Most of what gets written about web design is written to sell you something. These are the answers I give people on the phone, written down, with real numbers and no hedging.
If you are getting quotes, comparing a monthly plan against a one off build, or trying to work out what you would actually own at the end of it, start here. If your question is not covered, ask me directly and I will answer it.
Between £750 and £5,000 as a one off for a professionally built site, with the spread driven by page count and how much is custom rather than templated. DIY builders come in lower but cost more over time once you count the monthly fee. Agencies start higher and usually add a retainer.
My own prices sit at the lower end of that range and are published: £750, £1,450, or from £2,250. The guide puts every route in the same table, including mine, so you can see where a quote you have been given sits.
For anyone comparing quotes or being told “it depends”.
Often not. With a monthly website plan you are usually renting the design, and sometimes the domain is registered to the agency rather than to you. That only becomes obvious when you try to leave.
There is one question that settles it, and you can ask it of any provider in a single email. The guide sets out what you should own, how to check, and what to do if the answer comes back wrong.
For anyone on a monthly plan, or about to sign up to one.
For the first year or two, usually yes. After that it depends entirely on how long you stay, and most local businesses keep a website far longer than they expect to.
The calculator lets you put in the monthly figure you have been quoted and see what it comes to over three, five and ten years, against buying outright. No email required and nothing is stored.
For anyone weighing a monthly quote against a one off price.
More guides are added as the same questions come up. If you have one that is not here, send it over and I will either answer it directly or write it up.
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