How much does a business website cost in the UK? What drives the price, and what to check before you sign
Website quotes vary by a factor of ten for what looks like the same thing. The difference is usually in what is included, who owns the result and what you pay every month afterwards. This guide explains what moves the price so you can compare quotes properly. Atom IP quotes a fixed price in writing, after a free preview.
What actually drives the cost of a website
Most of the cost of a business website is people's time: planning what pages exist and what they say, writing the copy, designing and building the pages, connecting forms and tracking, testing on real devices and launching properly. The factors below are what make that time go up or down.
- Number of pages that need individual design and copy, not the total page count
- Whether copy is written for you or supplied by you
- Bespoke design versus a well-configured template
- Ecommerce, booking, member areas or other functionality beyond brochure pages
- Integrations with CRM, phone system, accounts or booking software
- Photography, video and illustration, and whether they already exist
- Migration from an existing site, including redirects to protect rankings
Fixed price, hourly, or monthly subscription?
A fixed price for a defined scope is the fairest model for most small businesses: you know the total before you start and the risk of overrun sits with the builder. Hourly or day-rate billing suits ongoing work where scope genuinely cannot be defined. Monthly "website subscription" deals look cheap but often mean you never own the site, cannot move it and pay for as long as you want to stay online.
Atom IP quotes a fixed price for the build, itemised, with hosting and maintenance shown separately as optional monthly items. You own the domain, the site and the content from day one.
The ongoing costs people forget to ask about
The build is one cost. Running the site is another, and it is where cheap quotes recover their margin. Ask every supplier the following before you compare prices.
- Hosting: what it costs monthly, where it is, and what happens if the site is slow or down
- Domain and SSL certificate renewals, and who holds the registrar login
- Platform, theme and plugin licences that renew annually
- Maintenance: who applies updates and takes backups, and how often
- Content changes: what is included and what is billed
- Exit: can you take the site elsewhere, and what will you be given if you do
How to get an accurate quote without a sales process
Request the free website preview. Tell us about your business, and we build a preview of your new homepage with no fee or obligation. If you like the direction, we agree the page list and integrations with you and send a fixed price in writing. You will know exactly what you are paying for, what is optional and what you own before you decide.
See your new homepage before you spend anything.
Tell us about your business. We design and build a preview of your new homepage, you view it on any device, and you decide. No design fee, no obligation.
Read next
See what your new website could look like before you spend a penny
Most web agencies ask you to sign first and see the design later. We do it the other way round. Tell us about your business, and Atom IP builds a free preview of your new homepage so you can judge the work before you commit to anything.
Read moreSmall business website design that brings in calls and enquiries, not just compliments
A small business website has one job: turn the people who find you into people who contact you. Atom IP designs and builds websites for UK small businesses around that job, with a free preview of your homepage before you commit to anything.
Read moreWebsite hosting and maintenance from the team you can actually phone when something breaks
A website is a live system. It needs updates applied, backups that restore, certificates that renew and somebody who answers when a form stops working or the site goes down. Atom IP hosts and maintains business websites with the same support desk that looks after phones, broadband and IT for UK companies.
Read moreWhat Atom IP customers say
“Good guys — worked with them to switch over from a previous very good supplier. They have gone above and beyond to understand our needs and bespoke systems to help support our specific needs. Transition over on getting their systems up and running was smooth. As a small business owner, trust and confidence are important to me.”
“We have been using Josh at Atom for a few years now. Service has always been amazing. Just today our router blew up due to a power surge and he came out promptly with a new one to make sure we were back online in time for trading. Would highly recommend.”
“There aren’t many telecom providers that can be described as truly honest and straightforward. Georgia was very well spoken and made me feel my company was in the right hands. Ollie and Josh responded promptly throughout getting my phones and security systems set up. The install was seamless with no drop in connectivity and no technical issues since.”
Website cost FAQs
Short answers here. Anything specific to your business, current site or systems is answered by the people who would build it.
Tell us about your business and we will build your preview
Your name, your business, your current website if you have one and a few lines about what you do. That is enough to start. You get a link to view the preview on any device.
- No design fee, deposit or obligation to see the preview
- Fixed price in writing for the full site, only if you want it
- You own the site, the domain and the content
- Southampton team, 10+ years trading, every review 5 stars
Websites alongside the rest of your business technology
The website produces the enquiry. The phones, CRM and IT behind it decide whether it turns into a customer.
Solutions
All solutionsIndustries
All industries- Solicitors and Legal PracticesBusiness phone systems, secure broadband and defensible CCTV for UK solicitors.
- Recruitment Agencies and Staffing FirmsBusiness technology for recruitment agencies: phones, connectivity, IT and CCTV from one accountable team.
- Care Homes and Domiciliary CareBusiness phone systems, resilient broadband and CCTV for UK care homes and domiciliary care providers.
- Hospitality, Hotels and RestaurantsBusiness phone systems, guest Wi-Fi, EPOS-ready broadband and CCTV for UK hospitality.
- Manufacturing and IndustrialBusiness phone systems, resilient leased lines and PTZ CCTV for UK manufacturers.
- Trades and Sole TradersA proper business phone number, call summaries and quotes for UK tradespeople.
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