Understanding Website Costs in 2025
There are so many different types of websites. So many different web designers. And on top of this, so many ways to build your own website in 2025. A business owner looking for a website in 2025 could easily feel overwhelmed by how much is available.
To answer the question, how much does a website cost? You open pandoras box of all these other questions. That is why, in this guide, we will cover some of the different options and their costs.
The cost of a website can vary. The type of your website, the functionality and features needed as well as the size can all effect how much your website costs.
If you want to go away from this article with a general number, or range that a website could reasonably be in, I will indulge. As an expert with 20 years in the industry, I would say professional web design services could cost you anywhere from £500 up to £10,000 plus. These are just the upfront costs. Looking at hosting and maintenance you probably are going to have some extra cost on there too.
Factors Influencing Website Cost in the UK
With the introduction of website builder tools, web design has become much more accessible to your everyday person. This forced web designers into needing to step up their game. Technical skills to stand out, alongside sleek modern designs mean the industry has had to level up.
Many businesses have chosen to go down the route of making their own websites. So you need to beat them by as much value as you want to charge. As a modern day website developer, you need to combine art, with structured code.
You must be capable of building complex website functions, but style it as an art piece representing the customers brand. That is why bespoke website development has become such a high valued skill. Therefore carrying more cost.
Ecommerce websites are also generally more expensive. They have more pages, more content and more design. A professional web design team will ensure your site is appealing, works well, and has implemented conversion optimisation tactics as well as search engine optimisation.
Your website cost is going to depend not only on your project, but the web design agency you go with. A large web design agency may cost much more, as opposed to a local one. Generally a local web developer will go the extra mile to understand your brand. Connecting on a more personal level is a huge part of getting your brand across. Something else to consider when taking your business online.
Website Design Options
If your business is on the smaller side, or have less budget available for a web designer, you can go with a website builder. This would mean building the website yourself on a platform like WIX or Squarespace. These content management systems are more beginner friendly, and if you need a website just to tick a box, they do the job.
The alternative is to employ a web design company to build your site. The website design cost will come down to your project and agency. However what you will get for this is a much more professional website design. A web designer will also optimise your content, site structure and site speed for search engines. Bringing more visitors to your site. It will also allow you to input more complicated functionality.
So your website builders are a cost-effective option. They create your site, you can share it with potential customers, and it is really the most affordable web design you can do. However website designers will just give you a better product. They will also manage hosting, maintenance and all issues.
Getting a custom design from a web design company is a move most companies will have to make.
Choosing Between a Website Builder and a Web Design Company
If you do believe in your technical skills, a website builder can be a great option. If you are looking to complete the job on a smaller budget, website builders are generally free to use. So one answer to how much does a website cost, maybe nothing!
Don’t be fooled by the above statement. Quality web hosting will set you back around £20 a month. You may need to pay subscriptions for plugins, and themes. So let’s try again, probably all in all using a web design platform, to make your own bespoke website, could cost you in the region of £100 upfront and £20 a month.
Ok let’s try this one more time. So how much does a website cost? I guess we need to add on the hours of work to put it together. Let’s call it 70 hours. Just to account for a beginner learning the platform. So on top of that the maintenance. If your site goes down, will you know how to get it back up? So maybe another 2 hours a week on average.
So building your own site costs you around £100, £20 more a month and about 170 hours per year. Now the web designer isn’t seeming too expensive is it.
So which is best?
Regardless if you have the team and the resources, and a simple enough site, building your own is a solid route to go down. However if you have a complex website, or an ecommerce site, or any other bespoke project, this is not quite the same story.
If you fall into this bracket and want to take your business online, I would definitely finding professional web design services. You can enquire about our services at AIM digital here.
Your complicated site might need custom elements. You may be in a highly competitive industry, and need a bespoke website design to stand out. Or if you are doing any business online, and want to boost your brand awareness, a website design company will implement SEO strategies into your site.
Planning Your Website Design Project
There are three real things to consider when planning your website design project. Your scope, your goals, and your brand’s message and imagery.
If creating a new website, your scope will be the sum of all things required to implement into the site. This will outline the physical (digital) deliverables of your project. What is your criteria for a working website?
The goals of your site, are more performance based. Is it to convert visitors to paying customers. If you are an ecommerce site, you want to convert visitors to sales. If you are in the trades, you will want to generate enquiries for jobs. Or if you have a physical store and want to generate more foot traffic to your business, that would be your goal.
Your brand’s message and imagery is the final big thing to consider. What are your core values, what does your organisation look like in your mind. The web design process is all about creating a website that conveys your message. So as a website owner, it is important to consider.
A couple of other things to mention:
Consider your target audience
Who is your site directed at? Write content and design according to your audiences needs.
What features are required
What features does your site need to do what you want it to do? Your desired site should not only look good, but it should work.
Budget, how much can I afford?
Knowing your budget really puts you a step ahead in knowing your route. Some options are more expensive, and there are also some options for affordable web design. But knowing your budget is key to starting that process.
Defining Your Project Scope and Goals
So to delve into why this is so important. Knowing you project scope and goals is the way to ensure a connect between your web server, and your businesses real world goals. You need to make sure that the aim of your new website is defined clearly. This can help you either implement it yourself or work with a web designer to put your vision together.
How to figure out my scope & goals?
Consider your business objectives. Do you sell a product, a service or knowledge. Are you a physical business are you a local business? Who are your target customers? Are they based in a certain area?
Sorry to interrogate you like that, but it is important to know. If you are a service based business, maybe you need enquiry forms. Maybe you need an easy way for your customers to register interest. Maybe you want to suck them in with offers and popups. All these things are crucial to have planned before starting.
Knowing all this information can turn your website into a core part of your business. Planning our your scope and goals will ensure your web design project stays aligned with your company.
Small Business Website Costs
As a business that is smaller, it can still range from £500 to £5000 depending on your designer and needs. If you need just a simple one page website, infographic and no working features, it can get very cheap.
Some other small types of businesses still need the complicated sites. For example online stores. Tech businesses, apps etc. Some may even need dedicated hosting or a virtual private server. These can then get much higher in price range.
Creating a Basic Website for Businesses on the smaller side
Creating a simple website is one of the most cost effective options out there. If your budget is limited, it could be a great route to go down.
You can use a website builder, or a web design company to create a basic website for you. This may not survive forever as your business scales, but it can build some online presence for the meantime.
E-commerce Website Costs
A small to medium e-commerce site can set you back anywhere from £1,000 to £10,000. Again this will depend on the provider, number of products and any complex functionality you need. These optional extras will increase the cost of your ecommerce website.
Creating a Small to Medium Ecommerce Website
Creating a successful ecommerce website requires careful planning. Consider your product ranges, payment gateways and shipping integrations. You don’t want online sales to take too much of your time, it should be smooth and easy.
A well designed and structured ecommerce website can help you increase sales. With good SEO strategies and link building, combined with social media marketing, you can make your online store a success.
Website Maintenance and Ongoing Costs
Website maintenance is another point that goes under the radar. It isn’t just building your site, it’s maintaining it too. Whether you have your own dedicated server, web hosting and security, it is something you need to consider.
There are ongoing costs, and repairs that need to be done, which is why many businesses choose to go with a web design agency to build their site.
Website Hosting Options and Costs
Website hosting can also vary in price. Depending on storage, security and speed, they can go from £5 to £50 a month. It can be hard to pick out quality services from these options. Some reliable hosting options are AWS, Hostinger and WP hosting.
You really want to go with a reputable company if you are doing it yourself. Web hosting is a recurring cost that ties in with your uptime. So your web hosting provider is important. If you have built your site through an agency, you can use their suggested hosting.
Content Management System (CMS)
A CMS or content management system is a website building platform. Things like WIX, SquareSpace, WordPress. These are great for business owners who have some technical skill. Generally your web designer will have set up your CMS, so that you can manage your own site.
A CMS is included in all web design packages so you have full control of your website content.
Benefits and Costs of Using a CMS
A CMS gives you control. It means the website is in your hands. You can change text without waiting for someone else. It can save time and money needed to pay for maintenance from other places. However it does mean learning a platform, spending time on it and being on the ball.
A CMS is generally pretty cheap, you won’t pay much more than £30 a month.
SEO for Small Business Websites
SEO is essential for all businesses in 2025. This is the act of optimising your website, content and structure for searches online. This will help you generate more traffic for your business website. It is important to consider when building a website, or buying one, and if you trust your web designer, why not enquire about their other services.
SEO can include many things. Keywords you need to use, meta tags and titles, and writing informative engaging content. If you want to read more about what SEO can do for your company, Read about our Search Engine Optimisation services.
Importance of SEO for Small Businesses
- SEO is crucial for small businesses to compete with larger companies online.
- SEO can help small businesses increase their online visibility and drive more traffic to their site.
- SEO services can be outsourced to a web design agency or freelancer.
Web Design Company vs Freelancer
The difference between a company and a freelancer is pretty straightforward. One has multiple staff and more resources and one is an individual. One will probably cost a little less, but take a little longer and the other will cost a little more but be a little faster.
Choosing the Right Web Designer for Your Project
The things to consider as above, are the same as to plan your project. To choose the right web designer for you, you must know your budget, your scope, your goals and your brand image. Your web designer should be appropriate for those things.
At Aim Digital we have all types of website packages for all types of businesses. If you are looking for an affordable website, from a local business, consider Aim Digital. Leave an enquiry here for a free consultation and quote.
Budgeting for Your Website
Generally, whatever the cost of your website, you are looking at around another £10-£20 a month for your website. Make sure you set your budget appropriately, some companies charge as much as 25% of your website cost, annually, for maintenance. Make sure you have a realistic budget for your website design project before going in.
Pages Cost and Website Size
The number of pages dictates the size of your site. If you have a really complicated, and large site, you may incur more costs for your web design. As a local business, this is important to consider, as you may need multiple targeted landing pages for google maps rankings.
Launching and Maintaining Your Website
You will need to buy a domain from someone like godaddy or your hosting provider. Once you publish your site to your domain you are away. Maintenance is now your only concern. Be sure to consult help guides with error codes and figure out how to troubleshoot yourself. Or pay for a troubleshooting tool.
Planning for Your Website’s Launch and Ongoing Maintenance
As a small business, your website launch can be a huge step in achieving success. Make sure you have thought about your business’ goals, target audience and website features before you start your web design journey. This is so that you can be sure to end up with a product you actually are happy with.
Having a clear understanding of the maintenance and help needed is crucial in your relationship with your web designer. Make sure you have a clear channel to communicate.
Make sure that you allocate funds where they are best placed. No need to spend on fancy stuff if your site doesn’t have it’s core functionality or could bring in more traffic with SEO.
