Ask five web designers in Devon what a website costs and you will get five different numbers — sometimes wildly different. That is not because someone is lying; it is because “a website” describes everything from a single page to a full online ordering system.
This guide breaks down what drives the price, what typical ranges look like, what the ongoing costs are, and the questions that make quotes comparable. No sales pitch — just the framework we wish every client had before they started asking for prices.
What actually drives the cost of a website
- Number of pages — each properly written, designed page takes real time
- Content — whether you supply finished text and photos, or need them written and sourced
- Features — booking systems, online ordering, galleries and forms all add scope
- Design level — template customisation versus a custom design around your business
- SEO work — keyword research, page structure, metadata and schema, done properly
- Who builds it — freelancer, small studio or agency, each with different overheads
The single biggest cost variable in most projects is content. A business that arrives with clear text and good photos will always pay less than one that needs everything created from scratch — worth knowing before you gather quotes.
Typical price ranges (as a general guide)
Treat these as broad UK market ranges rather than a price list — every project is quoted on its actual scope:
- A simple one-page or starter website: roughly £500–£1,500
- A typical small business website (5–8 pages, custom design, SEO structure): roughly £1,500–£4,000
- Larger sites with booking, ordering or many service pages: £4,000 and upwards
Prices below the bottom of these ranges usually mean a template, no SEO structure and little or no content work — fine if that is genuinely all you need, a false economy if you expected the website to bring in customers.
The ongoing costs nobody mentions up front
- Domain name — typically £10–£25 per year
- Hosting — from a few pounds a month for a small business site
- Email — professional email on your domain, often a few pounds per user monthly
- Maintenance and support — optional; either pay-as-you-go or a modest monthly arrangement
- SEO or marketing — optional and ongoing, only worth it with a clear scope
Two things to insist on regardless of who builds your site: the domain is registered in your name, and you know exactly what happens (and what it costs) if you ever want to move. Anyone who resists either deserves suspicion.
Cheap versus value: how websites become expensive
The most expensive website is the one you pay for twice. The pattern is common: a £300 template site goes up, looks acceptable, generates nothing for eighteen months, and is then rebuilt properly — with the first £300 and eighteen months of lost enquiries as the true cost.
That does not mean expensive equals good either. It means price should be judged against what the website is built to do. A site that exists “to have a website” can be cheap. A site that is supposed to generate calls, bookings and enquiries needs search structure, real content and conversion paths — and that work is where the money goes.
Questions that make quotes comparable
- Is the design custom, or a template? Which template?
- Is content writing included? Photography?
- What SEO is included — specifically? (Titles, descriptions, schema, sitemap, Search Console?)
- Will the site be tested on mobile and for speed?
- Who owns the domain, and can I move the site elsewhere later?
- What does support cost after launch, and what does it cover?
- Is the price fixed, and what would change it?
Any decent designer answers these happily. If the answers are vague, the quote is not really a quote — it is an opening position.
How we price at Devon Websites
Fixed quotes, itemised, agreed before work starts. Every website we build includes custom design, mobile-first build, on-page SEO, schema markup and Search Console setup as standard — the things a lead-generating website cannot do without. Our small business websites page explains how we keep smaller projects affordable without cutting those fundamentals.
If you want a number for your specific situation, request a quote — a few questions, then a fixed price and an honest recommendation, even if the recommendation is that you need less than you thought.
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