Web design company, freelancer or one-person studio?
Where the money actually goes in each, what each is genuinely better at, and which suits a small business.
Quick facts
Company vs freelancer: the short answer
- A website for your business costs £350 all in, with no per-page charges.
- That covers design, build, your domain name, a business email address, SSL and the first three months of hosting.
- After that, hosting, updates and support are £19.99 a month, with no minimum term.
- Your site goes live within 48 hours of you approving the design. Payment is a 50% deposit to start, balance on completion.
- I work from my Nuneaton studio with businesses anywhere in the UK.
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Price breakdown
What small businesses get for £350
| Custom design and build | Included |
|---|---|
| Domain name, registered in your business name | Included |
| Business email address on your domain | Included |
| SSL certificate (secure padlock) | Included |
| Hosting for the first three months | Included |
| Mobile layout, tap-to-call and WhatsApp buttons | Included |
| Page titles, descriptions and sitemap for Google | Included |
| Total to launch | £350 all in |
| Hosting, updates, backups and support afterwards | £19.99 a month, no minimum term |
Need online booking? That is £479 all in. A website with a new logo, flyers and business cards is £679 all in.
Before you buy anywhere
Five things to check
- 1.Is the domain registered in your name, or the designer's?
- 2.Is business email included, or an extra monthly cost?
- 3.Is there a per-page charge or a setup fee on top?
- 4.Is there a minimum contract before you can leave?
- 5.Can you see real websites they have built for businesses like yours?
Most people searching for a web design company are not really looking for a company. They are looking for confidence that the job will get done properly.
This page is the honest comparison, written by someone who is obviously one of the three options. Where the others are genuinely better, it says so.
The three routes
What you are really buying.
An agency or web design company
You buy capacity and cover: several people, project management, and someone to pick it up if one person is ill. You also pay for their salaries, and you usually speak to an account manager rather than the designer.
A freelancer from a marketplace
You buy hours at the lowest price available, often from another country. It can work well for a defined task. It works badly when nobody takes responsibility for the whole result.
A one-person studio
You buy one person's judgement and their direct phone number. Less cover if they are away, no account management cost, and the designer is the person who answers. This studio: £350 all in, then £19.99 a month.
Choosing
When to pick which.
Pick an agency when
The site is large, several stakeholders need managing, you need guaranteed cover, or the project involves custom systems and integrations.
Pick a studio when
You are a small business that wants a proper site, a fixed price and one person who knows your business by name.
Pick a builder when
Money is the binding constraint and you genuinely have the evenings to do the work yourself.
Whichever you pick, check three things
That the domain is registered in your business name, that hosting and email are either included or clearly priced, and that you can get a change made without an hourly invoice.
Common questions
Straight answers.
Is a web design company better than a freelancer?
What happens if a one-person studio disappears?
Why is an agency quote several thousand pounds?
How much is this studio?
Let's design the websiteyour business deserves.
Leave your name and number and I’ll come back to you personally with a clear, fixed quote. Websites are £350 all in. No obligation.