Worked example
How much does a small-business website really cost over three years?
A website quote usually has two parts: a one-off build price and a monthly charge for hosting and care. Looking at only one of them hides the real cost. Here is a worked example with a published price.
Example: the Millwards Launch package
Launch is a focused one-page website at £249 to build, plus £39 a month for care (hosting, SSL, routine maintenance, backups and support).
| Period | Build | Care | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | £249 | £468 | £717 |
| 3 years | £249 | £1,404 | £1,653 |
Care is £39 × 12 = £468 a year, or £1,404 over 36 months. The domain name renews separately, and a managed mailbox is an optional £4.99 a month, so neither is in the totals above.
How to use this with other quotes
- Write down the build price and the monthly price for every quote.
- Multiply the monthly price by 36 and add the build price.
- Check what is left out: domain, email, backups, support.
- Compare the three-year totals, not the headline prices.
Try it with your own numbers
The free calculator does the sums for any quote and shows 1-year and 3-year totals.