding and be eligible for a free domain name, you’ll need to upgrade to their starter plan, which costs £3 per month. It’s worth mentioning that WordPress.com can work out more expensive compared to self-hosting with the open-source version, and the hosted platform has some limitations, whereas the self-hosted does not.
Website Builders – All-in-one tools like Wix, Squarespace and Weebly allow novices to create sites through premade templates and drag-and-drop interfaces. Prices begin around £7.50 monthly. However, customisation and features may be limited compared to WordPress and most won’t provide email addresses either.
Wix – For a simple Wix website, the starting cost is £7.50 per month, and this includes a free domain name. Wix offers a selection of over 900 free customisable templates, providing ample design inspiration.
Squarespace – Another big player, with abundant templates. Also offers a free domain name. Starts from £12 per month.
Weebly – Weebly is an easy-to-use website builder that lets you get started without any cost. If you want a free domain, you’ll need to upgrade to their professional plan, which costs £9 per month. The free version comes with Weebly branding and ads, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if that’s okay with you, it’s a good deal.
Zyro – Zyro, created by the web hosting giant Hostinger, starts at $3.29 per month and comes with a free domain name. It offers plenty of free customisable templates and caters to all kinds of websites.
Elementor – Elementor stands out as the largest WordPress page builder globally. In addition to their well-known plugin, they offer a hosted version enabling you to launch your own website for as low as $9.99 per month. This package includes Managed WordPress Hosting, Elementor Pro Builder, a theme, and premium support – all bundled into one!
Shopify – Shopify is the largest e-commerce platform globally, with millions of users worldwide. It’s an excellent choice if you want to start your online shop. Plans start from £19 per month, but the cost can go up depending on the features you need. A more budget-friendly option could be using WordPress and WooCommerce, but keep in mind that you might need assistance with the initial setup if you’re not comfortable doing it on your own.
GoDaddy – GoDaddy, recognised as the largest web host and domain name company in the world, also provides a website builder service. Having said that, please remember that being the biggest doesn’t necessarily mean being the best. Their basic plan begins at £6.99 per month and includes a free domain name along with free customisable templates. Unlike the other mentioned services, GoDaddy’s page builder service includes free professional email for one year.