Paying for a website monthly makes a lot of sense. No big bill on day one, the cost sits alongside your other running costs, and someone else keeps the thing working. We offer it ourselves. But pay monthly deals vary wildly, and the difference is usually in the bits nobody reads.
Before you sign anything, from anyone, get straight answers to these.
1. Who owns the website?
This is the big one. On some plans the site belongs to the agency for as long as you pay, and if you stop, it disappears. On others it is yours once the term is up. Ask what happens to the design, the content and the domain name if you leave, and get the answer in writing.
2. How long is the minimum term?
Twelve or twenty-four months is common. That is fine if you know it going in. It is less fine if you find out when you try to cancel. Ask what it costs to leave early.
3. Who owns the domain name?
Your domain should be registered to your business, not the agency. If it is registered to them, you do not really control your own address online.
4. What does the monthly fee actually cover?
Hosting, security updates, backups, content changes, support? “Updates included” can mean a new page every month or a spelling correction once a year. Ask for a plain list.
5. Is it built for you, or picked from a template?
Cheap monthly plans are often a template with your logo dropped in. That can be enough for some businesses. Just know which one you are buying, and ask to see sites they have built for businesses like yours.
6. Does the price stay the same?
Some plans start low and creep up after the first year. Ask whether the monthly fee is fixed for the whole term.
The short version
A good pay monthly website is a fair deal: you spread the cost, and someone keeps it looked after. A bad one is a long lease on something you never own. The questions above tell you which one is in front of you.
Want to compare? Here is how our upfront and monthly options work (websites from £50 a month, hosting included, two-year minimum term, and a conversation about keeping the site at the end), or ask us for both prices.
