WebLane

If you run a local business in the UK without a website, you're part of a shrinking minority—and it's costing you customers.

68% of UK businesses now have a website, but here's the telling statistic: 93% of small businesses have websites, whilst only 65% of sole traders do.

That gap represents lost opportunities. Customers who can't find you online. Revenue going to competitors who show up in Google searches.

But here's where it gets confusing: you've decided you need a website, but which platform should you choose? WordPress? Wix? Squarespace? Something else entirely?

We're going to break down your options honestly, explain what actually matters for local businesses, and tell you why we recommend WordPress for most UK small businesses.

# # Your Main Platform Choices (The Honest Breakdown)

Let's look at the real contenders for local business websites.

# # # WordPress: The Dominant Player

WordPress holds a 62.2% market share amongst all content management systems. That's not just popular—that's dominant.

Why does WordPress own such a massive chunk of the market? Three reasons:

**Complete Flexibility**
WordPress powers everything from simple five-page brochure sites to massive eCommerce platforms. You're not locked into anyone's template or restrictions.

**Search Engine Optimised**
71% of customers begin their purchase journeys using a search engine. WordPress is built to help you rank on Google from day one.

**Future-Proof**
As your business grows, your website can grow with it. Add eCommerce later? No problem. Want booking systems, member areas, or custom features? WordPress handles it all.

The downside? It requires some technical knowledge. You can't just drag-and-drop your way to success quite as easily as with website builders.

# # # Wix: The Beginner-Friendly Option

Wix holds 4.5% market share, making it the third most popular platform globally.

Wix appeals to absolute beginners because it's genuinely easy to use. Drag elements around, drop them where you want, click publish. Done.

But here's what they don't advertise prominently:

**Limited SEO Power**
Wix sites can rank on Google, but they're fighting an uphill battle compared to WordPress. Wix and Squarespace are to the left and down on traffic charts, highlighting that they are installed on fewer sites with less traffic.

**You're Locked In**
Want to move your site elsewhere later? Good luck. Wix keeps you in their ecosystem, and migrating away is painful.

**Ongoing Costs Add Up**
Monthly fees start small but climb quickly once you add the features you actually need.

For a hobby project or testing a business idea? Wix works. For serious local businesses planning to grow? It's limiting.

# # # Squarespace: The Design-Focused Middle Ground

Squarespace holds around 3% market share and positions itself as the "stylish" option.

Templates look gorgeous out of the box. If aesthetics matter most to you and you want something easier than WordPress, Squarespace deserves consideration.

But similar limitations apply:
- Less flexibility than WordPress
- Harder to achieve strong SEO rankings
- Lock-in to their platform
- Monthly subscription costs

Squarespace works well for creative professionals (photographers, designers) who prioritise beautiful portfolios over complex functionality.

# # What Actually Matters for Local Businesses

Forget the feature checklists for a minute. Here's what your local business website must do:

# # # Show Up When People Search

Someone Googles "plumber in Manchester" or "accountant near me"—does your site appear?

This is where platform choice genuinely matters. WordPress gives you the tools to optimise for local search properly. DIY builders? Not so much.

# # # Build Trust Instantly

84% of small businesses with websites stated that having a website played a "big part" in their success.

But only if those websites look professional. A slow, clunky, or dated site does the opposite—it erodes trust.

Your platform needs to deliver fast loading, mobile responsiveness, and professional design. All three platforms can do this, but WordPress handles it best at scale.

# # # Work Perfectly on Mobile

Most of your customers are browsing on phones. If your site doesn't work flawlessly on mobile, they're gone.

All modern platforms handle mobile responsiveness, but implementation quality varies wildly between template themes.

# # # Actually Get You Customers

Traffic means nothing without conversions. Your site needs clear calls-to-action, easy contact methods, and smooth user journeys.

WordPress's flexibility means you can optimise every element for conversion. DIY builders limit what you can change.

# # Why We Recommend WordPress for Most Local Businesses

After building hundreds of websites for UK small businesses, we've seen what works.

For local businesses serious about growth, WordPress wins almost every time. Here's why:

# # # It's Built for Search Engines

Google loves WordPress. The platform's structure, speed capabilities, and SEO plugins give you a massive advantage over DIY builders.

When competing for "near me" searches and local rankings, every advantage matters.

# # # You Own Everything

Your data. Your content. Your customers. Unlike hosted platforms, you're not renting—you're owning.

If you ever want to switch hosts, add new features, or completely redesign, you can. No permissions needed. No platform restrictions.

# # # It Grows With You

Starting with a simple five-page site? Perfect. Want to add online booking next year? Easy. Planning eCommerce eventually? WordPress handles it.

DIY builders force you to rebuild when you outgrow their limitations. WordPress adapts.

# # # Massive Support Community

Stuck with something? Thousands of developers, tutorials, and resources exist for WordPress. It's the most documented platform on earth.

Try getting that level of support from Wix or Squarespace.

# # # Cost-Effective Long-Term

Yes, WordPress requires hosting (£5 to £30 monthly). But DIY builders charge similar monthly fees plus transaction fees, with far less flexibility.

Long-term, WordPress costs less and delivers more.

# # When Wix or Squarespace Might Make Sense

We're not saying WordPress is always the answer.

**Choose Wix if:**
- You need something live in 24 hours
- You have genuinely zero technical confidence
- This is a hobby project, not serious business
- You only need the absolute basics

**Choose Squarespace if:**
- You're a creative professional prioritising portfolio aesthetics
- You want templates that look stunning without customisation
- You're willing to accept limited flexibility for ease of use

But for most local businesses—plumbers, electricians, accountants, solicitors, restaurants, retail shops—WordPress is the smarter choice.

# # What We Offer at Weblane

We specialise in WordPress websites for UK local businesses because we've seen them work.

Professional WordPress design starting at just **£299**. For eCommerce functionality, **£399**.

Not a DIY job where you're abandoned to figure it out. A proper, professionally designed WordPress site that's:
- Optimised for local search
- Mobile-responsive
- Fast-loading
- Easy to update yourself
- Built to convert visitors into customers

No hidden fees. No monthly platform subscriptions eating into your profits. Just honest pricing for quality work.

**Want to see our full packages and pricing? Link in the comments.**

# # The Bottom Line

78% of small business owners in the UK currently have a website. The 22% without one are falling further behind every day.

But having any website isn't enough. You need the right website on the right platform.

For most UK local businesses, that means WordPress. The flexibility, SEO power, ownership, and long-term value simply can't be matched by DIY builders.

Yes, it requires a bit more setup. Yes, you might need professional help to get it right.

But the alternative—fighting with platform limitations, paying monthly fees forever, and watching competitors rank above you on Google—costs far more in the long run.

Need a professional WordPress website for your local business? We build quality WordPress sites from £299. Check our pricing and packages—link in the comments.

How much should a small business website cost?

Ask three different web designers, and you'll get three wildly different answers. One quotes £500. Another says £5,000. A third tells you £150 will do the job.

So what's the real number? And more importantly—are you being ripped off?

We're going to cut through the confusion and give you the honest truth about website costs in the UK. No sales pitch. No hidden agendas. Just the facts you need to make a smart decision for your business.

# # The Real Cost of Small Business Websites

Let's start with what UK businesses are actually paying right now.

A basic website between one and five pages costs £650 to £1,100 from a UK developer, including product descriptions, a contact form, and business information.

But here's where it gets tricky.

Basic websites can cost between £500 and £2,500, whilst eCommerce websites can cost between £3,000 and £30,000. That's a massive range—and it explains why business owners feel so confused about pricing.

The average? A basic website with 5 pages fit for a small business costs £720 in the UK.

# # # Why the Huge Price Differences?

Three main factors drive website costs:

**Who's Building It**
Freelancers typically charge £50 to £100 per hour. Agencies have bigger overheads (offices, multiple staff, fancy coffee machines) so they charge more—often £1,000 to £5,000 for what should be straightforward projects.

**What You're Getting**
Are you getting a unique custom design, or is your site built from a template used by 500 other businesses? Custom costs more—but templates can work brilliantly if done right.

**What Features You Need**
A simple contact form? Cheap. Online booking system? More expensive. Full eCommerce with payment processing and inventory management? That's where costs jump significantly.

# # What Most Agencies Are Charging (And Why It's Too Much)

Let's be brutally honest about agency pricing.

Most traditional web design agencies charge between £1,000 and £3,000 for a basic small business website. For eCommerce, they're asking £3,000 to £10,000 or more.

Why so much?

Because they're passing on their overheads to you. Big office spaces in expensive postcodes. Large teams with multiple managers. Lengthy "discovery" processes that involve endless meetings.

Don't get us wrong—some agencies deliver brilliant work and are worth every penny for complex corporate projects. But for a small business that just needs a professional, working website? You're paying for bloat you don't need.

# # # The DIY Option: Cheap But Costly

The alternative most businesses consider is DIY platforms like Wix or Squarespace.

The monthly cost? Around £21.50 for basic packages. Sounds affordable, right?

Here's the catch nobody mentions upfront.

These platforms lock you into their ecosystem. Want to move your site elsewhere later? It's a nightmare. Need custom features? Not possible. Want proper SEO control? Limited at best.

We've rebuilt dozens of sites that started on DIY platforms. Business owners come to us frustrated after realising their cheap £15-a-month website is costing them thousands in lost customers because it doesn't rank on Google or convert visitors.

You save money upfront but lose far more in missed opportunities.

# # The Hidden Costs Nobody Tells You About

Here's what catches people out: the website build is just the beginning.

# # # Ongoing Maintenance and Hosting

Maintaining a website will likely cost £192 to £1,314 per month, excluding initial design and development costs. This includes technical maintenance, security, hosting, domain costs, and content updates.

Most agencies charge £50 to £200 monthly for ongoing maintenance—things like software updates, security patches, and technical support.

Then there's hosting (£5 to £50 monthly), domain renewal (£10 to £20 yearly), SSL certificates for security (often included in hosting now), and email hosting if you want professional addresses.

These ongoing costs add up fast. A £1,500 website suddenly becomes £2,000+ in the first year alone when you factor everything in.

# # What Your Website Should Actually Do for Your Money

Forget fancy features for a minute. Here's what matters:

**Build Instant Trust**
38% of visitors would stop engaging with a website if the content or layout were unattractive. Your site has seconds to make a good impression. If it looks unprofessional or outdated, potential customers leave immediately.

**Work Perfectly on Mobile**
57% of internet users say they won't recommend a business with poor web design on mobile. More than half your visitors are on phones. If your site doesn't work flawlessly on mobile, you're throwing money away.

**Load Fast**
A one-second delay in page load time on a mobile device can cause the likelihood of a bounce to increase by 123% if it climbs to 10 seconds. Speed isn't just nice to have—it's absolutely critical for keeping visitors on your site.

**Show Up on Google**
81% of shoppers conduct online research before making a purchase. If your website doesn't appear when people search for your services, you're invisible. Proper SEO setup is non-negotiable.

**Convert Visitors into Customers**
Traffic means nothing if visitors don't take action. Your site needs clear calls-to-action, easy contact methods, and a logical journey that guides people toward booking, buying, or getting in touch.

# # What We Do Differently at Weblane

We built Weblane because we were tired of watching small businesses get overcharged or undersold.

Traditional agencies charge £1,000 to £3,000 for basic websites. DIY platforms are cheap but leave you with amateur results that don't convert.

We saw a gap—and we filled it.

# # # Professional Websites at Honest Prices

At Weblane, you can get started with a professional small business website for just **£299**.

Not a template-only DIY job. Not a locked-in platform with hidden limits. A proper, professionally designed website that actually works.

For eCommerce, whilst others charge £3,000 to £10,000, we start at just **£399**.

# # # How Can We Charge Less?

Simple. We've cut out the corporate waste.

No fancy London offices. No layers of account managers billing you for meetings. No bloated processes that add cost without adding value.

We focus exclusively on what small businesses actually need—professional design, fast performance, mobile optimisation, and proper SEO setup. No fluff. No upselling features you don't need.

# # # What You Get for £299

- Professional, custom-designed website
- Fully mobile-responsive (works perfectly on all devices)
- Fast loading speed
- Basic SEO setup so customers can find you on Google
- Contact forms that actually work
- Easy-to-update content management
- 30 days of support after launch

Everything you need to build trust, attract customers, and grow your business online.

# # # Our Ecommerce Package (£399)

Everything in our standard package, plus:
- Shopping cart functionality
- Payment processing setup
- Product management system
- Inventory tracking
- Secure checkout

Professional eCommerce for less than what most agencies charge for a basic five-page site.

# # How to Know If You're Getting Value for Money

Before you commit to any web designer, ask these questions:

**What's included in the quoted price?**
Get everything in writing. Design, development, training, content migration—all of it.

**What are the ongoing costs?**
Hosting, maintenance, updates. Know what you'll pay annually, not just upfront.

**Can I see examples of your work?**
Real client sites, not just mockups. Check if they load fast and work on mobile.

**Will I be able to update content myself?**
You shouldn't need to pay £50 every time you want to change your opening hours.

**How long will it take?**
Realistic timelines mean realistic expectations.

**What happens if something breaks?**
Is support included, or charged separately?

If a designer can't answer these clearly and honestly, walk away.

# # The Real Cost of Waiting

31% of shoppers decided against shopping at a small business because it lacked a website.

Think about that. Nearly one in three potential customers are ruling you out before they even speak to you—simply because you don't have a proper online presence.

Every day you wait is another day of lost opportunities. Lost customers. Lost revenue.

Your competitors with professional websites are capturing the customers you're missing. And once those customers find someone else, they rarely come back.

# # Ready to Get Started?

A professional website doesn't have to cost thousands of pounds.

At Weblane, we've built our entire business model around making quality web design accessible for UK small businesses. No corporate markup. No hidden fees. Just honest pricing for honest work.

Whether you need a simple site to establish credibility or a full eCommerce platform to sell products, we've got packages that actually fit small business budgets—starting at just £299 for standard websites and £399 for eCommerce.

Want to see exactly what's included in each package and find the right fit for your business?

Check out our full pricing and packages—link in the comments.

We're here to help you invest wisely in your online presence. Because your business deserves a website that works as hard as you do—at a price that makes sense.