Business Services
Compare web design and development
Quotes for the same brief routinely differ tenfold, because "a website" describes anything from a five-page template to a bespoke application.
There is no market rate for a website, because the term covers work that ranges from an afternoon to a year. What makes quotes comparable is a brief specific enough that everyone is pricing the same thing: how many unique page templates, whether content is written for you or supplied, whether e-commerce is involved, and what integrates with what.
The terms that cost businesses most are not about price at all. They are about who owns the code and the domain, whether you can leave, and what happens to the site if the agency stops answering the phone. Settle those before the deposit.
What it should cost
| What you are buying | Indicative UK cost |
|---|---|
| Template-based small business site | £750 – £2,500 |
| Custom design, 5–10 pages | £2,500 – £8,000 |
| Larger custom site or redesign | £8,000 – £25,000 |
| E-commerce, standard platform | £3,000 – £15,000 |
| Bespoke web application | £20,000+ |
| Hosting and maintenance | £20 – £200 a month |
| Ongoing SEO retainer | £500 – £2,500 a month |
A monthly "website package" with no up-front cost is usually a finance agreement over three to five years. Work out the total before comparing it to a one-off build.
What changes the price
- Design: template or bespokeA well-implemented template site is a legitimate choice for many businesses. Bespoke design is where a large chunk of an agency quote goes.
- Number of unique templatesNot page count. Fifty pages using four templates is far less work than eight pages that all look different.
- ContentCopywriting and photography are commonly excluded and commonly the reason a project stalls for months. Confirm who is producing them.
- FunctionalityBookings, payments, logins, quoting tools and CRM integrations each add real development time.
- AftercareHosting, updates, backups, security patching and small changes. Ask what a change request costs once the build is signed off.
How to compare properly
Take these to every supplier. The answers are usually more revealing than the prices.
- Write one brief and send the identical brief to everyone. Without it you are not comparing quotes, you are comparing interpretations.
- Establish in writing that you own the finished site, the code, the domain and the hosting account. Some agencies retain the domain, which is the single worst position to be in.
- Ask what platform it is built on and whether another developer could take it over. A proprietary in-house CMS locks you in.
- Get the payment schedule tied to milestones, not dates.
- Ask how many rounds of revisions are included and what an extra round costs.
- Ask about page speed and accessibility targets. A public-facing business site should be aiming to meet WCAG 2.2 AA, and it is far cheaper to build in than retro-fit.
Ready to compare web design?
Compare Web Services is our dedicated site for this category, with the detail, local coverage and a quote form.
Common questions
Who should own the domain name?
You, always, registered to your business with your own registrar account. An agency can manage it, but the registrant should be you.
Is a monthly website package good value?
Sometimes, for cash flow. But check the contract length, the total paid over the term, and crucially whether you own the site at the end. Many such deals leave you with nothing if you stop paying.
How long does a business website take?
Six to twelve weeks for a typical small business site, and the delay is almost always waiting for content rather than development.
Do I need ongoing maintenance?
If it runs on a CMS, yes. Unpatched plugins are the most common way small business sites get compromised.
Still deciding between options?
Freelancer or agency?
A freelancer is usually half the price and one person. An agency costs more and does not go on holiday mid-project. The right answer depends on how much the site matters to your revenue.
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