The Truth About "Free Websites" for UK Small Businesses: What You Really Need to Know
The Truth About "Free Websites" for UK Small Businesses: What You Really Need to Know
If you're a small business owner in the UK looking to get online, you've probably searched "free website builder" at least once. And why wouldn't you? The promise of a professional website without spending a penny sounds perfect, especially when you're watching every pound.
But here's the thing - after helping hundreds of UK small businesses get online, we've seen the reality of what happens when business owners go down the "free website" route. Some succeed. Many don't. And most end up spending far more time and money than they expected.
So let's have an honest conversation about free websites, what they actually cost, and what genuinely is the best option for your UK small business.
The Myth of "Free" Websites
First, let's be clear: there's no such thing as a truly free website. Not really.
What you'll find are website builders that offer a free tier or plan. These can be genuinely useful for certain situations, but they come with limitations that most businesses can't live with long-term.
The most common "free" options UK business owners encounter are:
Wix Free Plan
WordPress.com Free Plan
Google Sites
Weebly Free Plan
GoDaddy Website Builder (free trial)
These platforms will let you create a basic website without paying upfront. But - and this is crucial - they're designed to get you in the door, then upsell you to paid plans once you realise the limitations.
What "Free" Actually Costs You
Let's break down what you're really getting with a free website, and what it's actually costing you in the long run.
1. Your Domain Name Isn't Yours
With a free website, you don't get your own domain name. Instead, you get something like:
Imagine handing out business cards with that on them. Or putting it on your van. Or telling customers over the phone. It screams "I haven't invested in my business" and immediately damages your credibility.
If you want your own proper domain (yourbusiness.co.uk), you'll need to pay for it. In the UK, expect to pay around £10-15 per year for a .co.uk domain, or £15-20 for a .com domain.
2. Hosting Isn't Free Forever
Free website builders include hosting, but only for their basic free tier. The moment you need:
More storage space
More bandwidth (visitors)
Better performance
Professional features
You'll need to upgrade to a paid hosting plan. UK hosting costs typically range from £5-15 per month for basic shared hosting, up to £50-200+ per month for better performance.
3. The Branding Problem
Free websites display the platform's branding, not yours. You'll have "Powered by Wix" or "Create a free website with WordPress.com" plastered on your site.
Some platforms even show advertisements on your free site - ads you don't control, don't profit from, and that might even promote your competitors.
To remove these? You guessed it - you need to upgrade to a paid plan.
4. Limited Features That Kill Conversion
Free plans severely restrict the features that actually help you get customers:
Basic contact forms only (no advanced lead capture)
No e-commerce or very limited product listings
No email marketing integrations
Limited or no SEO tools
No analytics or basic analytics only
Can't accept payments
Limited templates and customisation
No customer support or very limited support
For a business trying to attract customers online, these limitations are deal-breakers.
5. The Hidden Cost: Your Time
This is the big one nobody talks about.
Even with "easy" DIY website builders, most UK small business owners spend 20-40 hours building their first website. Many give up halfway through. Others finish but end up with something that looks amateurish and doesn't convert visitors into customers.
At £20-30 per hour (what you could be earning serving customers), that's £400-1,200 worth of your time. Suddenly "free" doesn't look so cheap.
The Best Genuinely Free Options (If You're Determined to DIY)
If you're still set on the free route, here's my honest assessment of the best options available in the UK:
Best for Absolute Beginners: Wix Free Plan
Wix is genuinely easy to use with drag-and-drop editing. The free plan gives you:
500MB storage
500MB bandwidth
Wix branding and ads
wix.com subdomain
It's fine for a hobby site or testing an idea, but not credible for a serious business.
Cost to upgrade to business features:£16-27/month
Plus domain:£10-15/year
Total first year:£202-339
Best for Blogging: WordPress.com Free Plan
If you mainly want to blog, WordPress.com's free tier is decent:
1GB storage
WordPress branding
wordpress.com subdomain
Basic customisation
Not to be confused with self-hosted WordPress.org (more on that in a moment).
Cost to upgrade for business features:£25/month
Plus domain:£10-15/year
Total first year:£310-315
Best for Dead Simple: Google Sites
If you literally just need a one-page site with basic info, Google Sites is free and genuinely simple:
Unlimited pages (technically)
No ads
Free custom domain (with Google Workspace)
Very limited design options
It works for internal company sites or very basic presence, but it's quite limited and doesn't look particularly professional.
To get a custom domain:£4.60/month for Google Workspace
Total first year:£55.20
The "Sort Of" Free Option: Self-Hosted WordPress
This is where things get interesting. WordPress.org (different from WordPress.com) is free, open-source software. It's what powers about 40% of all websites globally.
But here's what you actually need to pay for:
Domain name:£10-15/year
Hosting:£5-15/month (£60-180/year)
SSL certificate:Usually free with hosting now
Theme:£0-60 (free themes available, premium £30-60)
Plugins:£0-200/year (many free, some premium)
Total first year:£70-455
The catch? WordPress has a steep learning curve. You'll need to:
Choose and set up hosting
Install WordPress
Choose and customise a theme
Install and configure plugins
Handle security and updates yourself
Troubleshoot when things break
Optimise for mobile and speed
Sort out SEO yourself
For tech-savvy people, this is brilliant. For most small business owners, it's overwhelming.
What Actually Makes Sense for UK Small Businesses
After working with hundreds of UK small businesses, here's what we've learned works:
If you have zero budget and it's not business-critical:Use Wix or WordPress.com free plan temporarily. Accept the limitations. Plan to upgrade within 3-6 months.
If you're tech-savvy and have time:Self-hosted WordPress gives you the most control and long-term value. Budget £100-200 for year one, and invest the time to learn it properly.
If you're running an actual business that needs to attract customers:Stop trying to save pennies and invest in a proper solution. The question isn't whether you need a professional website - it's how to get one without breaking the bank or wasting weeks of your time.
The Done-For-You Alternative (Yes, We're Biased, But Hear Us Out)
This is where we come in, and we're obviously biased, but let's do the maths honestly.
Our done-for-you website service costs £25/month. Here's what that includes:
✓ Professional website design and build
✓ Your own domain name (.co.uk or .com)
✓ Fast, reliable hosting
✓ SSL certificate (security)
✓ Mobile-responsive design
✓ SEO optimisation
✓ Google & search engine ready
✓ Regular updates and maintenance
✓ Ongoing support
✓ No contracts - cancel anytime
Total first year cost:£300
Compare that to:
Wix Business plan:£202-339/year (plus your time building it)
WordPress.com Business:£310-315/year (plus your time)
Self-hosted WordPress:£70-455/year (plus 20-40 hours of your time)
Our service includes the professional build (saving you 20-40 hours), ongoing maintenance (saving you hours each month), support when you need it (priceless when something breaks), and professional design that actually converts visitors into customers.
The Real Question You Should Be Asking
The question isn't "How can I get a free website?"
The real question is: "What's the most cost-effective way to get a professional website that actually helps my business grow?"
Because a free website that:
Looks amateurish
Doesn't show up on Google
Doesn't work properly on mobile
Has someone else's branding on it
Took you 40 hours to build
Doesn't convert visitors into customers
...is actually the most expensive website you could possibly have. It's costing you customers every single day.
A professional website that costs £25/month but brings you even one extra customer per month pays for itself many times over.
Our Honest Recommendation
Here's what we tell people when they ask:
Just exploring or hobby:Start with Wix or WordPress.com free plan. It's fine for learning.
Serious about business but extremely tight budget:Self-hosted WordPress if you're tech-savvy and have time. Budget £100-200 for year one.
Running a business that needs customers:Invest in a proper solution. Whether that's our done-for-you service at £25/month, hiring a local web designer, or using a business-tier plan from Wix/Squarespace, get something professional that actually works.
The websites that succeed are the ones that:
Look professional and trustworthy
Work perfectly on mobile
Load quickly
Show up on Google
Make it easy for customers to contact you
Have clear calls-to-action
You can achieve this with free tools if you have the skills and time. Most UK small business owners don't.
The Bottom Line
"Free" websites aren't really free. Between domain costs, hosting upgrades, premium features, and the massive time investment, you'll end up paying one way or another.
For UK small businesses, the question isn't whether to invest in your website - it's whether you invest your time or your money. Both are valuable. Both are limited.
If you're a web design enthusiast with 40 hours to spare, brilliant - go the DIY route. If you're a plumber, electrician, landscaper, cleaner, or any other business owner who'd rather spend those 40 hours serving customers, get someone else to sort your website properly.
Either way, stop falling for the "free website" marketing. It's designed to get you in the door, then nickle-and-dime you with upgrades. Know what you're getting into, budget realistically, and choose the option that makes the most sense for your business.
Want to see what a proper small business website looks like without the hassle of building it yourself? Check out our done-for-you website service at just £25/month - no contracts, no hidden costs, and we'll have you online in days, not weeks.
Because your business deserves better than "free."
