Many agencies and freelancers won’t usually tell you how much a website will cost until you’ve given them a fairly hefty briefing / scoping document outlining your new websites requirements. You’ll hear things like “how long is a piece of string” or lot’s of umming and ahing. I’ve written this post to demystify the quantitive values assigned to individual pixels and lines of code, these are examples of projects that for the most part, the majority of clients will fall under.
Updated for 2024
How much does a website cost in 2024?
You can expect to pay between £2,500 – £5,000 for a bespoke brochure site built on a CMS like WordPress. This price will vary based on factors such as third-party API integrations or advanced animations or functionality.
Can I build my website for free?
You can do yes, there are a plethora of options out there that can build your site for free. Popular site builders like Wix and Squarespace hold a fairly hefty slice of the freebie pie but even hosting companies like GoDaddy have begun rolling out their own builders as well.
So why would I pay someone if I can just do it myself?
That’s just thing, can you? These site builders market themselves as easy to use and make claims about how quick it is to setup a website but as with everything else in life, there is a learning curve. Are you going to have the time, energy and resources needed to take a step away from running your business to learn these new skills and create something that’s actually going to do your business any good and actually generate leads? For the vast majority of people the answer is no. Also they aren’t entirely free, you’ll still need to pay for advanced features and extras like web hosting.
If you need some help finding a web designer I’ve put together a guide – web designers near me
What are the different types of websites?
Usually, the type of website you require depends on your needs, these can usually be broken down into static sites, CMS (Content Management System) sites , eCommerce sites and intranet sites.
How do I know what type of site is right for me?
It really depends on your requirements but it’s usually pretty straight forward. If you have a very basic site and you don’t need the ability to update it yourself then a static site will work. If you’d like the ability to login, add or edit content and create blog posts then you’ll need a CMS (Content Management System). If you’re looking to sell products online you’ll want to look at getting an eCommerce site setup. Finally if you’re looking to create a site that’s for internal purposes only then you’re going to need an intranet site.
How much do different types of sites cost?
The following price ranges are based on a freelance web designer doing the work, if you’re looking at agencies you can expect the prices to be at least double (if they are any good). The prices are split between very simple, with fewer pages and more advanced, content heavy sites with advanced animations or functionality.
| Static Websites | £1,250 – £5,000 |
| CMS Websites | £2,500 – £10,000 |
| eCommerce Websites | £4,000 – £25,000 |
How long does it take to design a website?
Depending on the size and scope of the work a typical bespoke website will take between 4 – 8 weeks to complete. This can be either quicker or longer depending on if designs require multiple iterations or it there’s any scope creep.
| Static Websites | 2 – 4 Weeks |
| CMS Websites | 4 – 8 Weeks |
| eCommerce Websites | 8 – 24 Weeks |
Hopefully the above has given you a little bit of insight into how much you should be paying for your website design. If you have a project you’d like to discuss feel free to email me, or to get a more concrete price on, get an estimate now.