How much does a small business website cost in the UK?

If you're a UK small business owner trying to work out what a new website should cost, the honest answer is: it depends — but not as wildly as the internet would have you believe. We've broken it down into the three bands that cover almost every small business project, with what's actually included at each level.

The ~£1,500 project (Starter)

At around £1,500 you can expect a well-designed, properly built brochure site — typically five to seven pages — that looks professional, reads well on mobile, and is set up for Google to find. This is an excellent investment for most sole traders and new businesses. It will not include custom illustrations, e-commerce, or complex integrations.

• 5–7 pages, custom designed
• Mobile-first responsive layout
• On-page SEO (titles, descriptions, schema)
• Google Analytics 4 set up
• Content management system so you can edit it yourself
• One round of revisions

The ~£3,500–£5,000 project (Business)

At this level you're getting a fuller site — 10 to 15 pages, blog or news setup, richer content, extra integrations (booking, forms, newsletter) and more rounds of revision. This is the right size for most established small businesses that want a proper online presence they'll grow into over the next few years.

• Everything in the Starter site
• 10–15 pages
• Blog / news area
• Multiple integrations (forms, CRM, newsletter)
• Full schema markup
• Training so you're confident editing it

The £8,000+ project (Bespoke)

Once a project has e-commerce, a membership area, complex integrations, or real visual ambition, you're into bespoke territory. Expect £8,000 at the lower end; £15,000–£30,000 is common for a full e-commerce build with strong design. If a project quotes at £20,000+ but the scope is really a Business site, that's a red flag.

A quick word on 'free' websites

Builders like Wix and Squarespace are fantastic for an early-stage side project or hobby — but for a serious business, the rigid templates, slower performance and limited SEO will start to cost you money in lost enquiries within the first year. You don't save money by avoiding a proper website; you just delay the cost.

Questions to ask any agency before you sign

• Is the price fixed or estimated?
• How many rounds of revisions are included?
• Who writes the copy? Is copywriting included, or extra?
• Is the CMS editable by a non-technical person?
• What's the ongoing hosting and maintenance arrangement?
• What Core Web Vitals / Lighthouse target do you design to?
• What's included if I find a bug after launch?

“You don't save money by avoiding a proper website; you just delay the cost.”

If you'd like a no-obligation quote for your specific project, drop us a note with a couple of sentences about what you're after — we'll come back with honest thoughts and a realistic number the same working day.