It’s tempting. A website for £99 from a drag-and-drop builder, or a low-cost freelancer who can “get it done quick.” I understand the appeal – when you’re starting a business or watching the budget, any cost feels significant. But in my experience, cheap websites are almost always expensive in the long run.
What You’re Actually Paying For
A properly built website isn’t just a collection of web pages. It’s a marketing asset. When built correctly, it should attract organic search traffic, convert visitors into leads, load fast enough to keep people engaged, and integrate with your CRM and advertising systems. Getting all of this right requires genuine expertise – and genuine expertise costs accordingly.
The True Cost of a Bad Website
Consider this scenario: you spend £300 on a basic website. It ranks nowhere in Google because the SEO foundations are wrong. It converts 0.5% of visitors into enquiries because it lacks trust signals and clear calls to action. Compare this to a £1,500 website that ranks for local keywords, converts 3-5% of visitors, and integrates with a CRM. Over 12 months, the difference in leads generated could be worth tens of thousands of pounds.
The Rebuild Cost
One of the most frustrating situations I regularly see is a business owner who has already spent £500 to £1,000 on a website that simply doesn’t work, and now needs to spend again to replace it. The total spend ends up being more than if they’d invested in a quality website from the start.
What Good Looks Like
A good website loads in under two seconds, looks professional on all devices, has clear calls to action, contains genuine SEO foundations, and is built on a platform that allows for easy updates and growth. I build all my websites in WordPress, starting at £497 for a focused three-page site. That’s not cheap – but it works. Find out more about my website design services.
