How much does it cost to design and build a basic website for small business in the UK?

Despite the enthusiasm to get online, most of the small business websites simply aren’t fit for purpose in today’s digital age. Many micro-businesses are using sites that are based on out-of-date technology, are limited to five pages and offer no content management. This makes it challenging to perform even the most basic marketing tasks, such as posting photos, adding new offer and publishing customer testimonials. As such, the site will soon look dated.

A cheap website may provide an online presence, but it is unlikely to attract, engage or convert visitors. As this is the main purpose of a website, it means that they struggle to deliver any sort of return. Such websites might be low cost, but they don’t offer good value.

The question isn’t can your business afford to invest in a website? But rather can it afford not to?

With investment in a good website, any small business has an opportunity to thrive. A good website isn’t an off-the-shelf product; it is built to meet the specific aims of your company.

As a core requirement, it will be mobile responsive, optimised for the search engines and will include an easy to use Content Management System (CMS) that makes it straightforward to keep your site updated.

A good website will be secure, include high definition images and well written copy. There will be clear calls to action and functionality that enhances the visitor experience. The functionality may also simplify some of your business processes.

A good website will be built on a platform that keeps pace with technological updates. With the option of adding and amending page content, it will have the capacity to grow and develop alongside your business.

Small Business Website Package:

FRAMEWORK DIGITAL has put together a small business package. Our services support the design and development of your website, along with support on how to use it. We provide:

• A 1hour meeting – gathering details about your business, products and services. We’ll listen to your requirements, assess your needs and provide recommendations
• After the meeting, we will come back to you with a detailed quotation
• If approved, we commence work on the initial website design and structure
• As necessary, we also arrange your domain name, website hosting and email boxes
• When the basic website structure is in place, you will be sent a link to view work in progress
• With a 2-6 week lead time (depending on the size and complexity of the project) your site will be ready
• A 2hour launch meeting provides the opportunity to make any final amends, answer questions and provide training on how to update your website.

There is no set price for our Small Business Website Package, as it depends on whether we supply the images, copy and other content, the number of pages and the functional requirements.

To give you a guide, prices typically range from £600 to £1500 or approximately £45 per hour of professional web designer’s work.

In addition, there is the annual fee for domain name renewal, web hosting, email from £120.00 (basic website and one email address) through to £480.00 for more demanding websites. Ongoing, annual costs should not exceed £500.00 per year.

If you see the offer that states £500 per web design project or less, I would not be surprised to discover that what you get is an empty shell (a template worth £50 or less) and you have to “add your own content” which means DIY your whole website + some unfair T&Cs on the top. On the other side of the spectrum, if a simple 6 page website for a small business cost £3000 and more, that is very likely not quite fair deal either.