Questions worth asking before you commit
- Can I see live sites you've built that I can open and use myself?
- What exactly is included, and what costs extra?
- Who writes the content — you or me?
- How many revisions are included before changes are chargeable?
- Who owns the website and the domain when it's finished?
- What happens if I want to move it elsewhere in two years?
- How long will it take, and what do you need from me to hit that?
- What does support cost after launch, and is it compulsory?
Answers that should make you pause
| What you hear | Why it's a concern |
|---|---|
| "We guarantee page one on Google" | Nobody can promise rankings; it's a sales line |
| "Hosting must be with us" | Fine if reasonable, a problem if it's £100 a month |
| "We'll sort the details later" | Scope disputes almost always start here |
| "You'll need us for any change" | You should be able to edit basic content yourself |
| A quote with no page count | The commonest cause of a project going over budget |
| A three-year minimum contract | You're leasing a website, not buying one |
Freelancer, small agency or platform?
A freelancer or solo designer gives you direct contact and lower prices, and you always know who's doing the work. The limit is capacity — one person can't cover every specialism or answer at midnight.
An agency brings a team and more structure, which matters for bigger builds, brand work or complex functionality. You pay for that structure and decisions take longer. A DIY platform is cheapest in cash and most expensive in your own hours. None is the right answer universally — match it to the size of what you're building.
How to compare quotes fairly
Two quotes for "a website" can differ by thousands and both be honest, because they're for different things. Before comparing figures, get each one to state the number of pages, who writes the copy, whether photography is included, how many revisions you get, and what the ongoing cost is.
Then compare total cost over three years, not the headline build price. A £600 site with a compulsory £90-a-month plan costs more than a £1,600 site with an optional £49 one.
Check the work, not the portfolio images
Open two or three of their live sites on your phone. Are they quick? Is the text readable outdoors? Does the phone number dial when tapped? Does the contact form work? A screenshot in a portfolio tells you how something looked in a design tool; the live site tells you what your customers will get.
Ownership is the thing people forget
Make sure you own the domain, that it's registered in your name, and that you can take the website elsewhere if you want to. Plenty of cheap builds turn out to be rentals — you stop paying and the site disappears. Ask the question directly and get the answer in writing.
How I work
Prices are published rather than quoted: £800 for a one-page site, £1,600 for up to five pages, and larger builds at £3,000 and £4,000. You deal with me — Joshua — from first message to launch, most sites go live within 1–2 weeks, care plans are optional at £49 a month, and you own the website and domain outright. If I don't think you need a new site, I'll say so.