How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Web Developer?
One of the first questions people ask when they start thinking about a new website is also one of the hardest to answer: how much does a web developer cost?
The honest answer is that it depends on the size of the project, how much work is involved and how much support you need along the way. A simple one-page website is very different from a fully designed e-commerce store with hundreds of products, SEO, content and ongoing updates.
That is why I offer different ways to work together. Some clients only need a few hours of help, while others want me to take care of the entire website from the initial idea through to launch.
Here is a straightforward guide to the different options and what you can expect from each.
Web Design and Development at £40 Per Hour
My standard rate is £40 per hour, which gives you the flexibility to buy exactly the amount of time your website needs.
This works particularly well when you already have a website but need someone to make improvements, add new pages, upload products, make design changes, fix issues or help you develop the site gradually.
Rather than committing to a large project, you can purchase a block of hours and use them where they are most useful.
5-hour package — £200
A 5-hour package is a good starting point for smaller jobs. It could be used for a collection of website updates, design changes, product uploads, troubleshooting or a small amount of development work.
10-hour package — £400
Ten hours gives us more room to work on a larger collection of changes or improvements. This can be useful when a website needs several areas updated rather than just one quick job.
15-hour package — £600
For projects requiring more development time, a 15-hour package provides a larger block of dedicated work. From time to time, I also offer a £20 discount on packages over 15 hours.
The advantage of hourly packages is flexibility. You don’t have to decide everything about your website before we start, and we can concentrate the available time on the areas that will make the biggest difference.
How Much Does a Complete Website Cost?
If you are starting from scratch, a fixed project can sometimes make more sense than working by the hour.
For clients who want a complete WordPress website, projects start from £1,500.
WordPress website — from £1,500
A typical website package includes:
- Custom website design
- WordPress development
- Website content
- Up to 4 pages
- Basic SEO setup
- Responsive design for mobile, tablet and desktop
- A complete website ready to launch
This type of project is suitable for a business that needs a professional online presence without the complexity of a large online shop.
The exact price can vary depending on the requirements. Additional pages, more complex functionality, integrations or bespoke features may require additional development time.
E-Commerce Website — from £3,500
An online shop is a much larger project because there is considerably more to build and configure.
My e-commerce projects start from £3,500 and can include an online shop with 300+ products.
The package can include:
- Custom e-commerce website design
- WooCommerce setup
- Up to 300+ products
- Product organisation and categories
- Content
- SEO
- Responsive design
- Product upload and shop setup
- Essential e-commerce functionality
For a larger catalogue, additional products can be added using an extra 5-hour package.
This approach makes the cost easier to understand because the price reflects the actual amount of work involved. A shop with 20 products and a shop with 500 products are very different projects, even if they use the same e-commerce platform.
What About Product Uploads?
Product uploads can be surprisingly time-consuming, particularly when every product needs a title, description, images, price, category, variations and other information.
For projects that include product uploading, I can upload up to 50 products as part of the relevant package. If you have more products to add, additional batches can be handled using a 5-hour package.
This is particularly useful for businesses with an existing product catalogue that needs to be transferred to a new website.
What Does a Web Developer Actually Do?
“Web developer” is a broad term. There are several different roles within web development, and the right person depends on the type of website and support your business needs.
Front-end web developer
A front-end developer works on what visitors actually see and interact with. This includes the layout, navigation, typography, buttons, animations and responsive behaviour of a website.
HTML, CSS and JavaScript are commonly used to create these user-facing experiences.
Back-end web developer
Back-end development focuses on the technology working behind the website. This can include servers, databases, integrations, security and the systems that allow a website to function.
For larger or technically complex projects, back-end development can become a significant part of the overall budget.
Full-stack web developer
A full-stack developer works across both front-end and back-end development.
This can be particularly useful for businesses looking for someone who can take responsibility for a complete digital project rather than working on only one part of it.
Junior web developer
Junior developers generally work on less complex tasks while building their experience. They may help with website updates, debugging, content changes and straightforward development work.
For smaller tasks, working with someone at this level can sometimes be appropriate, while more complicated projects may require a developer with more specialist experience.
Engineering manager
An engineering manager is generally involved with larger development teams and projects. Their role is less about building an individual business website and more about managing developers, technical planning, delivery and long-term development.
For a small business website, this level of resource is usually very different from what is required.
A Website Doesn’t Always Need to Be a Huge Project
Not every business needs a £3,500 e-commerce website.
Sometimes you simply need somewhere professional for potential customers to find out who you are, understand what you offer and contact you.
For that reason, I also offer a simple starter website for £490.
Starter Website — £490
The starter website is designed for businesses that need a professional online presence without a large, complicated build.
It is a single custom-coded page containing the key information about your business and is delivered in one day.
It can include your business introduction, services, contact information, calls to action and the essential content visitors need to understand what you do.
The design is still custom rather than simply dropping your information into a generic template. The idea is to create something clean, professional and specific to your business while keeping the project small and affordable.
For someone launching a new business, testing an idea or simply needing a proper website quickly, this can be a practical place to start.
How Much Time Does a Website Take?
The amount of time required depends entirely on the scale of the website.
A small update might take an hour or two. A collection of design changes could require a 5- or 10-hour package. A complete business website can take considerably longer because there is planning, design, development, content, responsive work, testing and SEO to consider.
An e-commerce website takes even more time because every part of the shopping experience needs to work together, from product pages and categories to checkout and mobile browsing.
This is why I prefer to look at the actual requirements before giving a final project price rather than giving every website the same fixed cost.
What About Ongoing Website Support?
Launching a website is not necessarily the end of the process.
Businesses change. New services are introduced, products are added, prices change, images need replacing and new pages may be required. Sometimes you simply want someone you trust to make updates without having to learn how to do everything yourself.
Hourly packages are useful for this kind of ongoing support. You can purchase the amount of development time you need and use it for updates, improvements, product uploads, content changes or other website work.
This also means you don’t necessarily need to pay for a large maintenance contract if your website only needs occasional attention.
Choosing the Right Option for Your Business
The best way to think about website costs is not simply in terms of the cheapest or most expensive option, but in terms of what your business actually needs.
If you need a few changes, an hourly package may be enough. If you need a straightforward online presence, the £490 starter website could be the right scale. A more established business may need a complete WordPress website from £1,500, while a business selling hundreds of products will require a more substantial e-commerce build from £3,500.
The important thing is to avoid paying for complexity you don’t need — while also making sure your website has everything necessary to do its job properly.
A good website should be an investment in your business, not simply another expense. Whether you need one beautifully designed page or a complete online shop, the project should be built around your goals, your customers and the amount of work genuinely required to get you there.