What Does a Website Cost? A Clear Breakdown of the Four Main Fees.

One of the most common questions we get at WebSmiths is:

“What does a website cost?”

And the honest answer is: it depends — but not in a vague or confusing way.

Because we use reliable hosting platforms like GoDaddy, IONOS, Wix, Shopify, et cetera, we can clearly break down the costs into four separate parts.

These are the same four costs you’ll pay no matter who builds your website—but at WebSmiths, we spell them out so you understand exactly what you’re paying for.

Let’s go through them one by one.

1. Web Design & Maintenance Fees — Paid to WebSmiths.

This is what you pay us for:

• Designing your website;

• Building it (pages, forms, images, mobile layout, etc.);

• Helping with content, images, setup, and style;

• Ongoing maintenance (optional contracts for edits, updates, or fixes);

Typical one-off project prices vary based on the size and features of your website, but we’ll always quote clearly and upfront. We also have the option for you to pay monthly. Once you tell us what your budget is, we tell you what we can do for that amount; we will never exceed your budget or present you with any surprise bills.

2. Hosting Fees — Paid to IONAS, Wix, GoDaddy, Shopify, etc.

Every website needs to be “hosted” on a server — think of it as renting space online so people can visit your site.

Hosting fees vary depending on:

• The platform (Wix, GoDaddy, Shopify)

• The size and complexity of your site

• Whether you need features like e-commerce or booking systems

Typical cost: £15–£25/month (We’ll help you choose the best value option for your needs.)

3. Domain Name Registration — Paid to 123-Reg, GoDaddy, etc.

This is your web address — like www.yourbusiness.co.uk — it must be registered and renewed each year.

The cost depends on the type of domain:

• .co.uk and .com domains are usually £15–£25/year

• .io or other niche domains can be £40–£70+/year

We’ll help you pick a domain that suits your business and your budget. Sometimes special offers are available by which you can get a domain for just £2 or so - we'll tell you if one is available to you.

4. Email Service Fees — Paid to Google, Zoho, GoDaddy, etc.

If you want a domain email address like you@yourdomain.com, this requires a separate email service provider.

Popular options include:

• Google Workspace (Gmail + tools): from £5–£10/user/month

• Zoho Mail: from around £1–£3/user/month

• 123-Reg: from around £4/user/month

  
  

We’ll guide you through setup and make sure it works across your devices. Bear in mind that choosing a domain email provider is not just about cost - there are other issues to consider depending on how your IT is set up in general. For example, if you are a restaurant and you use Google Calendar for your table bookings, that would probably point us toward Google Workspace.

If your clients know you as YOU (i.e. you are your business), for example, you are a therapist, a hairdresser, a nail technician, etc., then you could save on the cost of the email by just using your normal Gmail, or another free Gmail just for your work. Gmail is so well-known that it is not viewed negatively for small businesses, even though it is not a domain email.

Many businesses still use a Gmail address even though they have their own domain - we still do, for example, simply because so many hundreds of clients, potential clients and other contacts know that address. It depends really on what kind of business you have and how many separate people need an email. It would not work well for a law firm to use Gmail addresses, but for a sole-trader plumber, it would be fine.

Why We Keep These Costs Separate

Many web designers roll all of this into one lump sum — but that can make it harder to know what you’re actually paying for. At WebSmiths, we itemise these four elements so:

• You know where your money’s going;

• You can choose cheaper or premium options based on your goals;

• We can adjust things to suit your budget and priorities.

Need a simple brochure site? We’ll help you keep costs low. Need a shop with bookings, payments, and a custom email? We’ll plan accordingly.

There is also the important consideration of WHO owns your domain and email account - with WebSmiths, that's ALWAYS you, not us. We have written a separate blog post on why this is essential to the security of your business.

We’ll Guide You Through All of It

We’ll never push you into expensive upgrades you don’t need. Instead, we’ll explain every part of the process so you’re informed and confident at every stage.

Contact WebSmiths today for a free consultation, and let’s build a site that works for you, without mystery costs or hidden fees.