The short version

For a small business website in 2026, you're looking at somewhere between free and several thousand pounds. The range is huge because the options are very different. Here's what each one actually gets you.

Option 1: Build it yourself (free to ~£200/year)

Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and Google Sites let you drag and drop a website together yourself. The free versions come with limitations (their branding on your site, no custom domain, limited features). Paid plans typically cost £10-£30 a month.

What you get: A website that exists. Templates to start from. Basic customisation.

What you don't get: Anyone to help when something looks wrong. Good SEO out of the box. A site that feels genuinely professional rather than templated. Your own domain on the free plans.

Best for: People who enjoy tinkering with tech, have time to learn, and are comfortable troubleshooting their own issues. Hobby projects and side hustles where "good enough" is fine.

Watch out for: The time cost. Learning a builder, writing your own copy, choosing the right template, fighting with layout tools. For most business owners, those hours are worth more spent on actual customers. I've written a detailed comparison of Wix vs a professionally built site if you want the full picture.

Option 2: A freelancer (£99 to ~£2,000)

A freelancer designs and builds the site for you. The price varies depending on who you hire and what you need. At the lower end, you're getting a clean, simple site that does the job. At the higher end, you're paying for more pages, custom design work, or specialist features.

What you get: A site built by someone who knows what they're doing. Usually includes mobile design, basic SEO, and a contact form. You provide the info about your business and they handle the rest.

What you don't get: Ongoing support (unless it's part of the deal). Some freelancers build the site and hand it over. If something breaks in six months, you might be on your own.

Best for: Small businesses that want something professional without spending thousands. Especially good if the freelancer also handles hosting and updates, so you don't have to think about the technical side.

Watch out for: The handover problem. If a freelancer builds you a WordPress site and then disappears, you're stuck maintaining something you didn't build. Ask upfront: who hosts it, who updates it, and what happens if I need changes next year?

Option 3: An agency (£2,000 to £10,000+)

Web design agencies employ teams of designers, developers, project managers, and account managers. You're paying for the infrastructure, the process, and usually a more involved project.

What you get: A polished, multi-page website. Often includes branding, copywriting, photography direction, and a proper design process. Good agencies also handle SEO strategy and ongoing performance.

What you don't get: Speed or simplicity. Agency projects take weeks or months, involve multiple rounds of feedback, and come with project management overhead. The monthly retainer for ongoing work is often £200-£500+.

Best for: Businesses with complex needs (e-commerce, integrations, multiple locations), bigger budgets, and the patience for a longer process.

Watch out for: Overpaying for what you need. A hairdresser in Portrush doesn't need a £5,000 website with a content management system. A lot of agencies are set up for bigger projects and their pricing reflects that, even when the end result isn't that different from what a good freelancer would deliver.

What about ongoing costs?

The build is only part of it. Every website has ongoing costs:

  • Domain name: £10-£15/year for a .co.uk or .com.
  • Hosting: £3-£30/month depending on the platform. Some freelancers include this in a monthly fee.
  • SSL certificate: Free with most modern hosting (but check, because some cheap hosts still charge for it).
  • Updates: If you want someone else to change your content, that's either included in a plan or charged per request.
  • Email: Business email (you@yourbusiness.co.uk) is usually £3-£5/month per mailbox.

The cheapest option isn't always the cheapest in the long run. A £0 Wix site with a £15/month plan, plus the hours you spend managing it yourself, often costs more over two years than paying someone to do it properly from the start.

So what should you spend?

If you're a small, local business, you don't need to spend thousands. A well-built simple site with proper hosting and someone to look after it is the sweet spot for most. It gets you online, looking professional, showing up on Google, and not worrying about the tech.

That's exactly what I do. £99 to build, £25 a month to host and maintain. No tiers, no hidden fees, no minimum that'll make you wince. If you want to see what that looks like, check out some examples.