Quick answer
A website in the UK can cost anywhere from a few hundred pounds for a simple template site to tens of thousands for a custom store or web application. The price is driven by the number of pages, how much is custom-designed, the functionality needed (payments, accounts, bookings) and the integrations. A small custom business website often lands around a thousand pounds or a little more, and a plain landing page can cost well under that.
The short answer
There is no single price for a website, because “a website” covers everything from a one-page profile to a complex platform. What you can do is understand the four things that move the price, and get a fixed quote that spells out exactly what is included.
To give you a feel for the scale, here are indicative ranges produced by our own instant quote algorithm for a few typical projects. They are not fixed prices and not a market survey, just a realistic way to see how scope changes cost.
Indicative ranges by project type
A single landing page for a business or campaign: roughly £600 to £800 on our algorithm. A small custom business website of about five pages with a contact form and SEO set-up: roughly £1,100 to £1,400. A larger site of around a dozen pages with a content management system and a blog: in the region of £2,700 to £3,700. We charge a lower hourly rate for standard websites than for software, which is why plain websites cost far less than applications.
Animation changes the price. A website with custom scroll animations and motion design is charged at our standard rate, so the same five-page business site with animation lands around £4,700 to £6,300. Features that need real engineering, such as online payments, user accounts or bookings, are also charged at the standard rate.
A custom online store with products, checkout, payments and orders starts higher, around £13,500 to £18,500 on the same algorithm, because checkout, tax, shipping and integrations add real engineering. Using a platform such as Shopify can be cheaper to start, which is why choosing the right ecommerce platform matters. Web applications with user accounts range widely depending on the workflow. These figures are in pounds sterling; our quote tool shows the same projects in euros or US dollars depending on where you are.
Treat these as ballparks. The only reliable number is a written, fixed-scope quote.
What drives website cost
Scope: the number of unique page designs matters more than the total page count, because ten blog posts on one template cost far less than ten different layouts.
Design: a bespoke design system costs more than a lightly customised template, but looks and converts better and is not shared with thousands of other sites.
Functionality: bookings, payments, accounts, search, multi-language, member areas and anything that needs a database add engineering time.
Integrations and content: connecting a CRM, accounting software or stock system, and migrating or writing content, are common sources of extra cost that quotes should state clearly.
Cheap, template or custom?
Website builders and templates are the cheapest route and are fine for a simple presence. Their limits show up in speed, flexibility, ownership and search performance, and a monthly fee runs for as long as you use them. Custom design and development costs more upfront but you own the result, it can be built for speed and SEO, and it can grow with you.
A useful rule is to match the approach to the importance of the site. If the website is a main source of enquiries or sales, it is usually worth building properly. Our website design and small business website services are built around that idea.
Ongoing costs people forget
Budget for hosting and domain renewals, security updates, backups and small content changes. A maintenance plan spreads these into a predictable yearly fee, and our plans page shows real prices.
How to compare website quotes
Ask each provider the same questions: what exactly is included, how many design revisions, who owns the code and design, what happens to the site after launch, and what is not covered. A low quote that excludes content, SEO setup or mobile testing is rarely cheaper in the end.
Also check ownership. Some agencies keep the code or charge to release it. At LOLCorp you own everything, see who owns the code. If you are collecting quotes, a clear brief helps, so use our requirements brief template.
Getting a number for your project
The quickest way to a realistic figure is our instant quote, which gives an indicative range in about a minute. We then confirm a fixed price after a short call. For a redesign of an existing site, see website redesign.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a basic website cost in the UK?
A simple template-based site can cost a few hundred pounds, while a small custom-designed business website is more commonly in the low thousands. The right figure depends on pages, design and features.
How much does website design cost?
Design cost depends on how custom it is. A bespoke design system for a small business site is typically a few thousand pounds, rising with the number of unique templates.
How much does website development cost?
Development cost depends on functionality. Content sites are cheaper, while stores, bookings and web apps with accounts cost more because they need real engineering.
Are there ongoing costs?
Yes: domain and hosting, security updates, backups and any content changes. A maintenance plan makes these predictable.
Do you offer website design packages?
We offer fixed-price projects scoped to your needs, plus yearly maintenance and management plans. Use the instant quote for a range.
Ready for a realistic number? Get an indicative price in about a minute, with no sales call.
Get an instant quoteWritten by the LOLCorp engineering team from our experience delivering custom software for UK businesses. This is general guidance, not legal or financial advice.