Common Questions

How much does a website cost for a small business?

Projects with me start from £1,200, with typical builds landing somewhere between £2,000 and £3,500, depending on what you need. I work in three fixed-price packages — Starter (£1,200), Growth (£2,000), and Signature (£3,500) — so you'll always know the exact figure before I start, not an estimate that creeps upward.

For a full breakdown of what different types of website actually cost in the UK, see my Website Cost Guide

What's actually included when you build my website?

Building your website covers the whole one-off process of getting it live — planning it around your business, designing and writing it, developing it (the actual coding), and launching it publicly. It includes everything your site needs to work properly from day one: your pages, navigation menu, contact form, and the basic groundwork that helps your site get found when someone searches for what you do.

It's different from the small ongoing costs — hosting, your domain's yearly renewal, and an optional Care Plan — which keep everything running once your site is built, rather than building it in the first place.

What's the difference between a domain name and hosting?

Your domain name is your website's address (e.g. www.yourbusiness.com); hosting is where your website actually lives online. You need both — think of the domain as the address on the door, and hosting as the building itself. Hosting is billed separately from day one; your domain's first year is included free in your package, then becomes a small yearly cost from year two. Both stay in your name throughout.

Is my domain name included in my package?

Yes — every package includes your first year of a standard .com or .co.uk domain at no extra cost. From your second year, renewing it is a small yearly cost (typically £10–£15), billed directly to you in your name, the same way hosting is. Unusual or premium domain names bought on the resale market aren't included on any package, though I'm happy to advise if you're considering one.

Is hosting included in the price?

No — hosting is a small ongoing cost billed directly to you, in your name, separately from your website build. It typically costs between £15–£25 a month, paid to your hosting platform (usually Squarespace or Webflow), not to me. I'll guide you through setting this up as part of every package, so you're never left to work it out alone.

Are there any hidden costs?

No — the only cost outside your fixed package price from day one is hosting, billed directly to you, in your name. Your domain's first year is included in your package; from year two, renewing it becomes a small additional cost too, in the same way. Anything beyond your package (extra pages, extra features, work outside your revision rounds) is always quoted and agreed with you before I start, never added to your bill afterwards.

For a full explanation of the costs involved in setting up and running a website, see my Website Cost Guide

Will I need to register with the ICO for my website?

Very possibly, yes — though it's a separate legal requirement, not something I bill you for. Once your site has a contact form collecting people's names and email addresses, you're likely responsible for that information under UK data protection law (what's officially called being a 'data controller'). This usually means registering with the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's data protection regulator. This incurs a small annual fee, generally around £52 a year for a small business.

With every package, I run a check to see whether you need to pay and will guide you through the process if applicable to your business.

How do payments work?

It depends whether it's your Website Package or an ongoing Care Plan:

For a Website Package
Half the fee is payable as a deposit before I start, and the remaining half on completion, before your site goes live — invoiced within 7 days. Bank transfer is the preferred option (no fees, and the payment method most people already trust for regular bills), though card is available on request.

For a Care Plan
The monthly subscription fee is collected automatically by Direct Debit on the same date each month, rather than you needing to remember a transfer — handled securely through GoCardless, a UK-based Direct Debit provider.

Do you offer support after my website goes live?

Yes — I offer two optional Care Plans for anyone who'd rather not think about their website at all once it's live. Website Care (£50/month) covers monitoring and small updates with a 5-day turnaround; Priority Care (£150/month) offers more monthly updates, phone access, and a 2-day turnaround.

What if I need something outside my Care Plan's monthly allowance?

I'll always tell you upfront and agree a price with you before doing any extra work — you'll never get a surprise bill. Anything beyond your plan's monthly allowance is billed at £60/hour with a 30-minute minimum, but only ever after you've said yes to it.

What if I don't use all my edit requests in a month?

On Priority Care, up to 2 unused requests roll over for one month. Website Care doesn't currently include rollover.

Can I change or cancel my Care Plan?

Yes, any time — there's no long tie-in. It's a rolling monthly plan, and 30 days' written notice is all it takes to cancel.

I'm not techy at all — is that a problem?

Not even slightly — that's exactly who I build for. I explain everything in plain English as I go, and you'll always have a real person to call if you're unsure about anything, not a support ticket or a call centre.

How long does it take to build a website?

Typically 2 to 4 weeks, depending on your package — the exact timing depends on how much there is to build and how quickly you can get me your content and feedback along the way. Once we've had our first chat, I'll give you a realistic timeline for your specific project before any work begins.

Do I need a website, or is a Facebook page enough?

A Facebook page is a good start, but it isn't a replacement for a website you actually own. A website is under your control — it won't disappear if a platform changes its rules, it's more likely to be found when someone searches for what you do, and it tends to be taken more seriously by potential customers doing their research. Plenty of my clients keep both — the website as their proper home online, Facebook as one more way people find them.

What if I'm not sure which package is right for me?

That's completely fine — most people aren't, until we've talked it through. Have a no-obligation chat with me first, and I'll recommend what actually fits your business rather than what's most expensive. If you'd rather have a starting point, most businesses begin with Growth.

Where are you based, and which areas do you cover?

I'm based in the Lichfield area of Staffordshire, and focus my local support on business owners across Lichfield, Cannock, Rugeley, Stafford, Four Oaks and the wider Sutton Coldfield area. I also take on projects further afield by phone and video call — so get in touch wherever you are, and we'll see if it's a good fit.

Do you offer in-person meetings, or is everything remote?

Most of the work — the initial chat, feedback, approvals — happens by phone, video call, and email, which keeps things moving without needing to fit around office hours. For businesses in and around Lichfield, Rugeley, Cannock, Stafford, or Sutton Coldfield, I'm also happy to meet in person where it's genuinely useful, such as an initial conversation or handing over your finished site.

Do I own my website?

Yes. Your hosting and domain accounts are always in your name — I'm added only as a collaborator to build and maintain your site, never as the account owner. Nothing is ever "locked" to me.

What if I want to move to a different designer or provider later?

You're free to at any time, because everything is already set up in your name, not mine. Since I never hold your hosting or domain accounts myself, there's nothing to hand over or negotiate back — you or a new designer can simply pick up where things stand.

Are you insured?

Yes — I hold both professional indemnity and public liability insurance, so you're properly protected for the work I do for you. Details of current cover are available on request.