Web Design for Startups and New Businesses

What a startup website actually needs

Early on, nobody is searching for your brand name. People find you through a referral, a LinkedIn post, a pitch deck or a search for the problem you solve. Your website has seconds to confirm three things: what you do, who it is for and what to do next. If a stranger cannot repeat your offer after reading the first screen, the rest of the site does not matter.

So we start with the message, not the design. We write a one-line description, a short paragraph on the problem and how you fix it, and one call to action: book a call, join the waitlist, request a demo or get a price. Then we design around that. A founder photo and a plain explanation of why you started the business do more for trust at this stage than stock imagery.

Many startups only need a one-page website or a landing page at first. That is quick, cheap and easy to change as your offer develops.

Legal basics for a new business website

A few rules apply from launch day, and investors and larger customers notice when they are missing.

• Company details. If you trade as a limited company, the Companies (Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2008 require your registered name, the part of the UK where you are registered, your company number and registered office address on your website. We put these in the footer.
• Privacy and cookies. If your site collects names and emails, you need a privacy notice. Analytics and marketing tags need consent under UK GDPR and PECR, so the banner must let people reject as easily as accept.
• ICO fee. The Information Commissioner's Office expects most organisations that process personal data to pay its data protection fee unless an exemption applies. It is quick to check on the ICO website.
• Claims. The ASA's CAP Code requires evidence for objective claims. "The UK's first" or "saves 50%" needs proof on file.

Validate first, build big later

If you are not yet sure what customers will pay for, a full website is the wrong first spend. A landing page with a waitlist or pre-order form, plus a small ad budget or a few targeted posts, tells you within weeks whether the offer lands. We set up conversion tracking so you can see sign-up rates rather than guess.

When the idea is proven, the site grows on the same platform. We build startup sites on WordPress, Webflow or a lightweight static stack depending on who will edit it and how fast it needs to load. Adding service pages, a blog or a pricing page later does not mean a rebuild. If your product itself is software, our sister company dijitul developments builds web apps and MVPs; this site is for the marketing website around it.

Speed, ownership and not getting stuck

Founders often inherit a site from a friend, a freelancer who moved on or a platform account in someone else's name. We register the domain in your company's name, give you the admin logins and document how everything fits together. You own it all, with no lock-in.

We build to pass Core Web Vitals, which Google defines as a Largest Contentful Paint of 2.5 seconds or less, Interaction to Next Paint of 200 milliseconds or less and Cumulative Layout Shift of 0.1 or less. A fast, plain site with clear copy usually beats a heavy animated one for a new brand.

Startup website prices

Most startups begin on Starter, from £250 + VAT, which covers up to five pages, custom design, a contact form, click-to-call, Google Business Profile, basic SEO and analytics. When you need a page per service and professionally written copy, Business is from £500 + VAT. Selling products from launch is ecommerce, from £750 + VAT. Extra design rounds or later changes are £45 an hour + VAT. Domain, hosting and paid tools are separate and listed in your quote. See all prices.

What you get

• One clear homepage message tested on people outside your sector
• Waitlist, pre-order or enquiry form linked to your email tool
• Up to 5 pages on Starter, or up to 15 with copywriting on Business
• Company details, privacy notice and cookie consent set up
• Google Business Profile if you serve customers locally
• Analytics, Search Console and a short handover so you can edit it yourself

Prices and how it works

Websites from £250 + VAT, business websites from £500 + VAT and ecommerce from £750 + VAT. Small changes are £45 an hour + VAT. You get a fixed quote before we start.

1. Free chat

   Tell us about your business, who your customers are and what the website needs to do. No charge, no obligation.

2. Fixed quote

   You get a fixed price and a clear list of what is included, in writing, before anything starts.

3. Design

   We plan the pages and design the site around your customers, then share it for your comments.

4. Build and test

   We build it mobile-first, write or polish the copy, set up SEO foundations and test it on real phones.

5. Launch and hand over

   We launch, connect analytics and Search Console, and show you how to update it. You own it all.

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