Here at Digital Paw, we often get asked how much you should pay for a small website in the UK, so we thought we’d tackle it in this article to give you a few ideas about the answer.
The cost of a small website in the UK can really vary depending on quite a few factors, including the size and complexity of the website, the features you want, and the level of service you require. However, you should expect to pay anywhere from £500 to £5,000 for a simple website.
If you’re on a tight budget, you can create a simple website yourself using a website builder like Wix or Squarespace. You’ve possibly seen their adverts and thought they are a good idea. These platforms offer a variety of templates and features that you can use to create a professional-looking website without any coding experience. We’ve discussed the pros and cons of Wix before
If you need a more complex website with custom features, you could hire a web designer or developer. The cost of hiring a professional will vary depending on their experience and rates, but you can expect to pay anywhere from £1,000 to £5,000 for a basic website.
Factors that will affect the cost of your small website:
- The size and complexity of your website: The more pages and features you want, the more it will cost.
- The features you want: Some features, such as an online store or a custom design, will cost more than others because they are harder to produce or require specific skills.
- The level of service you require: If you need help with ongoing maintenance or updates, you’ll need to factor that into the cost. Websites are not a ‘static’ item that you purchase, it will need to be kept up to date with all sorts of elements. These can include security updates or even just keeping the copy or imagery on your site up to date.
As with any purchasing decision, especially one which relates to your business, it’s important to get quotes from a few different providers before making a decision. This will help you ensure that you’re getting the best possible price for your needs and also ensure that you can work with the system (in the case of an online page builder) or with the person you choose to build your site.
How much do agencies tend to charge for website design?
Depending on the agency you go to, you’ll have different ways in which they work and collaborate depending on the size of the agency.
Typically they will have a graphic designer, a web designer, an SEO specialist and a copywriter. These costs per hour will vary dependent on the role. However some research carried out by Startups.co.uk gave us an insight into costs you’ll be looking at:
- Offshore company – £10 – £25 per hour
- Freelance web designer – £25 – £50 per hour
- Small web agency – £50 – £75 per hour
- Large web agency – £75 – £150 per hour
“Based on insights from a number of developers, we’re going to accept that an average small business website takes around 12 weeks to build. We’ll also assume the agency is devoting seven hours a day to your project. That means you’re looking at a total price of £4,200 – £63,000 for the development of your business website.”
https://startups.co.uk/websites/creating/how-much-does-a-website-cost/
What are the differences in hiring a digital agency or a freelancer?
Deciding between a freelancer or an agency can be difficult so here’s a few key differences to help you to decide:
A freelancer is a self-employed individual who contracts their services to clients on a project-by-project basis. A digital agency is a business that provides a range of digital services, such as web design, development, and marketing, to clients.
Here are some of the key differences between freelancers and digital agencies:
- Size: Freelancers are typically ‘solopreneurs’, while digital agencies can range in size from a few employees to hundreds of employees.
- Specialties: Freelancers typically specialize in a specific area, such as web design or development, while digital agencies offer a wider range of services.
- Cost: Freelancers typically charge less than digital agencies, but they may not have the same level of expertise or experience.
- Flexibility: Freelancers are typically more flexible than digital agencies, as they can work around the client’s schedule.
- Communication: Freelancers typically have more direct communication with clients than digital agencies, as they are often the only point of contact.
- Customer service: Freelancers typically provide more personalized customer service than digital agencies, as they are more likely to be familiar with the client’s specific needs.
What’s better, a freelancer or a marketing agency?
You might think you have to pick one or the other and in most cases you do. Ultimately, the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs and budget.
If you are looking for a cost-effective option with a high level of flexibility, then a freelancer may be a good choice for you. If you are looking for a team of experts with a wide range of skills and experience, then a digital agency may be a better option. Naturally, the decision rests with you. Do you want to pay less for a potentially better level of communication and collaboration or are you ok with paying a bit more for the wider breadth of knowledge and experience potentially available?
Or you could look one step further.
An agency which has the costs of a freelancer, the communication and flexibility of a freelancer, the customer service you’d get with a freelancer, but the specialties you’d want from a marketing agency.
Digital Paw Marketing Agency we consider ourselves a ‘freelance digital marketing agency’. We have a paid search PPC specialist, a graphic designer and a web designer all inhouse and with years of PPC, SEO, content writing and web design experience.
We’re a well-rounded team with a lot to offer. However, we don’t charge the standard agency fees to make sure we can be as helpful as we can to small businesses looking for a web design agency, a graphic design agency or a PPC agency.
Ultimately, the question of how much you should pay for a small website in the UK or how much is a does a small business website cost is more a question of what do you want?
Do you want to try to tackle it yourself for the minimum outlay possible, or do you want to be able to speak with someone, receive guidance and advice and actually own your site when it’s completed, and then be able to speak with someone for support with it after?
How much do we charge at Digital Paw Marketing Agency?
It’s frustrating when you’re looking for an idea of how much a company will charge but they want you to contact them first before you get an indication. We certainly think so. As we’re not sales people here, and I’m certainly not going to push you into a corner to use us, we’re happy to share our prices as best we can.
As you’ll have read above already, prices can vary depending on the size of a website, the features and the level of service. A question like ‘how much you should pay for a small website in the UK?’ or ‘how much does a small business website cost?’ is a difficult one to answer, there are tonnes of factors that need to be taken into account. However, we can determine the cost of a 5-page website for you as an example.
Unlike a typical agency rate of between £50-75 per hour, we charge a lot less. A website of this size will include your Homepage, About, Services, Contact and Privacy page (this page is required under GDPR law). We charge £879 which covers the extensive research time to gather the keywords for your website, creating a completely bespoke website for you and writing all the copy needed for you too. This takes us around 60 hours of time to do so you can see that we don’t charge the earth for our time in comparison to other small agencies in the UK.
Our hourly rate is much less than a typical agency, yet we have the expertise and exceptional quality you’d want from one. We’re a hybrid freelance agency in the right way! Get in touch today to find out what we can offer you and your business. We’re small, but we’re mighty.
