Despite the fact we’re all so familiar with the web, the price of website design still remains a mystery to many people. In fact, when we ran a poll on the subject recently, the results surprised us. Over a third of respondents said they thought a professional website would cost them over £500, and 13% of them would expect to pay £1,000 or more.

There’s no shortage of web design agencies demanding four figures for their services. And while it’s true some larger companies pay thousands to develop their websites, it’s possible (and advisable) to build a professional-looking site for much less for your small business.

Many small business owners simply do not have the budget to invest £1,000 or more in a bespoke website. And although price can give the illusion of quality, there are now more affordable alternatives available, which would be hard to tell apart from a custom coded site.  New technologies such as HTML5, CSS3 and cloud infrastructure make all this possible.

In the past, business owners had no choice but to stump up a small fortune for a designer, or learn the skills required to build their own website from scratch. Now, tools exist to help small business owners create their own websites, with no expertise required. Website builder services such as bOnline offer customisable designs for specific industries, which result in beautiful, functional websites for small businesses.

These tried and tested website solutions are just as effective as the bespoke websites often sold to small businesses at an unnecessarily high price. They often include everything you would expect from a business website, from eCommerce to booking systems. The combination of different designs, colours and features will ensure your website is truly unique to your business.

Aside from price, there are many other advantages to choosing a website builder over a design agency. With a website builder, you can maintain the website yourself, add content at any time, and if you fancy a design change there will be no additional charges - you can simply choose a new design to suit you. There are often added advantages, such as help with SEO and advice on getting the most from your website.

Unfortunately, there are companies and designers out there who charge a lot but don’t actually deliver a website worth the price. Be wary of any designers that demand thousands for a website, whether it’s built from scratch or based on a pre-existing design. Even if their offer is genuine, take the time to think about whether you really need a custom-coded design for your small business.