· 4 min read
How much does a small business website cost in the UK in 2026?
Short answer: a small business website in the UK costs anything from £100 a year if you build it yourself to £30,000 or more with a London agency. Most small businesses working with a freelance designer pay somewhere around £1,000–4,000 for a proper site, plus running costs of a few pounds to a few hundred pounds a month.
That range is useless until you know what sits behind it, so here is what each option really gets you, what pushes the price up or down, and how to get a quote you can trust.
The three ways to get a website
| Option | Typical cost | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) | about £100–350 a year | your evenings and weekends | testing an idea, very small budgets |
| Freelance designer | £500–10,000 | 2–8 weeks | most small businesses |
| Agency | £3,000–8,000 regional, £8,000–30,000+ in London | 1–4 months | bigger budgets, bigger teams, complex sites |
DIY website builders
Builders like Wix and Squarespace are the cheapest way to get online. On annual billing, Wix plans in the UK start at around £9 a month, and plans that can sell online start at around £16. Squarespace starts at around £12 a month, and its online store plans at about £17.
What the price doesn’t show:
- Your time. Choosing a template, writing the text, sorting out photos and fixing layouts on mobile usually takes days, not hours.
- Extras. Domain renewal after the first year (usually £10–20 a year), a business email address and paid apps add up.
- Templates look like templates. Your site will look like thousands of others, and it’s easy to end up with something that is pretty but doesn’t lead anyone to call or book.
A builder is a sensible start if you are testing an idea. Once the website needs to bring in work, it usually pays to have it designed around your customers.
Hiring a freelance designer
Freelancers cover the widest range, roughly £500 to £10,000, because “a website” can mean anything from a single page to a bespoke site with bookings and payments. You work with one person from the first call to launch, without account managers, and you usually pay less than an agency for the same quality.
The one question to ask straight away: is it design only, or design and build? Some designers hand over finished designs for your own developer to build. Others, like me, design and build, then launch it on your domain. Two quotes can look very different simply because they cover different work.
Hiring an agency
Agencies bring a team: strategy, design, development and project management. Regional agencies typically charge £3,000–8,000 for a small business site; London agencies often start around £8,000 and can go well beyond £30,000. It’s worth it when the site is large and complex, has many people involved, or needs ongoing work from several specialists.
What actually changes the price
- Number of pages. A one-page landing page is far quicker than ten pages, each with its own layout.
- Custom design or template. Designing around your business takes longer than adjusting a theme, but it works harder for you.
- Selling online. Product pages, a basket, checkout, order emails and payments add a lot of work.
- Features. Online booking, taking payments or an editor so you can change the site yourself (a CMS) each add to the cost.
- Words and photos. If the designer writes the text or creates product photos, that is extra, but often worth it.
- Moving from an old site. Keeping old links working, so you don’t drop in Google, takes care.
- Deadline. “We need it in a week” usually costs more.
Running costs after launch
A website is not a one-off cost. Budget for:
- Domain: about £10–20 a year.
- Hosting: from free for simple sites on modern hosting up to £30 a month or more for busy shops.
- Business email: usually a few pounds per person per month.
- Care and updates: £50–150 a month if someone looks after updates, backups and small changes for you.
Over three years, running costs can easily match what you paid for the site itself, so ask about them before you start.
Where to see real prices
Many designers still hide their prices until after a call. I prefer to show them upfront, so you can check what fits your budget before we talk. You can pick your options and see an instant estimate in the price calculator on my site.
How to get an accurate quote
The more a designer knows, the less they need to guess and pad the price. Before you ask for a quote, jot down:
- what the website should make people do: call, book, buy or send an enquiry;
- the pages you think you need;
- two or three websites you like, and why;
- whether you already have a logo, texts and photos;
- a budget range and any date that matters.
A cheap website that brings in no work costs more than a good one that pays for itself. Compare quotes by what the site will do for your business, not only by the number at the bottom.
Common questions
Is a £300 website worth it?
It can be, as a placeholder. At that price you’ll usually get a lightly edited template with little thought about your customers. Fine to start, but plan to replace it once the business grows.
Do I pay VAT on top?
It depends on the designer. Businesses registered for VAT add 20% to their prices, so always check whether a quote includes VAT before you compare it with others.
How long does it take?
A landing page can be live in one to two weeks. A small multi-page site usually takes three to six weeks, depending mostly on how quickly texts, photos and feedback come in.
Sources for the market prices (checked September 2026):
Tatiana · UX/UI, web & product designer in the UK with 10+ years across B2B and B2C. I design and build websites for small businesses and design products for startups and teams.