Basic Marketing Website (5-10 Pages)

• What you're getting: Information about your business, contact form, basic SEO, mobile responsive, CMS for updates

• Small agency/experienced freelancer: £3,000-£10,000

• Mid-size agency: £8,000-£20,000

• Large/premium agency: £15,000-£40,000

• Timeline: 6-10 weeks (shorter with Octogle’s AI-native developers)

• Why the range? Template-based with light customisation versus fully custom design. Basic copy versus professional copywriting. Standard photography versus custom photoshoot.

E-Commerce Website

• What you're getting: Shopping cart, product catalogue, payment processing, inventory management, customer accounts, shipping integration

• Platform-based (Shopify): £5,000-£20,000

• Custom development (WooCommerce, Magento): £15,000-£60,000

• Complex/Enterprise: £50,000-£200,000+

• Timeline: 10-20 weeks

• Why the range? 50 products versus 5,000 products. Standard checkout versus custom workflow. Single market versus multi-currency/multilingual. Basic versus advanced inventory management.

Web Application/MVP

• What you're getting: User accounts, dashboards, custom functionality, database architecture, API integrations

• Simple application: £15,000-£40,000

• Mid-complexity: £40,000-£100,000

• Complex platform: £100,000-£500,000+

• Timeline: 12-24+ weeks

• Why the range? This is where "website" stops being the right word. You're building software. Complexity multiplies cost exponentially.

Corporate/Enterprise Website

• What you're getting: Multi-level navigation, extensive content, integrations with CRM/marketing automation, multi-user permissions, advanced security

• Standard build: £30,000-£80,000

• Complex requirements: £80,000-£200,000

• Enterprise-grade: £200,000-£500,000+

• Timeline: 16-32+ weeks

• Why the range? Number of stakeholders, approval layers, compliance requirements, integration complexity, content migration needs.

1. Design Complexity (The Pretty Tax)

Template-based: £0-£2,000: You pick a theme, agency customises colours/fonts/images

Semi-custom: £5,000-£15,000: Start with framework, heavy customisation to match brand

Fully custom: £15,000-£50,000+: Every element designed specifically for you

Difference: Template sites look like template sites. Custom design is unique. Whether that matters depends on your brand positioning and competitive landscape.

2. Functionality (The Complexity Multiplier)

Basic:

• Contact form: £200-£500

• Email newsletter signup: £300-£800

• Google Maps integration: £200-£400

Intermediate:

• Blog with categories/tags: £1,000-£3,000

• Event calendar: £2,000-£5,000

• Member login area: £3,000-£8,000

• Search functionality: £2,000-£6,000

Advanced:

• E-commerce with variants: £5,000-£20,000

• Payment processing: £3,000-£10,000

• Real-time chat: £4,000-£12,000

• Multi-user roles/permissions: £5,000-£15,000

• Custom dashboards: £8,000-£25,000

• API integrations (per integration): £2,000-£10,000

The trap: "While we're at it, can we also..." turns a £15,000 project into a £40,000 project real fast.

3. Content Creation (The Part Many Forget)

What needs creating:

• Copywriting for all pages

• Professional photography

• Video production

• Graphic design assets

• Stock image licensing

Do it yourself: £0 (but costs weeks or even months of your time)

Agency handles it:

• Basic copywriting: £500-£2,000

• Professional copywriting: £2,000-£8,000

• Photography session: £1,000-£5,000

• Video production: £3,000-£20,000+

• Stock images: £200-£1,000

Reality check: Most £15,000 quotes assume you're providing content. If you're not, add £3,000-£10,000 to the budget.

4. Third-Party Integrations (Hidden Budget Issues)

Each integration costs time and testing:

• Email marketing (Mailchimp, Klaviyo): £1,000-£3,000

• CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot): £3,000-£10,000

• Payment gateway (Stripe, PayPal): £2,000-£5,000

• Inventory management: £3,000-£8,000

• Booking/scheduling system: £4,000-£12,000

• Analytics/tracking: £1,000-£3,000

Plus the tools themselves cost money:

• Most charge monthly fees (£50-£500/month)

• Many require transaction fees (2-3% of payments)

• Some need enterprise licenses (£5,000+/year)

5. Mobile Optimisation (Not Optional)

This cost should be baked into every website quote today. If a web development agency isn't building mobile-first, ask for tickets to their time machine because they're living in 2015.

What it includes:

• Responsive design across breakpoints

• Touch-friendly interfaces

• Performance optimisation for mobile connections

• Testing on actual devices

Cost: Built into development, but adds 20-30% to timeline versus desktop-only

Red flag: If an agency quotes you for desktop and then says mobile is "extra," walk away.

6. Ongoing Costs (The Forever Tax)

Nobody mentions these upfront. These are monthly costs after launch:

Essential:

• Domain name: £10-£50/year

• Hosting: £20-£200/month (depends on traffic/complexity)

• SSL certificate: £0-£100/year (often included in hosting)

• Backups: £10-£50/month

Recommended:

• Maintenance and updates: £100-£500/month

• Security monitoring: £50-£200/month

• Performance monitoring: £30-£100/month

• Content updates: £200-£1,000/month (if agency handles)

Total ongoing: £300-£1,500/month is realistic for a professional business website

Alternative: Pay nothing monthly, then pay £2,000-£5,000 when things break. Most businesses find monthly retainers cheaper.

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‍Fixed-Price Projects

How it works: You agree on scope, timeline, and price upfront. Agency delivers for that price regardless of how long it actually takes them.

Example: £25,000 for e-commerce site with 20 product pages, checkout, customer accounts, blog.

Pros:

• Predictable budget

• Agency eats cost overruns

• Clear deliverables

Cons:

• Changes trigger expensive change orders

• Scope creep battles

• Less flexibility as requirements evolve

Best for: Well-defined projects where requirements won't change

Time and Materials (Hourly/Daily Rates)

How it works: You pay for actual time spent. Agency tracks hours, bills accordingly.

UK agency rates:

• Junior developer: £40-£80/hour

• Mid-level developer: £80-£120/hour

• Senior developer: £120-£200/hour

• Designer: £60-£120/hour

• Project manager: £80-£150/hour

Offshore rates (Octogle):

• Developers: £20-£60/hour

• Designers: £25-£50/hour

Pros:

• Maximum flexibility

• Pay only for work done

• Can adjust scope easily

Cons:

• Budget can spiral

• Requires diligent oversight

• Agencies benefit from inefficiency

Best for: Projects with evolving requirements, ongoing work, exploratory development

Protection: Set weekly hour caps and require detailed timesheets

Monthly Retainer

How it works: Fixed monthly fee for ongoing work. Agency commits X hours/month to your project.

Typical: £2,000-£10,000/month depending on commitment level

Pros:

• Predictable monthly cost

• Ongoing relationship

• Faster response times (you're not competing for agency attention)

Cons:

• Pay whether you use all hours or not

• Requires consistent work pipeline

• Can be expensive if needs are sporadic

Best for: Ongoing development after launch, continuous improvements, active digital businesses

Hybrid

How it works: Core features at fixed price, additions billed hourly, ongoing support on retainer.

Example: £30,000 fixed for initial build, £150/hour for changes, £1,500/month retainer for maintenance

Pros:

• Budget certainty for core project

• Flexibility for extras

• Aligned incentives

Cons:

• More complex contracting

• Requires clear definition of what's "core" versus "extra"

Best for: Most businesses, honestly

1. Scope Creep

You start with a clear idea. Then:

Week 3: "Actually, can we add a blog?"

Week 5: "Can users create accounts?"

Week 8: "We need a members-only area"

Week 10: "Can we integrate with our CRM?"

Each "small addition" costs £2,000-£8,000. Your £20,000 project is now £40,000.

Protection: Lock scope before development starts. Budget 15-20% contingency for changes.

2. Content Delays

An agency can't build what doesn't exist. If you're three weeks late delivering copy and images, they're three weeks delayed. But you're still paying.

Reality: 60% of website delays are caused by content not being ready, not development problems.

Protection: Finish content before engaging agency, or budget for them to create it.

3. Revision Rounds

Most agencies include 2-3 revision rounds in their quote. After that, you pay.

Typical revision costs:

• Minor changes (colours, text): £200-£500

• Medium changes (layout adjustments): £500-£2,000

• Major changes (redesign sections): £2,000-£8,000

Protection: Be decisive during revision rounds. "Let me think about it" eats revisions.

4. Technical Debt

Cheap development today = expensive fixes tomorrow.

What technical debt looks like:

• Site breaks with WordPress update

• Can't add new features without rewriting code

• Performance degrades over time

• Security vulnerabilities emerge

• Can't find anyone willing to work on the codebase

Cost to fix: Often £15,000-£50,000 to rebuild properly

Prevention: Pay for quality code from the start. It's cheaper.

5. Testing and QA

Proper testing adds 15-25% to development cost. Cheap agencies skip it.

What happens:

• Forms don't work on Safari

• Checkout breaks on mobile

• Site crashes under load

• Security holes

• Accessibility issues

Cost of discovering these after launch: £5,000-£15,000 in emergency fixes plus lost revenue

Lesson: Pay for QA upfront or pay 3x later

UK-Based Agencies

• London: £100-£200+/hour

• Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh: £80-£150/hour

• Smaller cities: £60-£120/hour

What you're paying for:

• Local time zone

• Cultural alignment

• Face-to-face meetings possible

• UK business hours

• Higher labour costs

When it makes sense: Complex projects needing frequent communication, regulated industries, preference for local partnership

Eastern European Agencies (Poland, Ukraine, Romania)

Rates: £30-£70/hour

What you're paying for:

• Strong technical skills

• Good English proficiency

• European time zone (reasonable overlap)

• Lower cost of living

When it makes sense: Well-defined projects, budget constraints, technical expertise needed

Indian Agencies

Rates: £20-£50/hour

What you're paying for:

• Largest developer talent pool

• Most competitive pricing

• Mature outsourcing industry

Challenges:

• Time zone gap (5.5 hour difference with UK)

• Communication requires more effort

• Quality varies wildly

When it makes sense: Projects with clear specifications, budget is primary concern, you have time for asynchronous communication

The Geography-Based Costs of Website Development

• UK agency: 200 hours × £120/hour = £24,000

• Eastern Europe: 200 hours × £45/hour = £9,000

• India: 200 hours × £30/hour = £6,000

Looks compelling, right?

But that assumes the same delivery time and quality. In reality:

• Offshore might take 250 hours (coordination overhead)

• You spend 40 hours managing (your time costs money)

• QA issues add 30 hours of fixes

Suddenly £6,000 becomes £15,000 in real cost. Still cheaper than £24,000, but not as dramatic as it seemed.

The clients that crushed it with offshore – they solved coordination. Overlapping hours. Experienced PMs. Proven processes like Octogle's model (AI-trained developers, managed placement, time zone overlap).  

Startup/Small Business Website

What you need: 5-10 pages, contact form, blog, mobile responsive, CMS

Budget: £5,000-£15,000

Breakdown:

• Discovery & strategy: £1,000

• Design: £2,000-£4,000

• Development: £2,000-£6,000

• Content: £500-£2,000 (if agency creates)

• Testing & launch: £500-£1,500

Ongoing: £200-£500/month

E-Commerce Store

What you need: 50-200 products, checkout, inventory, payment processing, customer accounts

Budget: £15,000-£50,000

Breakdown:

• Discovery & strategy: £2,000-£4,000

• Design: £5,000-£12,000

• Development: £8,000-£25,000

• Product setup: £1,000-£5,000

• Integrations: £2,000-£8,000

• Testing & launch: £2,000-£5,000

Ongoing: £500-£2,000/month

Web Application/MVP

What you need: Custom functionality, user dashboards, database, scalability

Budget: £40,000-£150,000+

Breakdown:

• Discovery & requirements: £5,000-£15,000

• UX/UI design: £8,000-£25,000

• Development: £25,000-£90,000

• Testing & QA: £5,000-£20,000

• Deployment: £2,000-£8,000

Ongoing: £1,000-£5,000/month

Critical: If you're building a web application, you don't want a website agency. You want a software development company like Octogle. Website agencies will struggle, costs will balloon, and you'll rebuild in 12 months.

You get three quotes: £10,000, £25,000, and £55,000 for "the same project."

They're not quoting the same thing. Here is a checklist of questions to ask so you can make a more informed comparison:

What's Actually Included?

• Discovery and strategy: In or out?

• Design revisions: How many rounds?

• Development: Just coding or includes testing?

• Content creation: Your responsibility or theirs?

• Training: Included or extra?

• Post-launch support: How long? What's covered?

What Costs Extra?

• Additional revision rounds: How much?

• Scope changes: What's the process?

• Ongoing maintenance: Monthly cost?

• Content updates: What's included, what costs extra?

Payment Schedule

• All upfront: Red flag (you have zero leverage)

• Milestone-based: Good (50% start, 25% design approval, 25% launch)

• Pay-on-delivery: Risky for both (agency has no security, you risk them quitting)

What Guarantees?

• Money-back: Rare but exists

• Replacement: What happens if developer leaves?

• Timeline: What if they miss deadlines?

• Quality: What if it doesn't work?

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When your "website" has custom dashboards, complex user interactions, custom business logic, real-time data, or continuous feature evolution, typical website agencies will struggle and deliver unmaintainable code.  

Software development companies (like Octogle) can help you navigate these complexities properly. Connect with us today for a free consultation.