Website Development for Small Business: DIY or Hire?
Published 14 July 2026 · by Archie
You have three realistic options: build it yourself with a tool like Wix, let an AI builder throw one together, or pay a developer. All three can work. Which one is right depends on how much time you have, how tight the budget is, and how much work the website actually needs to bring in.
Here is an honest look at all three, with real UK prices, from someone who builds websites for a living and will still tell you when you don't need to hire me.
Your three options
Do it yourself with a website builder. Tools like Wix and Squarespace let you drag boxes around until you have a website. No developer needed. You pay a monthly fee and put the hours in yourself.
Use an AI builder. The newest option. You describe your business, and a tool generates a site in minutes. Quick and cheap to start, but you get what it gives you, and making it say and do exactly what you want is harder than the adverts suggest.
Hire a developer. You explain what your business does and the jobs you want more of. Someone who does this every day builds the site, writes it with you, sets it up on Google, and remains on the end of the phone afterwards.
What website development for small business really costs
The builder adverts lead with "free" and developers lead with quality, so it is hard to compare like for like. Here is the honest version:
| Option | Upfront cost | Ongoing cost | Your time |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) | £0 | Roughly £10 to £30 a month, forever | Evenings and weekends for weeks, then upkeep |
| AI builder | £0 to a small fee | Usually a monthly plan, similar to DIY | Less at the start, more when you want changes |
| Hiring a developer | £300 to £3,000 one-off | Hosting is minimal; support only if you want it | A couple of conversations and your feedback |
Two things worth noticing. First, "free" builders are not free: at £20 a month you spend £720 over three years, and the site still looks like you made it yourself. Second, a professional build is not the thousands some agencies quote. A simple one page site starts around £300, and most small business sites land between £800 and £2,000. The full breakdown is in how much a website costs in the UK.
When doing it yourself is the right choice
I would genuinely point you at a DIY builder if:
- Money is the constraint and time isn't. If £300 is not there right now but your evenings are, a builder gets you online. A rough website beats no website.
- You only need a digital business card. One page saying who you are, what you do, and how to call you. A builder handles that fine.
- You enjoy this sort of thing. Some people like fiddling with layouts. If that's you, you'll be fine, and you can always hand it over later.
The same logic applies to AI builders, with one caution: check what it wrote about you. They are confident, fast, and sometimes wrong, and a website that says the wrong thing about your business is worse than a plain one.
When hiring a developer is the right choice
Paying someone makes sense when the website has a job to do:
- The site needs to win work. If a customer comparing three plumbers picks the one who looks most professional, the website pays for itself with one job. That is the case for most tradespeople and local service businesses.
- You don't have the evenings. Builders are only cheap if you don't count your time. Twenty hours of fighting a page editor is twenty hours not spent on paying work.
- You want it done once, properly. Set up correctly on Google, fast on a phone, words that sell what you do. Then you get on with your business.
If you are weighing that up, do you need a website for your trade business tackles the "is it worth it" question head on.
What you actually get when you hire someone
"Website development" sounds technical, but what a good developer sells is plainer than that:
- A site that looks right on phones, tablets, and laptops. Most of your visitors are on their phone.
- Help with the words. You know your trade; a developer who writes with you turns that into pages customers understand.
- Google setup. Making sure Google can find the site and knows what area you cover.
- Speed. Slow sites lose visitors before the page loads.
- Someone accountable. When something needs changing, you send one message instead of watching tutorials.
Most small business sites take 2 to 5 weeks. There is a realistic breakdown in how long it takes to build a website, and you can see what a full build includes on the small business website design page.
FAQs
How much does it cost to get a website built for a small business? In the UK, a professionally built small business website typically costs £300 to £3,000 as a one-off. A simple one page site sits at the bottom of that range, a brochure site with several pages usually lands between £800 and £2,000, and larger sites with lots of pages or extra features reach the top. Always get a fixed quote before anything starts.
Is it worth making a website for a small business? Almost always, yes. Customers check you out online before they call, even when a friend recommended you. A clear, professional site turns those checks into enquiries. If one extra job a year comes from it, the site has paid for itself.
How can I build a website for my small business? Use a website builder like Wix or Squarespace. You pick a template, swap in your words and photos, and pay a monthly fee from around £10. Expect to spend several evenings on it, and keep the site to one or two simple pages. If it starts eating whole weekends, that is the signal to get a quote instead.
Can ChatGPT build me a website? AI tools can generate a decent starting point in minutes, and for a simple placeholder that might be enough. What they can't do is know your business: the jobs you want more of, what your customers worry about, or whether what they wrote about you is true. Check every word before you publish, and treat the result as a first draft, not a finished site.
Still not sure which way to go? Get a free, fixed price quote, tell me what your business does, and I'll tell you honestly whether you need a developer at all.