Cheap small business websites: what £500 really buys

Key takeaways

A cheap small business website in the UK costs about £300 to £800 and usually buys a template site with your own copy, a contact form and launch. It rarely includes copywriting, SEO set-up, tracking or care. A cheap site is fine to prove a business exists; it becomes expensive when it cannot be found, measured or updated.

• £300 to £800: template, your copy, contact form, launch.
• Often missing: copy, SEO, tracking, care, ownership terms.
• Hidden cost: your time writing and fixing content.
• Right for: new or side businesses testing demand.

What does a £500 website include?

A £500 website usually includes a pre-made template with your logo and colours, three to five pages using copy you provide, a contact form and launch on the supplier's hosting. It rarely includes written copy, keyword research, analytics with enquiry tracking or any support after launch.

• Included: template, basic layout, your text, form.
• Rarely included: copy, photos, SEO, tracking.
• Often unclear: who owns the site, domain and hosting.

• DIY website hidden costs: what a builder really costs
• Who owns your website, domain and content?
• How much does a business website cost in the UK?

What are the risks of a very cheap website?

The main risks of a very cheap website are poor findability, no measurement, weak security and unclear ownership. Some low-cost suppliers keep the domain in their name or host on platforms you cannot leave. Others never update the software, which the NCSC small business guide flags as a common way sites are compromised.

• Domain registered to the supplier, not you.
• No updates or backups after launch.
• No enquiry tracking, so you cannot judge results.

When is a cheap website the right choice?

A cheap website is the right choice when the business is new, unproven or a side project, and the site's job is simply to confirm you exist and show contact details. It is also fine as a short-term stop gap while you plan a proper site. Keep the domain in your name from day one.

How do you get more from a small budget?

Get more from a small budget by writing your own copy, using your own photos, choosing a hosted builder that handles updates, and spending saved money on tracking and a Google Business Profile. A clear three-page site often outperforms a cluttered ten-page one.

• No budget? The minimum viable business website
• Limited budget? Where website money matters most

When does cheap become expensive?

Cheap becomes expensive when the site needs rebuilding within a year, when lost enquiries outweigh the saving, or when you cannot move it to another supplier. If a £500 site is replaced at month nine with a £4,000 one, the business has paid £4,500 for one working site.

What does this look like in practice?

At Global Bridge Labs (GBL), we often meet owners who paid £400 for a site where the supplier owned the domain. One UK tiler had to pay a £250 release fee to move it. The site itself had served them for two years, so the lesson was not to avoid cheap sites, but to check ownership first.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Cheap website checklist

• Register the domain in your own name.
• Ask what happens to the site if you leave.
• Check updates and backups are covered.
• Add free analytics and set up enquiry tracking.
• Write clear copy yourself.
• Plan when you will upgrade.

• Brochure website cost in the UK: what you get
• What a small business website costs in year one

Next step

If you are buying a cheap site, ask the supplier three questions in writing: who owns the domain, who updates the software, and what it costs to leave.