Web design plays a big role in the cost to start a business. The cost of a website can be a big consideration when you're starting out.
So, we asked, how much does a five page site cost?
TLDR: How much does it cost to build a website in 2024?
A website can cost anywhere between £100 to £5000+. It depends on if you use an agency or outsource to a freelance platform.
Most website pricing on Fiverr is between £136 to £500.
Freelancers approved for Fiverr's pro programme will charge you much more. Our study found that prices range between £367 to £2000.
Web builders have made it easy and affordable to create a website. You can get a site running from £9 / month. However, you will have to build the site yourself.
You may need your own web host. If so, Hosting a website will cost you £9 - £25 a month
Freelancers vs. agencies: Web design costs
Professional agencies can be the most expensive option. You can expect to pay between £1000 to £4000+. That is because agencies know the value of bringing your business online.
If a good agency knows they can generate you £100,000 in profit then they might decide to charge you £10,000. This is in contrast to freelancers on platfrom like Fiverr who often have fixed pricing.
As you can see, the costs vary hugly in the industry. It's really about where you go to get your website designed. You may find that Fiverr is good enough for a website for a small business.
As your business grows you might want to consider using an experienced agency to take your online marketing futher. It all depends on your business goals and business plan.
I did not cover ecommerce website costs in this article. That's a topic that deserves it's own article.
What else should I consider?
Look for any hidden fees. For example, does hosting come included with your design? Will you have to pay for it seperatley?
Think about the aftercare. What is the process to get your websute up and running? Will your developer just build the website and expect you to handle the rest?
Is your website built with search engines in mind? Ranking high on search engines like Google and Bing are one of the best ways you can attract clients.
Think about how you can maintain your website. You'll want your website to be easily updated incase the need arises. Think about the costs associated with that.
Updating your website yourself is an option. If you have a wordpress website or use a builder, you don't even need to learn any code. Or, you can opt for your agency or freelancer to push updates.
Double check who the website owners will be. Will your agency or freelancer reserve the rights to your website or will it belong to your business?
Consider additional costs. Custom design can drive up your price significantly so think about what your business needs. Also, requesting more features to your website or content on your website can really drive up the price.
A web design agency is the most expensive option but they'll take the time to understand your business.
About the study: Price of a website for a small business.
This article looks at the cost of a small business website in the UK. I define a small business website as something that has 5 pages and requires no dynamic content.
I got quotes from 56 different freelancers across Fiverr and UpWork. These platforms offer affordable websites for small businesses.
Each price covers the cost of building out a 5+ page website.
I also interviewed industry experts and small business owners. They answered how much web design should cost in thier experience.
Overall, we found that professional website costs in the UK vary alot. It all depends on who the freelancer you choose is. How much experience they have. If they are part of an agency, etc.
Freelance Platforms: Cost of building a website UK
Fiverr
I went on the Fiverr and searched for web developers. I then picked 26 developers from the first page of results. I did not select any Pro profiles. Everyone I surveyed has 15+ reviews. Below I've outlined the cost of building a website in the UK when using Fiverr.
In general, Fiverr is quite cheap. However, you shouldn't expect to get the best website at these price points. However, Fiverr could be seen as a cost effective solution for a new business.
Fiverr Web development fees UK:
- The average price is £322
- Most (80%) freelancers charge between £136 to £499
- 54% charge under £250
- 32% charge between £250 to £500
- 12% charge over £500 (only 3 out of 26 developers charged over £500.)
Examples of some profiles:
Here is a fair (randomly chosen) representation of the freelancers I surveyed:
Fiverr is good for small businesses on a budget. The pricing here is very low. This is because the freelancers here lack experience. Or, they use basic templates to get the job done.
Fiverr Pro
There are also, what Fiverr calls, Pro freelancers. These are freelancers who have worked with major brands. You can read more about Fiverr's seal of approval.
I searched for web developers on Fiverr and selected the pro option. I then surveyed 21 freelancers. Everyone I surveyed has 15+ reviews. Below I've outlined the UK web design prices you should expect to pay.
Fiverr Pro Web development fees UK:
- The average price is £1190
- Most (80%) freelancers charge between £367 to £2433
- 57% charge under £1000
- 24% charge between £1000 to £2000
- 20% charge over £2000
Examples of some profiles:
Here is a fair (randomly chosen) representation of the freelancers I surveyed:
- SMCSE Solutions (£815)
- Youseff (£1142)
- Krill (£567)
The website pricing here is far more premium. Remember, pro freelancers are able to charge more because Fiverr back their experience. These are people who have worked with big brands.
UpWork
On Upwork, you post a job and freelancers will send you proposals. I submitted a profile for a 5 page website. I said I was building a website for a digital marketing agency. I asked for a home, about, services, contact and portfolio page.
I put my budget in at around 500 to 1000 dollars.
Each freelancer proposes an hourly rate. I had to estimate how much a full website would cost based on the hourly rate. I assumed a website would take 35 hours to complete.
The dataset includes 10 freelancers who all have made $100+ dollars in sales.
You can view the job posting here.
UpWork Web development fees UK:
- The average cost is £1068
- Most (80%) freelancers charge between £525 to £1575
- 50% charge between £500 to £1000
- The remaining 50% charge between £1000 to £2000
Website Builders for small businesses in the UK
Most web builder plans come with free hosting and a year of domain. But, you will have to build the whole website yourself.
You will need time on your hands. This is because using a website builder has a learning curve. While builders are drag and drop, it takes a while to get used to all the features.
These builders usually have small business website design templates. Though, creating a bespoke website with a builder can take time.
While the cost of website development is cheap there is lots of time and effort required. So, it's important to invest in the best website builders. They will have extra features and be easier to use.
Below, I’ve listed out the costs for 3 popular web builders.
Wix: Starts from £9 a Month
Go Daddy: £6.99 a Month
Square Space: £12 a Month
Small business website cost according to a former web designer
Gabriel Miller is a former website designer and is very familiar with the industry. He now owns Local Rank Ninja, which helps small businesses owners learn about seo.
Gabriel outlines how much you would need to pay for a new website.
“I would start with $500 (£380) for a basic business website. Typically this gets you an About, Services, Contact, and Blog Page. Anything more than that and you're looking at $1000+ (£760).”
Website design cost in India
Raghav Chand is part owner of Swag Zone. Swag Zone is an online store that sells customizable merchandise to businesses.
He told me that he is looking to get his site redesigned. According to him, custom website pricing depends on the location of the web designer.
“In the North American space, I have found website developers to be quite expensive. They have priced me from a range of 4000 CAD (£2,250) to 10,000 CAD (£5,600) for a website which in India can be produced for between 1000 CAD (£562) to 1500 CAD (£844).”
It’s worth noting that Raghav resides in Canada so prices may vary in the UK.
Though, web design outsourced to India will cost roughly the same for you whether you’re in the UK or North America.
Want cheap website design? Use Web builders
Janelle Langdon is a copywriter living in North America. When I asked her how much her website cost she said that:
“I'm building it myself on SquareSpace. I previously used Adobe Portfolio, which is included with a Lightroom subscription, but I was frustrated by the limited customization options they have, so I unsubscribed from them.”
She then went on to explain that it's not worth hiring a web designer yet. With a builder, she can get a website up and running quickly and cheaply.
“The benefits don't outweigh the cost of hiring a full-service agency (thousands) or a freelancer (hundreds), at least not yet. If my website were anything other than a simple personal portfolio, I would probably hire someone.”
Website maintenance cost: Domain Name and Website Hosting
The cost of website design is only one factor. Once the design and development is done you still need to host your website.
A hosting service stores your website and serves it to users. Website design companies will do this for you for an extra fee.
You can also get your own host. Most hosts charge a monthly free for this service. Bluehost is one of the most popular WordPress hosts and charge £9/month for thier most basic plan.
If you're using a web builder then hosting should be included in the fee you already pay.
A website needs a domain name. The domain is what you type in your browser to go to a websites homepage. For example. YouTube's domain is youtube.com. There are a plethora of services you can use to buy a domain name such as namecheap, name or squarespace.
Most domains are dirt cheap. They won't cost you more than £10/year. But, sought after domains can be very valuable and cost up to thousands.
It's also important to have an SSL certificate. This lets users know that your website is safe and secure and is a huge ranking factor for Google. This is usually free. Though, it depends on your hosting or domain provider.
