If you have asked three people what a website costs, you have probably had three very different answers. The average cost of a website for a small business is genuinely hard to pin down, because “a website” can mean a single page put together over a weekend or a large custom site built from scratch, and everything in between.
✦ The short answer
There is no single figure, and anyone who gives you one without asking about your business first is guessing. The cost depends on how many pages you need, whether the design is a template or built from scratch, and who builds it. A small, simple site sits at the low end. A larger custom site with more features sits much higher.
| Option | What you get | How the cost works | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) | Template design, you build it yourself | Ongoing monthly subscription, hosting bundled in | Tight budget, happy to do it yourself |
| Budget designer | Basic template site, few pages | Low one-off fee | Very simple needs, smallest budget |
| Freelance designer | Custom design built around your business | One-off fee, plus a small yearly running cost | Most small businesses |
| Agency | Large custom build, full team | Higher one-off plus an ongoing retainer | Bigger, more complex projects |
// why.the.range
Why the same question gets wildly different answers
The reason quotes vary so much is simple. “A website” is not one thing.
One person means a single page they made over a weekend. Another means a fifteen-page site with online booking, built from scratch. Same word, very different work. If a single page is all your business needs, it is worth knowing what a one page website costs on its own before you compare it to anything larger.
So when you see a tiny quote sitting next to a huge one, neither is necessarily wrong. They are pricing two different things. Your job is to work out which one you actually need. That is where the real answer to cost lives.
// what.you.pay.for
What actually decides the cost of a website for a small business
A few things move the price up or down. Once you know them, the range stops feeling random.
✦ Number of pages. A four-page site costs less than a twenty-page one. More pages, more work.
✦ Custom design or template.
A template is quicker and cheaper. A design built from scratch around your business takes longer and costs more.
✦ Features. A plain brochure site is one price. Add online booking, a shop, or a members’ area and it climbs.
✦ Who builds it. You, a budget freelancer, an experienced freelancer, or an agency. Each sits at a different point on the scale.
✦ Content. If you write the words and supply the photos, you save. If someone does that for you, it is extra.
Most website packages for small business are really just these choices bundled into a fixed price, so you know what you are getting before any work starts.
// the.cheap.end
The cheapest end: builders and bargain sites
At the bottom of the range you have two options.
The first is a DIY builder like Wix or Squarespace. You pay a subscription that bundles the design tools and the hosting into one monthly fee, and you build the site yourself. It is the cheapest way to get online. The catch is your time, and a result that often looks like everyone else’s.
The second is a very cheap designer offering a basic template site for a low one-off fee. That can work for a simple business. But cheap usually means a template with your logo dropped in, little thought about how the site brings in enquiries, and not much support once it goes live. And if it brings in no work, you are back paying again, so it is worth knowing how much a website redesign costs before you buy the cheapest option twice.
Cheap is not always wrong. It depends what you need. I have written a full honest breakdown of cheap small business websites and what you get for the money, so you go in with your eyes open.
Not sure where your business fits on this scale? Get your free roadmap → and I will show you the shape of what you actually need, at no cost and no pressure.
// the.freelance.middle
The freelance middle: where most small businesses land
For most Edinburgh small businesses, the sweet spot is an experienced freelance designer.
You get a site designed around your business, not a template everyone else is using. You deal with one person who knows your project from start to finish. And it costs far less than an agency, because there is no office, no account manager, and no team taking a cut.
This is the work I do. As a freelance web designer Edinburgh businesses come to when they want a site that looks the part and actually brings in work, I build to fit the business and the budget, not to a fixed template. If you are starting from nothing, my guide on how to get a website for your small business walks through the first steps.
If you want to see how that works for a business like yours, my page on being a small business website designer Edinburgh owners can trust lays it out plainly.
// the.higher.end
The higher end: agencies and big custom builds
At the top of the range you have agencies and large custom projects.
This is the right choice when the work genuinely calls for it. A big online shop, a complex booking system, a brand with many moving parts. You are paying for a full team and for handling complexity most small businesses simply do not have.
The honest catch is that plenty of small businesses pay agency prices for a site a good freelancer could have built. If your needs are genuinely large, an agency earns its fee. If not, you are paying for overheads you do not need. If you do need something built entirely from scratch, my page on custom web design Edinburgh explains when that is worth it and when it is not.
// the.monthly.side
The part people forget: what it costs to keep it running
A website is not only a one-off cost. It needs a few things to stay live.
✦ A domain name, your web address. That is a small yearly cost. ✦ Hosting, the space your site lives on. A modest monthly or yearly cost, and with some builders it is bundled into the subscription. ✦ Upkeep. Updates, backups, small fixes and the odd change. Some owners handle this themselves, some pay a designer a small ongoing fee.
None of these are large on their own, but they are real, and a good quote should make them clear from the start. I have broken down what a small business website costs per month to run, so there are no surprises after launch.
// what.to.actually.pay
So what should a small business actually pay?
Here is the honest version.
You should pay for the work your business actually needs, and not a penny more. Not the cheapest quote, because cheap often costs more later when it brings in no enquiries. Not agency prices, unless your needs are genuinely large. For most small businesses, that lands with an experienced freelancer: real design, one point of contact, a fair price.
If you want to compare, I have written up how much website designers charge in Edinburgh so you can see the going rate for yourself. And my own how much a website designer costs page lays out exactly what I charge, in plain figures, with no hidden extras.
One-off website
(pay once, yours to keep)
- Get-Found £900
- Get-Leads £1,700
- Sell-Online £2,500
Website plus local SEO
(monthly)
- Core SEO £500/mo
- Growth £900/mo
- Pro £1,600/mo
Picking the right person matters as much as the price, so my guide on the best website designer for a small business covers what to look for. Whatever you decide, ask for a fixed price before any work starts. A clear number you agree up front beats an hourly rate that creeps, and a good designer will be happy to give you one.
// faq
Frequently asked questions
How much should a small business pay for a website?
Enough to cover the work your business actually needs, and no more. For most small businesses that means an experienced freelancer rather than the cheapest option or an agency. The right figure depends on your pages, your features, and who builds it, which is why a proper quote always starts with a conversation about your business.
Is a cheap website ever worth it?
Sometimes. If your needs are very simple and you are happy to build it yourself, a DIY builder can get you online for little. The risk is a site that looks generic and brings in few enquiries, which ends up costing more when you rebuild it properly a year later. Cheap works when it matches genuinely simple needs, not when it is chosen only on price.
Why do agencies charge so much more than freelancers?
An agency carries an office, a team, and account managers, and all of that goes into the price. For a large, complex project that structure earns its fee. For a standard small business site, you are often paying for overheads a good freelancer does not have, and getting a similar result.
Do I have to keep paying after the site is built?
There are a few small running costs: a domain, hosting, and any upkeep you want. These are modest, and with some setups the hosting is bundled into a monthly fee. A clear quote should spell all of this out before you commit, so nothing lands as a surprise later.
How do I get an accurate price for my business?
The only way to a real figure is to look at what your business needs. Tell me about your business and what you want the site to do, and I will map out the pages, the shape of the work, and a fixed price. The free roadmap is the easiest place to start, and it costs nothing.
// ready.when.you.are
Get a real price for your business
Send me a short, 2,3-minute overview, and I will send back a custom roadmap and a first design idea, built around your business. Free, before you decide to hire me. If it is not a fit, the roadmap is yours to keep.