Option 1: build it yourself with a website builder
Tools like Wix, Squarespace or WordPress.com let you assemble a page by dragging blocks around. It is the cheapest option in money and the most expensive in time.
Most business owners take somewhere between several weekends and never, because the bottleneck isn't the tool: it's the words and the photos. And nearly all of them charge a monthly subscription for as long as the site exists, with the site living inside their platform.
It suits you if you have time, a decent eye and the appetite to learn.
Option 2: hire a freelancer
You post on PeoplePerHour or Fiverr, or ask around for recommendations. You can get very good work at a fair price, but the quality varies enormously.
The real risk isn't the price. It's the person disappearing halfway through the project, or handing over something nobody else can maintain afterwards. Always ask to see two or three sites they've delivered that still work today, and confirm who ends up owning the domain.
It suits you if you know what to ask for and can judge the work.
Option 3: hire an agency
By far the most expensive route, and it usually comes with meetings, proposals and timelines of several weeks or months. For a small business site, agency quotes typically run to several thousand pounds.
It's worth it when you genuinely need something bespoke: a large online shop, integrations with your stock or invoicing system, or paid campaigns that demand fine-grained tracking.
It suits you if budget is not the main constraint.
Option 4: a fixed-price service for small businesses
Someone else does everything for you, at a fixed price and within days. It's the middle ground between the freelancer and the agency: you don't have to learn anything or weigh up proposals, and you know from the start what you'll pay.
Business Builder by JKRB works this way: from £249 as a one-off payment, delivery in 7 days or less, and everything coordinated over WhatsApp, with no meetings and no forms. The care plan is optional and costs £19 a month, with hosting, your domain, changes and support included.
It suits you if you want to be on Google this week and have no interest in learning web design.
The four options side by side
Here's how the four routes compare. The costs are reference points, not quotes, and they change over time.
| Option | Cost | Speed | Maintenance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Builder (Wix, Squarespace) | A monthly subscription, plus your time | Weeks or months (you set the pace) | You do it | People with time who want to spend little |
| Freelancer | Varies widely with experience | Varies | Whatever you agree | People who know what to ask for |
| Agency | The highest, usually thousands of pounds | Weeks or months | Under contract | Bespoke projects with the budget to match |
| Fixed-price service (Business Builder by JKRB) | From £249, one-off payment | 7 days or less | Optional, £19 a month | People who want to be on Google now, without the learning curve |
What you need before you start
Whichever of the four routes you take, you'll need the same things. Having them ready shortens the project enormously:
- A domain name, ideally .co.uk or .com
- The words: what you do, who it's for, where you are and how to contact you
- Real photos of your business, your team or your products
- Your WhatsApp number and your exact address
- Your Google Business Profile, which for local businesses often brings in more customers than the website itself
What slows a project down is never the design: it's the photos and the words. If you have those ready, every route gets shorter.
How much does a website cost?
These are reference ranges, not quotes, and they change over time:
- A builder like Wix or Squarespace: a monthly subscription, plus your time
- A freelancer: a very wide range depending on their experience
- An agency: the most expensive route, usually thousands of pounds
- Business Builder by JKRB: from £249 as a one-off payment, plus £19 a month if you want the care plan
On top of that, where they're not included, add the annual domain and hosting. And watch for the cost almost nobody counts: the time you stop spending on your actual business.
Common mistakes worth avoiding
- Leaving the site untouched for years. A site with stale information builds less trust than no site at all.
- Not optimising it for mobile. Most of your customers will find you from their phone.
- Not having the domain in your name. If whoever built it walks away, you're left with nothing. Always insist the domain is registered to you.
- Thinking Instagram replaces a website. Instagram is for showing your work to people who already follow you, but it doesn't appear when someone searches "bakery near me" on Google, and it isn't yours: if your account is closed, you've lost everything.
- Loading it with animations and clutter that slow it down. If it takes ages to load, people leave before seeing anything.
Who Business Builder by JKRB is not for
Worth saying plainly, so nobody wastes their time. We are not the right option if:
- You need an online shop with stock, payments and deliveries. That's a different kind of project.
- You need integrations with internal software or a bespoke system.
- You want total control of the design and already have a brand team.
- You enjoy doing it yourself. A builder will work out cheaper.
Business Builder by JKRB is built for the local business, the independent professional and the small firm that has nothing today and needs something good, fast and hassle-free.
Why a site of your own grows with you
The domain and the content are in your name from day one, so you're never locked in to a supplier. If you want to move to someone else tomorrow, you take everything with you.
The site can also grow in stages: sections, services or locations get added as the business grows, without starting from scratch. And unlike a social media account, what you build on your own domain is yours and stays with you.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I get a website for my business?
- You have four routes: build it yourself with a website builder, hire a freelancer, hire an agency, or use a fixed-price service for small businesses. Before choosing, gather your words, photos and domain, which are what take longest. If you don't want to learn to do it yourself, the fastest route is a fixed-price service: with Business Builder by JKRB it's from £249 and 7 days.
- How much does a website cost in the UK?
- It depends on the route. A builder charges a monthly subscription and you put in the time. A freelancer varies hugely with experience. An agency usually charges thousands of pounds. Business Builder by JKRB costs from £249 as a one-off payment, with an optional care plan at £19 a month.
- Do I need to know how to code, or anything technical?
- Not if you use a service. You just need to describe your business and have photos and contact details to hand. With Business Builder by JKRB everything is coordinated over WhatsApp, with no meetings and no complicated forms.
- How long does a website take to build?
- With a fixed-price service, between a few days and a couple of weeks. Business Builder by JKRB delivers in 7 days or less. Doing it yourself depends on your spare time, and an agency usually takes weeks or months.
- Is a website worth it if I already have Instagram?
- Yes, and they do different jobs. Instagram shows your work to people who already follow you. A website is what appears when someone who has never heard of you searches Google for "restaurant in Didsbury" or "physio near me". And your website is yours: your Instagram account isn't.
- Which is better: Wix, a freelancer or an agency?
- Wix if you have time and want to spend little. A freelancer if you know what to ask for and how to judge it. An agency if you need something bespoke and the budget allows. If you don't want to do it yourself and don't need anything bespoke, a fixed-price service is usually the middle ground.
- Does a website have to be expensive to work?
- No. For a local business, a well-made site needs to load fast, look good on a phone, say clearly what you do and where you are, have a WhatsApp button and be properly set up for Google. None of that costs thousands.
- How do I get my business to show up on Google?
- Two things, together. First, create and complete your Google Business Profile with photos, opening hours and your address: it's free, and for local businesses it often brings in more customers than the website itself. Second, have a fast, well-structured site with your address visible, so Google understands where you are and what you do.
- How do I get my business to show up in ChatGPT or AI answers?
- First you need to exist on the web with clear information: a site of your own that says what you do, where you are, your opening hours and your prices, plus a complete Google Business Profile. AI tools don't invent businesses, they repeat what they find published. After that it helps if the site is marked up with structured data, answers concrete questions in plain text and doesn't block AI crawlers in its robots file. That's called AIO, and it's SEO for ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity instead of Google's list of results.
References
The platforms and tools mentioned in this guide, so you can compare them at the source:
- Google Business Profile: Free listing to appear on Google and in Maps.
- Wix: Subscription website builder.
- Squarespace: Subscription website builder.
- WordPress: Open-source content management system for sites and blogs.
- PeoplePerHour: UK platform for hiring freelancers.
- Fiverr: International freelance services platform.
Keep reading
- How much does a website cost in the UK?: Real UK price ranges for every route to a website, and the hidden costs nobody quotes.
- Selling on Instagram? Why your business needs a website too: Why Instagram alone caps your growth, and how a site of your own works alongside it.
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