How much does a website cost in the UK in 2022?
Posted on 21st July 2022
One of the first questions potential clients want to know when they contact us, is how much does a website cost.
It's a tough question to answer, because there are so many factors that influence the cost of a website. Prices can vary from £200 to over £10,000, depending on what your business needs from your site. In this article we will do our best to explain what those factors are and also provide some general pricing guidelines.
We will start by explaining why the cost of website varies so much, and then cover some of the most common factors that will affect the price of your website.
The final part of this article will provide some price guidelines to hopefully give you an idea of how much you can expect to pay for a website that meets your needs.
Buying a website is like buying a car
The purchase of a website is much like the purchase of a car. With so many options available, price ranges can vary drastically.
For example, a Ford Kuga can start at around £30,000 for a standard 1.5L Zetec petrol model. And that cost can rise to over £45,000 for a 2.5L Plug-in Hybrid Vignale in white platinum, with a few extras.
In the same way, a website can cost anything from £200 to over £10,000, depending on the type of website, and the features on it.
Your website is the online showroom for your business. It will often be the first time a prospective customer sees anything about your business. And if you don't have somewhere, such as a showroom or shop, where people can see what you offer, it may be the only place they can see before they buy. Because of this, most people choose the website that will provide the best showcase for their business.
Unfortunately, some people only focus on the initial price of the website, with the goal of finding the cheapest way to get, and keep, a website online. As a result, they sacrifice the quality and the look and feel of it, whilst also neglecting the ongoing website maintenance and security. They may cram too much content on too few pages, or have a site that is hard for prospective customers to navigate and find the information they are looking for. This usually leads to regret, and a tough decision of whether to stick with a website that is not fit for purpose, or go through the costly and time-consuming experience of replacing it soon after launching it.
Factors that can affect the price of a website
Some of the most common factors that will affect the price of your website are:
The type of website (self-build, templated website, custom designed site, or a commerce site).
The type of website
The type of website you have is likely to be the biggest deciding factor on the overall cost of your site. They include self-build sites, templated websites built by a professional web design company, and professionally designed custom websites. The number of pages on your site will also bear a major influence on the site's cost.
Time is money, so as a rule of thumb the more time a professional spends on designing and creating your website, the more it will cost.
Self-build websites
Building your own website using a website builder such as Wix or GoDaddy is the lowest cost option, as you won't be paying a web design company to design and build your site. However, if you don't have any previous design experience, you may find it very time consuming to build anything other than a very basic one-page site. And remember the website is going to be showcasing your business to the world, so you need to be confident that you can design a site that will represent your business in its best light.
Unless you have previous experience of building a website, or at least digital design experience, building your own website is not something to consider lightly. For more information, read Should I build my own website?
Templated websites
Website templates are pre-designed layouts that allow you to arrange content onto a web page to create a simple yet well-designed website. While they still need experience to create a good website, it means that web design companies can create websites in less time than custom designed sites, which in turn means they will usually be at a lower cost than a custom designed site.
Custom designed website
Many web design companies offer custom designed websites, which are unique websites that will be tailor made for your business. The cost is likely to be higher than a templated site, but you will have a one of a kind website that will help you showcase your products and services in the best possible way.
Commerce site
Commerce websites can be created in any of the formats above - on website builders such as Shopify, and by web design companies using either template or custom designs. The cost of commerce sites will typically be higher than non-commerce sites.
it'seeze websites
it'seeze is a Franchise model, and there are it'seeze businesses throughout the UK. At it'seeze Horsham we help businesses in Sussex and East Surrey improve their online presence.
This means that our clients benefit from a tried and tested it'seeze business structure and website design process that applies to all it'seeze businesses. It's a process that is fast, smooth, and effective. And it is a 100% dedicated web design service.
The website design and build process is streamlined, without compromising on detail. We don't provide you with initial designs or wireframes, but our detailed website design brief makes sure we gain all the information we need to create your new site. That brief is key, because if it's detailed and correct, we can pretty much guarantee that your website will be exactly what you are looking for. it’s a proven process that has worked for thousands of it'seeze clients nationally, and hundreds of it'seeze Horsham clients.
As a result of this faster, streamlined process, we can create websites in a shorter time, and we pass these savings on to our clients.
The number of pages on your website
Your website will need enough pages to explain what products and services you offer and how they benefit your customers. If a web design company is creating a website for you, the cost will be higher the more pages on it. And although the number of pages is unlikely to make a difference to the cost if you choose to build the site yourself, the more pages you have, the longer it will take you.
Many website companies offer a package for a five-page website, and then a higher priced package for websites with more than five pages. It can be very tempting to opt for a five-page site to cut costs. And in some cases, a five-page site can provide potential and existing customers with the information they need. But this is not always the case and trying to shoehorn too much detail in too few pages will result in a site that is unlikely to satisfy either your prospects or search engines such as Google.
It is also very easy to underestimate how many pages you will need on your site. And consideration should be given to whether you are likely to need to add pages to your site in the near future, for example for new products and services.
If you're not sure how many pages you will need for your website, look at this article - how many pages do I need on my website?
How much support you will need
Some people have a clear idea of how they want their website to look, and will be able to provide all the photos, logos, and written content for their website. They may also be able to source their own domain, and then make the necessary changes to get their website live. Clearly, they will need very little, if any, professional support.
However, others will need help and guidance in all aspects of designing and building their website, and to get the site live. They are likely to need a professional website design company that can provide that help and support. And that will obviously come at a cost.
The same is true of support once their website is live. The first category are likely to be able to carry out the technical and security updates that will keep their site operating at a high level and also keep it safe from hackers. The second category are less likely to have the knowledge to make these updates and will therefore look for a web design business that will carry out those updates, as well as being on hand to help with other all other aspects of website support the client may need. Again, this support will come at a cost, usually in the form of monthly payments.
All it'seeze website packages include full support, in return for a monthly fee, which means that our clients benefit from ongoing support, with expert advice and assistance available throughout the lifetime of your website. If you are confident in maintaining your website yourself and feel you won't need any support from your web designer, we may not be a good fit for you.
Whether it is optimised for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
SEO is the process of improving your website’s ranking in the search results of search engines like Google and Bing, so that more customers can find your business.
Many website designers will create a website that is search engine friendly, giving you your best chance of appearing in the search results on Google or Bing when people search for your business online.
To rank well for several keywords, your site may need ongoing SEO optimisation. This is an additional service that a lot of web design companies offer once they have created your site.
The ability to update the content on your site yourself
The ability to update your website means you will be able to add pages, update text and images, post blogs, embed videos, upload brochures and menus, and regularly update and renew content to enhance your online performance. This means that you won't have to wait for your web designer to do it for you or having to pay every time you want something changing on your site.
Stock images
Stock images are a great way of including professional 'generic' images on your website, although these should be combined with your own photos.
When bought individually stock images can be very costly, so it's worth checking if your website package includes any stock images, and if so, how many are included.
Maybe now, maybe later
Depending on the stage your business is currently at, you may need some or all of the following features. If you do, you will probably need to go for a more advanced website package, rather than a basic one.
If you don't need any of these features now, you should be able to upgrade from a basic to an advanced package if you require any of them at some point in the future. It's best to check with your potential web designer or website builder before you commit though, as your website should be able to evolve as your business grows and changes.
Built in blog
Blogging is a great way to create keyword-rich content for your website, which is important for SEO, as Google favours websites which are regularly updated with fresh content. Having relevant blog articles on your website will also help you gain your customers’ trust by demonstrating your industry expertise.
If you would like to add blog articles to your website, you will need to make sure that a built-in blog feature is included with your site.
A secure private members area
A secure private area on your website means you can have password protected pages so that only certain visitors, such as staff and selected customers, can access restricted content.
Having videos on your website
Videos are a great way of quickly getting a message over to your website visitors, and they keep people on your website longer, and help engage them with your content.
If you want to have embedded videos on your site, you will need to make sure this facility is available with your website package.
Building an email list
Sending regular emails to your customers and potential customers is a great way to keep them up to date with developments in your business, and the wider industry you operate in. It also helps to keep you front of their mind for when they are looking to buy the products and services you offer.
The easiest way to send an email to multiple people at one time, is via a platform such as Mailchimp. By adding a Mailchimp opt-in form to your website, your website visitors can complete the form and automatically get added to your mailing list. Using an opt-in form will also help ensure you comply with GDPR.
Basic website packages may not have the functionality for Mailchimp lists, so again you will need to make sure the package you choose can include it, should you want to use your website to help build your email list(s).
A high number of images on your website
All websites will have the ability to include images on them, but basic packages are likely to have a limit to the number that can be displayed on the site. And image just doesn't include photos. It also includes logos and any icons you would like on your site.
So, if you are likely to need a lot of images on your site, check if there are any limits on the website package you are looking at.
File uploads
Being able to upload files to your website means that your customers and staff will be able to download brochures, menus, forms, and much more, straight from your site. Not only is this much more convenient for them, but it will save you time in not having to regularly email these documents out.
This is another feature that may not be included with the more basic website packages, so you will need to check if it is included.
Social media feeds
Integrated social media feeds allow your latest posts from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms to directly display on your website. This allows your website visitors to see your latest social media updates and increases the likelihood that they will follow you on those platforms.
This is another feature that is unlikely to be included in basic website packages.
Bespoke functionality
Bespoke functionality is not to be confused with a bespoke website design.
A bespoke design is where the layout, colours, and look & feel of your site is designed to your specific requirements.
Bespoke functionality may be required if you require any bespoke niche features or systems such as a unique booking system or integration with a database or CRM system.
The price will vary depending on how complex the project is. You wouldn't necessarily know if something you would like on your website would be a bespoke feature, so we would always advise talking to a web designer to get an idea of whether it would be bespoke, and if so, what it would cost.
Additional Services
You may require additional services to make sure your website looks and performs as well as it possibly can. These could include:
Logo design
Competitor research
Keyword research
Professional copywriting
Professional photos
Videos, such as introduction, product, team, and testimonial videos
Collecting and writing case studies
Ongoing help once your website is live, such as writing and adding regular blog posts to your site, SEO, and other marketing activities for your website.
Although these services would not be included in the cost of the website design, most web designers will either offer these services themselves or be able to recommend specialists that they work with.
Initial cost by type of website
|
|
Features could include |
Self-build site |
Custom Designed Site |
it'seeze website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Up to 5 pages with basic features |
Up to 5 pages Approximately 50 images Domain and email hosting |
£0-£200 |
£200-500 |
£250 |
|
Up to 5 pages with some advanced features |
Up to 5 pages Approximately 100 images Domain and email hosting SEO optimised Social media feeds File Uploads Embedded videos Mailchimp sign-up forms |
£0-£300 |
£300-£2,000 |
£350 |
|
More than 5 pages and more advanced features |
At least 10 pages Thousands of images Domain and email hosting SEO optimised Social media feeds File Uploads Embedded videos Mailchimp sign-up forms Live chat Maps One-off payments Members only area Built-in blog |
£0-£400 |
£400-£5,000 |
£450 |
|
E-commerce site |
At least 10 pages Thousands of images Domain and email hosting SEO optimised Social media feeds File Uploads Embedded videos Mailchimp sign-up forms Live chat Maps Members only area Built-in blog Fully functioning web store Secure online payments Ecommerce tools and reports |
£0-£500 |
£500-£10,000 |
£600 |
Ongoing monthly costs
There will be some ongoing costs with your website. These will often be paid on a monthly basis, although some companies will take the fee annually. For simplicity, we have broken it done to a monthly fee.
Domain, website and email hosting
A domain name (or just 'domain') is the name of a website. It's what comes after “www.” in a web address. A domain needs to be hosted, and that will incur a monthly or annual fee. If you require emails on the domain, they will usually also be hosted by the domain hosting company. Having emails on a domain may increase the hosting cost.
Your website will also need to be hosted on a secure web server, and this can be included in a package with domain and email hosting.
You can expect hosting to cost anywhere between £5 and £60 per month.
Website builders
If you create your own website using a website builder such as Wix, Squarespace or Shopify, they will usually charge you a monthly fee. These start from around £9 and go up to about £300 for an
e-commerce site.
Ongoing support
As mentioned earlier in this article many web design companies offer ongoing support and the fees can be as low as £20 a month up to £100 or more. These packages usually include the website, domain and email hosting.
Summary
As you can see, website prices vary considerably, and the only way to get an accurate price is to get a quote from a web designer or, if you are creating your own site, from an online website builder. However, this article will hopefully have helped you better understand what factors influence those prices, and also to be clearer on what features you will need on your site.
Ready to get a quote for your new website?
it'seeze Horsham are a professional web design company who can provide you with a free, no obligation price for a website that is custom designed for your business.
Just click on the button below to book a free 15 minute no-obligation phone call, and by the end of the call we will be able to provide you with an accurate price for your site.
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