Page count
Each page needs structure, copy, design and testing. Five pages is a different project from fifteen, even when the templates repeat.
Guide
How much does a website cost in Dorset?
In 2026, a five-page brochure website from a Dorset agency typically costs £950–£1,500 plus VAT. A one-page landing site is £300–£600; a ten-page site with copywriting is £1,500–£3,000; anything with bookings or ecommerce starts around £2,500.
That range comes from published market studies and from our own price list, not from a survey of one. Cellsior's UK Web Design Pricing Study 2026 put the local agency median for a five-page site at £949, with a middle 50% of £449–£1,973 and a clearing price near £999. Freelancers median around £513; premium studios around £2,950.
The honest answer to “how much does a website cost?” is therefore another question: what is the site supposed to do? A five-page site that explains a service and takes enquiries is a different product from a booking system with payments and availability. The price follows the scope, not the number of pages alone.
Ranges
What different budgets buy in Dorset
| Budget (ex VAT) | Typical scope | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| £300–£600 | One page, template or simple custom build, contact form | A launch, a sole trader, a single campaign |
| £950–£1,500 | Five pages, design, basic SEO, contact form | Most local service businesses |
| £1,500–£3,000 | Ten pages, copywriting, local search setup, some custom design | Established businesses with several services |
| £2,500–£6,000 | Bookings, integrations, ecommerce, custom tools | Hospitality, retail and anything with real functionality |
| £6,000+ | Multi-location, complex integrations, content migration at scale | Larger SMEs and organisations with a marketing owner |
Cost drivers
What actually changes the number
Copywriting
If you supply finished copy, the price falls. If you supply three bullet points and a hope, someone has to interview you, write it and get it approved.
Photography
Stock images are cheap and look it. A half-day local shoot is typically £150–£400 and is often the difference between a site that looks real and one that does not.
Functionality
Bookings, payments, logins, stock, integrations and dashboards are software, not pages. They are priced by complexity and risk.
Content migration
Moving ten years of blog posts and redirecting every URL is real work. Skipping it is how redesigns lose traffic.
Accessibility and performance
A build to WCAG 2.2 AA principles and a performance budget takes longer. It is cheaper than retrofitting both later.
Comparison
The five ways to buy a website
| Option | Upfront | Monthly | Ownership | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) | £0–£300 | £15–£45 | Platform-owned rendering; partial export | A first presence, a test, a very tight budget |
| Freelancer | £500–£2,000 | £0–£50 | Usually yours | A well-defined small site with a known scope |
| Local agency | £950–£3,000 | £15–£100 | Usually yours, if agreed | A business that wants process, cover and a local contact |
| Premium studio | £3,000–£15,000 | £50–£500 | Yours | Brand-led businesses where design is the product |
| Pay monthly | £0 | £40–£150 | Yours at the end, if structured properly | Preserving cash without renting forever |
VAT
VAT, care plans and the second-year cost
Prices from VAT-registered businesses are usually quoted excluding VAT. If you are VAT-registered you reclaim it; if you are not, add 20% to compare like with like. A £995 quote is £1,194 if you cannot reclaim.
Then add the care plan. UK care plans median around £49 a month, with a range from £25 to £850; the busiest band is £50–£99. Our own plans start at £15 because the infrastructure is lean. Over three years, a £49 plan is £1,764 — more than the website itself. Ask what it covers before treating it as an afterthought.
Quotes
How to compare two quotes fairly
- Ask what is excludedPhotography, copywriting, VAT, care plans and third-party licences are the usual gaps.
- Ask who owns the codeIf the answer is “the platform”, you are renting. That may be fine, but the price should reflect it.
- Ask what happens after launchThirty days of fixes? A care plan? An hourly rate? A silence and an invoice?
- Ask for the performance targetA page weight or LCP target, measured on a mobile profile. If there is no target, there is no standard.
- Ask about redirectsIf the site replaces an existing one, a redirect map is not optional. It is how you keep the traffic.
- Ask to see a real site they builtNot a screenshot. A URL, on your phone, with the Lighthouse score if they will share it.
Our own prices
Our own prices
- See the tiers£495, £995, £1,495 and custom from £2,500, all plus VAT.
- Pay monthlyThe same total over twelve months, with ownership at the end.
- Compare with a builderWhat a £20-a-month subscription really costs over three years.
Questions
The things people ask first
Is £1,000 enough for a good website?
Yes, for a five-page site with a clear scope and content you have written. It is not enough for bookings, ecommerce or a large content migration. The mistake is expecting the second at the price of the first.
Why do some agencies charge £5,000?
More discovery, custom design, copywriting, photography, project management and a team to pay. Sometimes that is worth it. Sometimes you are buying a process you do not need.
Should I pay monthly or upfront?
Pay monthly if cash flow matters and the site will earn before the term ends. Pay upfront if you have the capital and prefer to be done. Either way, check who owns the site at the end.
Do I need to pay for hosting separately?
Usually, yes. Hosting is either bundled into a care plan or charged separately. A “free” host is usually paid for by the platform owning your site.
How much should I budget for ongoing costs?
£15–£50 a month for hosting and care is typical for a small business site. Add £250–£500 a month if you want ongoing local SEO and content.
Related
Let’s find out whether technology is the answer
Tell us what you are trying to achieve. We will tell you honestly whether we can help, what it would take, and roughly what it would cost — before anyone signs anything.