How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website?

Face it, you need a website – these days it’s all but impossible to images a successful business without one.

A website helps establish your brand’s online presence and acts as a marketing tool all day every day. However, one question often arises when considering creating a website: “How much does it cost to build a website?” The answer varies depending on several factors, such as the complexity of the site, the platform used, and the services for web development you choose.

Let’s delve into these factors and estimate how much it might cost to build your website.

Before we dive into the costs associated with building a website, it’s essential to understand that not all websites are created equal. The type of website you need can significantly impact the overall cost.

Sometimes called brochure sites. These are simple websites with limited functionality. They typically include pages like Home, About Us, Contact Us, and services or products. The cost for such websites can range from £1000 to £3000. You can pay a lot more – especially for premium agency designs. You can pay less but you will have to make compromises.

These websites allow businesses to sell products or services directly through their site. They require more complex coding and security measures, which can increase the cost. An e-commerce site can range from £4,000 upwards.

Again you can pay less. But, if you want to be certain your clients‘ details are secure, your analytics are correctly configured and your business remains reputable we would not recommend driving too hard a bargain.

These are highly customised sites built from scratch to meet specific business needs. Depending on their complexity and features required, custom websites can cost anywhere from £5000 to many tens of thousands of pounds.

Bear in mind too, that once written, someone has to maintain the code. This can be a significant ongoing cost to your development. A good developer should be able to offer a solution that does not accrue too much technical debt.

The next factor that significantly impacts the cost of building a website is the web development service you choose:

Platforms like Wix or Squarespace allow you to build a basic website using pre-designed templates at minimal costs (around £10-£50 per month). These services tend to be hosted – meaning many of the technical and capacity issues are taken out of your hands.

However, they might not offer the flexibility and functionality needed for more complex sites. You don’t want to pay for the job twice – or, worse, move an e-commerce business when is in full flow. You need to make very sure your platform will do everything you need before committing your business to it.

Hiring a freelance web developer can be a cost-effective option if you need a more customised website. The cost can vary widely based on the developer’s experience and your website’s complexity, ranging from £500 to over £5000.

You’ll need to check their experience and reputation. You might also want to check their commitment to your project – especially for a custom development. You’ll want to know they’ll be around in a year or two when you want to make changes.

These are professional companies offering comprehensive services for web development. While they may be more expensive (ranging from £3,000 to over £10,000 for an e-commerce site), they provide expert guidance, support, and often include design and maintenance services.

Apart from the initial development costs, there are several ongoing costs associated with maintaining a website:

This article may not be, but the web is visual. Great images will drive engagement and make your website sing. But all those photographers need feeding.

Some, amazingly, will give their work away for free (Unsplash or Pixabay) but expect your choices to be limited. If you can find what you want there, great. Otherwise, expect to pay anything between £5 and thousands for a photograph.

Do not be tempted to ‘borrow’ copyright images. People can and do get caught out and fined a great deal of money for breaching copyright.

This is your website’s online address. This needs to be kept on a global register so that everyone can find your website. Registering a domain name typically costs from around £10 per year. Custom domains (e.g. little-fire.digital) can cost a lot more.

It’s often a good idea to check the availability of a matching domain name before launching your business. Little Fire Digital have helped clients buy premium domain names from canny vendors – the process cost thousands. Trading domain names is big business.

If you aren’t using a hosted service (like Shopify or Webflow), you’ll need hosting. This is where your website files are stored online. Depending on the hosting you choose (shared, VPS, or dedicated), it can cost anywhere from £50 to over £200 per year.

Again, you get what you’re paying for. Don‘t seek too hard a bargain. If you want your data secure and your site to work fast you’ll need to pay more than the bare minimum.

To function optimally and remain secure, websites require regular updates and security checks. Depending on whether you handle this yourself or hire professionals, maintenance costs can range from £100 to well over £1000 per year.

To increase your website’s visibility online, you’ll need to invest in SEO and marketing strategies which could add additional costs.

As we’ve seen, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer as it depends on various factors like the type of site you need, the services for web development you choose and additional ongoing costs.

While building a website requires an upfront investment, it’s important to remember that a well-designed and maintained site can significantly boost your business’s visibility and credibility online – making it an investment worth considering!