Startup website design
When a business is new, the website has a few simple jobs: make you look real, explain what you do in a sentence, and give people a way to get in touch or sign up. It does not need to be big. It needs to be clear, quick to change, and not eat the budget you need for everything else.
hosting and edits included
- No long-term contract
- You own your domain
- Edits included
A startup website needs a clear one-line explanation of what you do, who it is for, proof that you are real, one obvious next step, and, if you are a limited company, your registered name, number and office address. You can build that yourself on a builder from about £9 a month, or have it written and built for £449 setup and £39 a month (Launch), moving up to Grow as you add services.
What a startup website needs on day one
- One sentence on what you do and for whom. If a visitor cannot repeat it, nothing else on the page matters.
- Why you. What is different, and the early proof you have: a pilot customer, a quote, a photo of the product.
- One next step. Book a call, join the waiting list, request a quote. Pick one.
- Who is behind it. Names and faces build trust faster than a logo.
- The legal basics. Company details, a privacy notice if you collect enquiries, and terms if you sell.
Company details your website must show
If your startup is a limited company, the Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015 require your website to show the company's registered name, the part of the UK it is registered in (for example England and Wales), its registered number and its registered office address. The footer is the usual place.
This catches out a lot of new businesses that trade under a brand name different from the company name. It is a summary to help you plan a website, not legal advice, and LLPs have similar rules.
Build it yourself or have it built?
Do it yourself
Right if you are testing an idea, the budget is very tight, or someone on the team enjoys it. Wix Light is about £9 a month and Squarespace Basic £12 a month on annual billing. See the best website builder in the UK.
Have it built
Right once the business is real and the founders' time is worth more spent on customers. You get the words written, the Google groundwork done and edits handled.
Either is a sensible choice. The mistake is spending months and thousands on a big site before you know what customers respond to.
A site that grows with you
Start with five pages on Launch. When you add services, locations or a team, move up to Grow or Scale and pay only the difference in setup fee. Nothing gets rebuilt from scratch, your domain stays in your name, and there is no long-term contract if plans change.
Example: a new service business in its first year
- Five pages: home, services, about the founders, pricing or how it works, contact
- One clear call to action, such as booking a call or joining a waiting list
- Company details, privacy notice and enquiry form in place
- Google Business Profile set up if you serve a local area
- Hosting and edits included, up to 4 requests a month, with Grow available when you need more pages
Fixed price. No long-term contract. You own your domain and content.
If you are selling online from the start
If the product is sold online, a shop platform such as Shopify is usually the better first step, and our packages are not built for full shops. Our ecommerce website cost guide compares the options, and we can talk it through on a call.
Prices checked 18 October 2026. Sources: Names and Trading Disclosures Regulations 2015, Part 6; Startups.co.uk on Wix pricing; Squarespace pricing. Platforms change prices and run offers, so check before you buy. Some prices exclude VAT.
Questions people ask
How much does a startup website cost?
From about £9 a month if you build it yourself on Wix Light. Ours is £449 setup and £39 a month, with the writing, hosting and edits included.
What must a limited company show on its website?
Its registered name, the part of the UK it is registered in, its registered number and its registered office address, under the 2015 trading disclosure regulations.
Should a startup use a website builder?
Often, yes, especially while testing an idea. Move to a done-for-you site once your time is better spent on customers than on the website.
Can I start small and upgrade later?
Yes. Moving from Launch to Grow or Scale costs the difference in setup fees, and the monthly fee changes from then on.
Keep reading
Want a fixed price instead of a range?
Tell us what your business does and what the site needs to do. We'll come back with the tier that fits and the exact price, including when the answer is the cheapest one.
- Fixed price, published
- No long-term contract
- You own your domain
- Edits included