It is the first question most people ask. And it is a fair one. I offer website for around £650 for a five-page website, and my prices are on my website so you do not have to ask twice. But once you know the number, a bigger question comes into view. Not how much does a website cost – but what does it cost you not to have one?
The band that got the gig
Lex plays in a reggae band called Drop Leg Steppers. A few years ago I built their website and did the SEO work to go with it. They ranked number one on Google for “reggae band in Yorkshire.”
A booking agent working with one of the pioneers of the reggae scene found them through that ranking. A touring band were playing Leeds and needed a support act. That band happened to be one of Drop Leg Steppers’ biggest influences.
Drop Leg Steppers got the support slot. They played with their heroes in Leeds.
That happened because someone could find them online. No website, no gig.
The pub that had its best bank holiday
When I redesigned the Carriages Knaresborough website, the bank holiday that followed was their busiest since the current owners took on the business.
I am not saying a website guarantees results. There are too many variables for that – the weather, the economy, what else is happening locally. But a website that works puts you in the conversation. A website that does not work keeps you out of it.
What a bad website actually looks like
A lot of businesses have a website. Not all of them have one that does anything useful.
A bad website behaves like a PDF. It has a phone number, maybe, and a list of services that nobody has touched in three years. You cannot update it without a lot of faff. It does not tell different visitors different things. It just sits there.
A good website is the opposite. It shows the right information to the right person. It has a clear way to get in touch. It gets found on Google. It works on a phone. It is your best salesperson, and unlike a real salesperson, it does not clock off.
So what is it actually worth?
That depends on your business, your market and what you sell. But here is a simple way to think about it.
If one new customer a month finds you through your website instead of going to a competitor, what is that worth to you over a year? For most businesses, the maths is not complicated.
If I designed a start-up website for you, prices would start from £650. That is a fixed price – no surprises, no hidden extras. And I stay around afterwards with maintenance plans from £45 a month, so you are never left on your own once the site is live.
Who this is for
This post is for anyone in Harrogate, North Yorkshire or further afield who is sitting on the fence. Maybe you have no website. Maybe you have one that has not been touched since 2019. Maybe you are not sure whether it is worth spending the money.
