Website Design Packages: UK Costs and What You Get
Packages for website design are pre-set bundles of pages, design work and launch tasks sold at a fixed or monthly price. In the UK a small business site usually costs from a few hundred pounds for a very basic one-off build up to several thousand, or a setup fee plus a monthly charge that covers hosting and updates. I set out what those packages actually contain, typical ranges, and how one-off and pay-monthly routes compare so you can choose without surprises.
What website design packages normally include
Most UK packages are sold by page count and a short list of extras. A typical starter bundle covers a home page, about, services or products, contact, and a privacy or cookie page. You usually get a contact form, basic mobile layout, and the designer’s choice of colours and fonts based on a short brief. Hosting setup, a domain connection and a simple Google Business Profile link are common. Stock photos or a handful of your own images are often included; custom photography is not.
Larger packages add extra service pages, a blog or news section, a gallery, or a basic booking or enquiry form. Ecommerce packages add product listings, a cart and payment, which lifts the price sharply. Almost none include ongoing copywriting, professional photography, or complex integrations unless listed. If the package says “SEO” it usually means page titles and a sitemap, not ranking work.
Typical UK price ranges in 2026
One-off website design packages for small firms sit in three rough bands. Very cheap template builds from agencies or platforms often run £300 to £900. You get a generic look, limited pages and little room to change later. A competent custom or semi-custom small business site from a freelancer or small studio is commonly £1,200 to £3,500 for five to eight pages, depending on copy, forms and how much you supply. More involved sites with booking, directories or heavier branding sit at £4,000 to £8,000 and up.
Pay-monthly website packages work differently. You pay a setup fee, then a monthly amount that usually includes hosting, security updates, small content changes and someone to call. Setup fees in the UK market often range from £150 to £1,000. Monthly fees for a straightforward small business site commonly sit between £25 and £120 depending on pages, support hours and whether email or extras are bundled. The monthly route suits firms that cannot or do not want a large upfront bill; the one-off route suits those who prefer to own the site outright and handle hosting themselves later.
| Type | Typical UK range | What you usually get |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap template one-off | £300 - £900 | 5 pages, stock look, little support after launch |
| Standard small business one-off | £1,200 - £3,500 | 5 - 8 pages, customised design, forms, basic launch |
| Heavier one-off (booking, extra pages) | £4,000 - £8,000+ | More pages, integrations, extra design rounds |
| Pay-monthly after setup | £25 - £120 per month | Hosting, updates, limited changes, hands-off running |
These are market ranges, not quotes. VAT, domain, email and extra plugins sit on top. A “from £499” advert often excludes copy, images, extra pages and anything after the first year.
One-off builds versus pay-monthly plans
A one-off package means you pay once (or in staged invoices), receive the finished site, and then you or your host look after it. You own the files if the contract says so. Ongoing costs are hosting (£5 - £30 a month for a small site), domain, and any future updates you buy. The risk is that the site sits unchanged and security patches get missed unless you arrange maintenance separately.
A pay-monthly package front-loads less cash. The monthly fee is meant to cover hosting, software updates, backups and a set amount of small edits. For many small businesses that is genuinely hands-off: you send a photo or a price change and it happens. The trade-off is you keep paying, and leaving later can mean a transfer fee or rebuilding if the platform is locked. Read the contract for who owns the design, how cancellation works, and whether the monthly price rises after year one.
I build both one-off sites and pay-monthly plans for small businesses in Kent and across the UK; the monthly option is there specifically for firms without a large upfront budget. Exact current figures are on arlowebstudio.com rather than here.
How to compare packages without getting caught out
- Count real pages, not “unlimited”. Ask which pages are in the price and the cost of each extra page.
- Ask who writes the words. If you supply all copy, the package is cheaper; if they write it, that should be listed and priced.
- Check image rights. Stock photos in a cheap package may not be licensed for your use after a year.
- Confirm mobile layout, contact form, and basic speed. A package that looks fine on a laptop but fails on a phone is not finished.
- Get the hosting and update story in writing. One-off packages often dump you on cheap shared hosting with no updates.
- Ask about revisions. Two rounds of design changes is common; unlimited revisions is rarely true.
- Read cancellation and ownership. For monthly plans, know the notice period and whether you can take the site elsewhere.
Red flags in website packages
Beware of “SEO included” with no list of tasks, “unlimited pages” that still charge for each one, and prices that ignore VAT. Packages that promise a site in 48 hours usually mean a template with your logo dropped in. If the seller will not show recent live examples in your sector, or will not put page count and extras in an email, walk away. Cheap packages that lock you into their platform for years can cost more than a proper one-off once you add the monthly fees.
A practical way to choose
Write a one-page list: the pages you need, whether you have photos and copy ready, and whether you can pay a lump sum or prefer monthly. Get two or three written quotes that match that list, not a brochure package that does not. Compare total year-one cost (setup plus 12 months of hosting or monthly fee) rather than the headline figure. If cash is tight, a decent monthly plan with a modest setup fee is often more realistic than a £499 site you cannot change. If you already have budget and want to own everything, a clear one-off build with a separate cheap hosting arrangement can work well.
Either route only works if the pages match how customers actually find you: location, the job you do, and a way to get in touch that works on a phone. Packages that skip that and sell “branding” first usually waste money.
Frequently asked questions
What is usually in a basic website design package?
Home, about, services, contact and a legal page, a form, mobile layout, and launch on basic hosting. Extra pages, copywriting and photos are often charged separately.
Are cheap website design packages worth it?
They can get something live quickly, but you often get a generic look, weak mobile performance and no support after launch. Budget another few hundred pounds for fixes or you will replace it within a year or two.
Is a monthly website package cheaper than paying once?
Year one can be cheaper if the setup fee is low. Over three years the monthly total often exceeds a solid one-off plus cheap hosting. Choose monthly if you want someone else to run updates; choose one-off if you want to own it and keep costs down later.
Do website packages include hosting?
One-off packages sometimes include the first year, then you pay separately. Monthly packages almost always include hosting in the fee. Always check what happens if you cancel.
How many pages should a small business package have?
Five to eight is typical: home, about, two or three service pages, contact, and one extra such as FAQ or gallery. More pages only help if each one targets a real search or enquiry you want.
Can I add pages later to a package?
Yes, but expect a per-page fee on one-off work, or a higher monthly rate if the plan is capped. Get the extra-page price in writing before you start.