How much should a small business spend on a website?

Enough to get a fast, clean, well-organised site with someone you can ring when it breaks. For most UK small businesses that is somewhere between £30 and £80 a month, or £1,200 to £3,500 as a one-off. The better test is whether it earns its cost back, and one extra customer a month usually more than covers £49.

What should a website quote include?

A quote of £800 rarely covers everything. Check whether it includes hosting after the first year, domain renewal, the security certificate, photos, updates, and any SEO work. Each of those can be a separate bill later, and over five years they often add up to more than the original quote. Ask every provider for a five-year total, not just the upfront number. Both our plans include hosting, the security certificate, a branded email address, on-page SEO and unlimited edits.

Is paying monthly better than paying once?

For most small businesses, yes. £49 a month is easier on cash flow than a lump sum, there are no surprise bills for edits or hosting, and the site keeps getting looked after instead of slowly going stale. The trade-off is that you are paying for a working website as a service rather than buying a fixed asset. If you would rather own it outright, both plans are also available as a one-off payment.

How do I compare quotes from different web designers?

Ask each of them the same questions. Will the site score 90 or more on Google PageSpeed Insights on mobile? Who owns the code, the domain and the hosting account? Is the design custom or based on a theme? What does a small change cost, such as a new paragraph, photo or page? Can I see two or three live sites you have built for small businesses? A good provider answers these straight away. If one quote is much cheaper than the rest, find out what is missing before you sign.

What should make me wary of a web designer?

Be wary if they can't show you live examples of their work, haven't measured how fast their sites load, or can't say who owns the domain after launch. The same goes for a paid "discovery" stage of £500 or more before any work is agreed, pressure to sign before you've compared quotes, and "ongoing support" with nothing in writing about what it covers.

When is it better to build the website myself?

When you have no budget, you are still testing whether there is demand, the business is simple, and you have evenings free for a month or two. A free or cheap Wix or Squarespace site that gets you your first ten customers is money well spent. It stops paying off when enquiries are steady but few of them convert, editing the site has become a chore you avoid, or it scores under 60 on mobile. At that point it is usually costing you more in lost enquiries than a professional plan would.

Coastline Digital Design

Pricing Plans

Coastline Digital Design hand-codes managed websites for UK small businesses on two plans. Foundation covers a single-page site for £49/month or £1,490 one-off; Pro covers up to five pages for £149/month or £2,990 one-off. Every plan includes managed hosting, SSL, a branded email address, on-page SEO, and unlimited edits - there's no upfront cost, and monthly billing runs on a 6-month minimum term.

Monthly Lump Sum

Foundation

Perfect for startups and small businesses ready to establish their online presence. A professionally designed one-page website with everything you need to get started - fully managed, so you can focus on your business.

£49 /mo

Professional one-page website with multiple sections
Custom hand-coded development
Responsive design for all devices
Professional branded email address (hello@yourdomain.com)
SEO-optimized page structure to boost visibility
Meta tags & basic schema markup included
Green PageSpeed Guarantee
Professional copywriting to communicate your message clearly
Monthly performance reports with visitor insights
Unlimited edits, delivered monthly
Priority support via email
Social media integration
Complete website redesign every 3 years (monthly only)

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Pro

Designed for growing businesses that need more pages, advanced analytics, and strategic guidance. Get comprehensive insights and recommendations to maximize your online performance.

£149 /mo

Everything in Foundation, plus up to 5 pages with custom layouts
Professional branded email with deliverability optimisation to ensure your messages reach customers
Custom landing pages for campaigns or promotions
Advanced SEO optimization & schema markup
Google Maps and Business Profile setup
Green PageSpeed Guarantee
Advanced monthly analytics and reporting, including visitor behavior, goals, and campaigns
Monthly strategy recommendations based on analytics (monthly only)
Unlimited edits with faster response times
Priority support via email

Get Started

Questions About Website Costs

How much should a small business spend on a website?: Enough to get a fast, clean, well-organised site with someone you can ring when it breaks. For most UK small businesses that is somewhere between £30 and £80 a month, or £1,200 to £3,500 as a one-off. The better test is whether it earns its cost back, and one extra customer a month usually more than covers £49.
What should a website quote include?: A quote of £800 rarely covers everything. Check whether it includes hosting after the first year, domain renewal, the security certificate, photos, updates, and any SEO work. Each of those can be a separate bill later, and over five years they often add up to more than the original quote. Ask every provider for a five-year total, not just the upfront number. Both our plans include hosting, the security certificate, a branded email address, on-page SEO and unlimited edits.
Is paying monthly better than paying once?: For most small businesses, yes. £49 a month is easier on cash flow than a lump sum, there are no surprise bills for edits or hosting, and the site keeps getting looked after instead of slowly going stale. The trade-off is that you are paying for a working website as a service rather than buying a fixed asset. If you would rather own it outright, both plans are also available as a one-off payment.
How do I compare quotes from different web designers?: Ask each of them the same questions. Will the site score 90 or more on Google PageSpeed Insights on mobile? Who owns the code, the domain and the hosting account? Is the design custom or based on a theme? What does a small change cost, such as a new paragraph, photo or page? Can I see two or three live sites you have built for small businesses? A good provider answers these straight away. If one quote is much cheaper than the rest, find out what is missing before you sign.
What should make me wary of a web designer?: Be wary if they can't show you live examples of their work, haven't measured how fast their sites load, or can't say who owns the domain after launch. The same goes for a paid "discovery" stage of £500 or more before any work is agreed, pressure to sign before you've compared quotes, and "ongoing support" with nothing in writing about what it covers.
When is it better to build the website myself?: When you have no budget, you are still testing whether there is demand, the business is simple, and you have evenings free for a month or two. A free or cheap Wix or Squarespace site that gets you your first ten customers is money well spent. It stops paying off when enquiries are steady but few of them convert, editing the site has become a chore you avoid, or it scores under 60 on mobile. At that point it is usually costing you more in lost enquiries than a professional plan would.

Get Started