How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost?
Website prices are all over the place, from “free” builders to four-figure agency quotes. Here is what actually drives the cost, and what a simple, professional site should really run you.
The short answer
For a simple website, most small businesses are looking at one of three routes:
- Do it yourself on a website builder: often £0–£20/month, plus your time (usually a lot of it).
- Pay a freelancer or agency for a one-off build: commonly £300–£2,500+ upfront, then you handle hosting and updates yourself.
- A managed plan where someone builds and looks after it for you: a single monthly fee that covers everything.
There is no single “right” price. What matters is what is included, and who does the ongoing work. Try our website cost calculator for a rough range based on what you actually need.
What you are actually paying for
A website is not one cost, it is a few. Understanding them makes quotes far easier to compare:
- The build — designing and putting the site together. This is the big variable.
- Hosting — the ongoing service that keeps your site online (roughly £3–£20/month on its own).
- Domain — your web address, e.g. yourbusiness.co.uk (around £10–£20 a year).
- SSL / security — the padlock that makes your site trusted. Often included, sometimes not.
- Email forwarding — a tidy hello@yourbusiness address.
- Updates — changing prices, photos or hours later. Either your time, or a fee.
Why quotes vary so much
Two quotes for “a website” can differ by thousands because they include completely different things. One might be a quick template with no ongoing support; another might include custom design, copywriting, hosting and a year of changes. Always ask: what is included, and what happens when I need to change something?
The cheapest build can become the most expensive site if you get stuck paying for every small change, or it breaks and nobody is looking after it.
DIY builder vs done-for-you
Website builders look cheap, and they can be, if you have the time and confidence to design, write, connect a domain, set up SSL and keep it updated. Many small business owners start one, get busy, and end up with a half-finished site.
A done-for-you managed plan trades a bit of monthly cost for not having to think about any of it. It is the right call if you would rather run your business than learn web hosting.
Where LaunchSite fits
LaunchSite is a managed plan built for small local businesses. It is £39.99/month on a 24-month plan, with no upfront build fee, and your first draft arrives within 3 working days of completed onboarding. That single fee includes the build, hosting, SSL, a standard domain, email forwarding and monthly updates, with no tech setup for you.
Not sure what your site needs first? Use the one-page website planner or see example websites we have built.