The short answer
Anything from nothing to several thousand pounds, depending on who builds it and how much it has to do. For a small local business, a site designed and built for you usually falls somewhere between £1,000 and £3,000. Mine start at £950 + VAT.
What are the options?
Doing it yourself. Website builders such as Wix and Squarespace cost roughly £10 to £30 a month. You pay with your time instead, and the result depends on your eye and your patience.
A freelancer or a small studio. Usually a fixed price, from a few hundred pounds for a ready-made template with your details dropped in, to a few thousand for something designed around your business.
An agency. Often £5,000 and upwards. You are paying for a team, which makes sense for a large or complicated site.
What makes the price go up?
Four things, mostly. The number of pages. Whether the site takes bookings or payments. Who writes the words and takes the photos. And whether the design is made for you or adapted from a template.
What do I charge?
My prices are fixed and on the main page. One page is £950. Up to six pages is £1,950. A site that takes bookings or runs a small shop is from £3,600. All are + VAT, and the words are written for you as part of the price. You see your homepage before you pay anything.
What should I ask before paying anyone?
- Is the price fixed, and what is not included?
- What will I pay each month or year afterwards, and what is it for?
- Is the domain name registered in my name?
- Can I take the website with me if I leave?
- Who do I contact when something needs changing, and how long does it take?
Any good designer will answer these without hesitating.