"How much does a website cost?" The short answer? It depends—but that's not helpful.
This guide breaks down what you're paying for, so you can budget realistically and avoid surprises.
The Short Answer (If You're in a Hurry)
Website builder (DIY): £10-30/month Template-based site: £500-2,500 Custom small business site: £2,000-8,000 E-commerce site: £3,000-15,000+ Custom web application: £10,000+
But those ranges are huge. Let's break down why.
What Actually Determines Cost
Think of building a website like building a house. You can get a prefab garden shed for £500, a standard 3-bed house for £250,000, or a custom mansion for millions. They're all "buildings," but completely different in scope.
Websites are similar.
Factor #1: Complexity
Simple brochure site (5-10 pages):
- Homepage
- About
- Services
- Portfolio
- Contact
Time: 20-40 hours Cost range: £1,000-3,000
Mid-complexity site:
- Everything above, plus:
- Blog
- Custom forms
- Email integration
- Basic animations
- Content management system
Time: 40-80 hours Cost range: £3,000-8,000
E-commerce site:
- Product catalogue
- Shopping cart
- Payment processing
- Order management
- Customer accounts
- Inventory tracking
Time: 80-200 hours Cost range: £5,000-20,000
Custom web application:
- All custom functionality
- User dashboards
- Database integration
- API connections
- Advanced features
Time: 200+ hours Cost range: £15,000+
Factor #2: Design vs Template
Using a template:
- Choose from thousands of pre-made designs
- Customise colours, fonts, images
- Quick setup (days, not weeks)
- Cost: £500-2,000
Custom design:
- Designed specifically for your brand
- Unique to you
- Requires designer + developer
- Cost: £2,000-10,000+
Neither is "better"—it depends on your needs. A template can look fantastic if customized well. Custom design makes sense when you need specific branding or functionality.
Factor #3: Who Builds It
DIY with website builder:
- Wix, Squarespace, Shopify
- You do everything yourself
- Cost: £10-50/month (your time is "free")
Freelancer:
- One person handling everything
- More affordable, potentially slower
- Quality varies widely
- Cost: £25-100/hour
Agency:
- Team of specialists
- More expensive, usually faster
- Quality more consistent
- Cost: £75-200/hour
Why the rate difference?
A Glasgow-based freelancer charging £50/hour might seem expensive until you realise:
- 10+ years experience in the Scottish market
- They handle design, development, and SEO
- They know how to avoid costly mistakes
- They finish in 30 hours what takes you 100
That £1,500 total is cheaper than struggling for months yourself.
Breaking Down a Typical Project
Let's walk through what you're actually paying for on a £5,000 small business website.
Discovery & Planning (10%, £500)
- Understanding your business and goals
- Researching your competitors
- Planning site structure
- Creating wireframes
Why it matters: This prevents expensive changes later. An hour planning saves five hours rebuilding.
Design (25%, £1,250)
- Creating homepage mockup
- Designing 2-3 key page templates
- Choosing colours, fonts, imagery
- Revisions based on feedback
What you're paying for: Visual expertise. Knowing what converts visitors into customers.
Development (40%, £2,000)
- Building the actual website
- Making it work on all devices
- Implementing content management
- Setting up forms and integrations
What you're paying for: Technical skill and problem-solving. Making it look good AND work perfectly.
Content (10%, £500)
- Writing or editing website copy
- Optimising for SEO
- Sourcing or creating images
- Creating necessary graphics
Why it costs: Good copy sells. Bad copy loses customers. Professional writers understand psychology.
Testing & Launch (10%, £500)
- Testing on different browsers and devices
- Fixing bugs
- Setting up analytics
- Configuring hosting and domain
Why it's essential: You get one chance at a first impression. Launch broken and people won't come back.
Training & Documentation (5%, £250)
- Teaching you how to update content
- Creating documentation
- Explaining maintenance needs
Hidden Costs People Forget
Ongoing Costs
Domain name: £10-15/year Hosting: £5-50/month depending on traffic SSL certificate: Usually free (Let's Encrypt) Email hosting: £3-10/month per inbox Maintenance: £50-200/month
Typical annual cost: £500-2,000 after initial build
Future Updates
Websites aren't "one and done." Budget for:
Content updates:
- New blog posts
- Updated services/products
- Seasonal promotions
Do yourself or: £50-100/hour for someone else
Technical maintenance:
- Software updates
- Security patches
- Backup monitoring
- Performance optimisation
Cost: £50-200/month
Design refreshes:
- Every 2-3 years
- Minor updates: £500-1,500
- Full redesign: £2,000-5,000
What You Shouldn't Pay For
Some things sound necessary but aren't:
"Premium" plugins: Most needs have free alternatives Excessive revisions: 2-3 rounds is standard, more costs extra Stock photos: Many free alternatives exist (Unsplash, Pexels) Bloated hosting: Don't pay for 100,000 monthly visitors if you have 500 Annual website "maintenance" contracts: Often unnecessary for simple sites
How to Save Money (Without Compromising Quality)
Start Smaller
Launch with 5 essential pages. Add features later as you grow and can afford them.
Do Some Work Yourself
You can handle:
- Writing initial content drafts
- Gathering images
- Creating a brand mood board
- Basic content updates after launch
Leave to professionals:
- Technical development
- Complex design decisions
- SEO optimisation
- Security setup
Use Templates Wisely
A well-customised £50 template can look as good as a £3,000 custom design if done right.
Bundle Services
Many agencies offer package deals:
- Website + Logo design
- Website + SEO setup
- Website + first year hosting
These bundles often save 15-25%.
Phase Your Project
Phase 1: Essential pages only Phase 2: Add blog Phase 3: Add e-commerce Phase 4: Add custom features
Spread costs over 6-12 months.
Red Flags to Watch For
"£200 complete website"
- Either terrible quality or hidden costs
- Likely uses stolen templates
- No support after launch
"£10,000 minimum, any project"
- May be overcharging small businesses
- Unless you need genuine enterprise features
No contract or scope document
- "Unlimited revisions" sounds good until it isn't
- Always get agreement in writing
Unwilling to show portfolio
- Every legitimate developer has examples
- If they won't show work, run away
Requests 100% upfront
- Standard is 30-50% deposit, rest on completion
- Full payment upfront is risky
Getting Accurate Quotes
To get meaningful quotes, developers need to know:
1. What you want to achieve
- Sell products?
- Generate leads?
- Share information?
- Build community?
2. How many pages you need
- List them out
- Include special functionality each needs
3. What features are required
- Contact forms?
- Booking system?
- Payment processing?
- User accounts?
4. What you're providing vs what they're providing
- You write copy, or they write it?
- You have images, or need photography?
- You have brand guidelines, or need design from scratch?
5. Your timeline
- "As soon as possible" costs more
- 8-12 weeks is typical for custom sites
Sample Budgets for Different Businesses
Local Service Business (Scottish Tradesperson such as Plumber, Electrician, Cleaner)
What you need:
- 5-page website
- Contact forms
- Google Maps integration
- Mobile-optimised
- Local SEO setup
Budget: £1,500-3,000 Ongoing: £30-50/month
Professional Services (Scottish Consultant, Accountant, Solicitor)
What you need:
- 8-10 professional pages
- Blog functionality
- Newsletter sign-up
- Case studies/testimonials
- Polished design
Budget: £3,000-6,000 Ongoing: £50-100/month
E-commerce Store (Physical Products)
What you need:
- Product catalogue (up to 100 products)
- Shopping cart and checkout
- Payment processing
- Order management
- Customer accounts
Budget: £5,000-12,000 Ongoing: £100-300/month
SaaS or Web App
What you need:
- Custom functionality
- User dashboards
- Database integration
- API connections
- Ongoing development
Budget: £15,000-100,000+ Ongoing: £500-2,000/month
Questions to Ask Before Committing
Before signing any contract:
- "What's included in that price?" (Get it itemized)
- "How many revision rounds?" (2-3 is standard)
- "What happens if we need changes after launch?" (Hourly rate? Support period?)
- "Who owns the website code?" (You should own it)
- "What's the payment schedule?" (30-50% upfront is normal)
- "What's included in ongoing maintenance?" (If applicable)
- "Can I update content myself?" (You should be able to)
- "What if I'm not happy with the result?" (Get refund policy in writing)
The Bottom Line
A good business website is an investment, not an expense.
Think of it this way: If your website brings you two extra customers per month, and each customer is worth £500 profit, that's £12,000 annually. A £3,000 website pays for itself in 3 months.
Budget based on value, not just cost.
The cheapest option often costs more in the long run when you factor in:
- Lost sales from poor design
- Time wasted fixing problems
- Having to rebuild it properly later
Typical Scottish small business budget:
- Initial build: £2,000-5,000
- Annual running costs: £500-1,000
- Refresh every 3 years: £1,000-2,000
What to Do Next
- Define what you actually need (not what would be "nice to have")
- Set a realistic budget (including ongoing costs)
- Get 3 quotes (compare apples to apples)
- Check portfolios and references
- Start with essentials (add features later)
Remember: A £500 website that brings you customers is worth more than a £5,000 website that looks pretty but doesn't convert.
Need help figuring out what you need and what it should cost? Contact us for a free consultation. We'll give you advice about your options.