One of the most common questions we get is "how much does a website cost?" It's a fair question — and the range of answers you'll find online is enormous: anywhere from £0 (DIY on Wix) to £50,000+ for a large enterprise build. Here's an honest breakdown of what Portsmouth businesses actually need to budget.
Option 1: DIY Website Builders (£0–£40/month)
Wix, Squarespace, and similar platforms let you build a website yourself for the cost of a monthly subscription. For a very early-stage business or personal site, this can be a reasonable starting point.
The catch: DIY sites typically have poor SEO performance, limited customisation, and look generic. As your business grows, you'll likely outgrow them — and migrating away can be complicated.
Option 2: Freelance Web Designer (£400–£1,500)
A good freelance web designer in Portsmouth or Hampshire can deliver a professional site in this range. The quality varies enormously — always ask to see previous work and check reviews.
The catch: Freelancers often have limited capacity, slower turnaround, and may not have expertise across design, development, and SEO simultaneously.
Option 3: Boutique Digital Studio (£800–£5,000)
This is the sweet spot for most Portsmouth businesses. A boutique studio like Jazz Creative combines strategic thinking, professional design, and technical build expertise — and typically includes SEO foundations, mobile optimisation, and ongoing support as standard.
What you can expect at each price point:
- £800–£1,500: 5-page professional website, mobile-responsive, SEO-ready
- £1,500–£3,000: 10+ pages, eCommerce functionality, brand identity elements
- £3,000–£5,000: Complex custom builds, large catalogues, integrations
Option 4: Large Agency (£5,000–£50,000+)
Enterprise-level agencies with large teams and significant overheads. Appropriate for large organisations with complex requirements — but significant overkill for most Portsmouth SMEs.
Hidden Costs to Budget For
- Domain name: £10–£20/year
- Hosting: £5–£50/month depending on requirements
- Ongoing maintenance: £50–£300/month for updates and security
- Copywriting: Professional copy for your pages (often overlooked)
- Photography: Stock or professional photos for your site
What Jazz Creative Charges
We believe in transparent pricing. Our projects start from £799 for a starter site and £1,999 for a full growth package with eCommerce. We also offer monthly retainers from £499/month. See our full pricing or get a custom quote.