The short answer
| Route | Typical build cost | Typical running cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself on a website builder | £0, plus your time | Around £10 to £35 a month | Testing an idea or a very small budget |
| Freelance web designer | Around £500 to £2,500 | Around £10 to £40 a month | Simple brochure websites |
| Small agency or specialist | Around £1,500 to £5,000 | Around £10 to £65 a month, plus optional support | Businesses that need enquiries from Google and AI search |
| Ecommerce store | Around £2,500 to £10,000+ | Around £20 to £300+ a month, plus card fees | Selling products online |
| Large agency or custom build | £10,000+ | Varies | Complex features, integrations or large sites |
These are typical ranges we see in UK quotes for small and medium-sized businesses, not fixed rules. The right price for you depends on what the website needs to do.
What you pay for in a website build
- Planning and strategy: which pages you need, what your customers search for and how each page leads to an enquiry.
- Design: a layout built around your business rather than a lightly edited template.
- Content: written service pages, which often take longer than the design itself.
- Development: building the site on your platform, making it fast and mobile-friendly, and adding features such as booking or payments.
- SEO set-up: page titles, schema markup, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile and analytics.
- Testing and launch: checking every page on phones and browsers, redirecting old URLs and fixing errors after launch.
Ongoing costs to budget for
| Cost | Typical UK price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Around £10 to £20 a year | .co.uk and .com are the most common for UK businesses |
| Website builder plan (Wix, Squarespace) | Around £10 to £35 a month | Higher plans add online selling and remove limits |
| Shopify plan | Around £19 to £65 a month for most small shops | Plus card processing fees on each sale |
| WordPress hosting | Around £5 to £30 a month | Managed UK hosting costs more but includes backups and security |
| Business email | Around £5 a user a month | For example Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 |
| Maintenance and updates | Around £50 to £150 a month | Optional, but important for WordPress sites |
| SEO and AI SEO | Around £400 to £1,500+ a month | Optional, depends on competition and goals |
Platform prices change, so always check the provider's own UK pricing page: Shopify, Wix and Squarespace. Figures here were checked in October 2026.
Website cost by platform
- Wix and Squarespace are usually the cheapest to build and run, and easy to edit yourself. They give you less control over technical SEO.
- WordPress costs a little more to build but gives you the most control over SEO and content, which suits service businesses that want to rank in Manchester and beyond.
- Shopify is the best choice for most online shops. Build costs rise with the number of products, apps and integrations.
What makes a website cost more
- More pages or products
- Content writing and photography
- Online booking, payments, quote calculators or customer portals
- Connections to other software such as Xero, HubSpot or a stock system
- Moving from an old website, which needs every URL redirected to protect your rankings
- Multiple languages or locations
How to compare website quotes
- Check who owns what. Your domain, website and accounts should be in your business's name. If you can't take the website with you, you are renting it.
- Look for the SEO basics. Page titles, schema markup, Search Console and redirects from any old website should be included, not extras.
- Ask about content. Who writes the words, and are they based on what your customers search for?
- Ask what happens after launch. Is there support for fixes, and what does it cost?
- Be wary of guarantees. Nobody can guarantee first place on Google or a mention in ChatGPT.
What a website costs with Renozer
Renozer is an AI SEO and web design agency serving Manchester, Greater Manchester and the UK, led by founder Muhammad Younus. Our websites start from £1,495 on Wix or Squarespace, £1,995 on WordPress and £2,495 on Shopify, excluding VAT, with custom development from £3,995. Every website includes SEO set-up, schema markup and Google Business Profile set-up, and you own everything. See our full prices and packages.
Website cost questions
Why do website quotes vary so much?
Because they include very different amounts of work. A £300 quote is usually a template with your logo added. A £3,000 quote should include strategy, custom design, written content, SEO set-up and proper testing. Always compare what is included, not just the price.
Do I have to pay monthly for a website?
You will always pay something each year for a domain and hosting or a platform subscription. Ongoing support or SEO is optional. Be wary of "free" websites with a high monthly fee, as you often don't own the website if you stop paying.
Is it cheaper to build a website myself?
At the start, yes. A website builder costs from around £10 to £35 a month. The hidden cost is your time and lost enquiries if the site is slow, hard to find on Google or doesn't persuade visitors to call.
How long does it take to build a website?
Most small business websites take three to six weeks from the first call to launch. Online shops and custom builds take longer. See how our process works.
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