The verdict in three sentences
A delivered marketing site is not finished: without maintenance it loses ranking, security and credibility within 12 to 18 months. In London in 2026, budget 80 to 170 GBP/month for maintenance, plus 40 GBP/month for hosting and 15 GBP/year for the domain. Realistic total cost of ownership sits between 1,500 and 2,600 GBP/year, a budget to plan from the order.
Breaking down SME website TCO
The classic trap: pay 5,000 GBP for the site, then plan nothing. An abandoned site accumulates broken links, vulnerable plugins and stale content. Here is the 2026 reference grid.
| Item | Basic | Standard | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | 80 GBP | 170 GBP | /month |
| Managed hosting | 40 GBP | 40 GBP | /month |
| Domain name | 15 GBP | 15 GBP | /year |
| SSL certificate | Included | Included | /year |
| Backup | Weekly | Daily | - |
| Security updates | Monthly | Bi-weekly | - |
Combining standard maintenance + hosting gives 210 GBP/month, or 2,520 GBP/year. A basic plan drops to 120 GBP/month, or roughly 1,500 GBP/year including the domain.
Maintain or abandon: the risk math
Many owners cut maintenance after year one. Here is what each tier covers and the cost of recovery.
| Scenario | Annual cost | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| No maintenance | 0 GBP | Hacking, SEO drop, downtime |
| Basic | 1,500 GBP | Limited evolutions |
| Standard | 2,520 GBP | None major |
| Recovery after neglect | 700-1,400 GBP | One-off + traffic loss |
Recovery after a year of neglect often costs 700 to 1,400 GBP in one go, not counting ranking rebuilt over several months.
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Mini case study
Aminata runs a construction-services SME in London. She paid 5,000 GBP for her site in 2024, then cut all maintenance to save money. By 2026 her indexing is falling, two forms are broken and the SSL has expired ("not secure" on mobile). Recovery quote: 1,100 GBP, plus three months to regain ranking. Over the same window, basic maintenance would have cost 3,000 GBP over two years but avoided both the recovery and an estimated 6 to 8 lost enquiries/month at a cost per lead of 25 GBP.
FAQ
Is maintenance really mandatory? Technically no, but a site without security updates is exposed within months. The bare minimum is around 80 GBP/month.
Can I pay annually to save? Yes, most London agencies offer 1 to 2 months free on annual payment, bringing standard to about 2,200 GBP/year.
Local or international hosting? Managed hosting at 40 GBP/month with a CDN guarantees good speed everywhere. Prefer a CDN with strong European edge coverage.
What does the 15 GBP/year domain cover? Renewal of a .com or .co.uk. Never let it expire: a lost domain can be bought by a third party and is costly to recover.
How do I know my site is well maintained? Ask for a monthly report: updates applied, backups tested, uptime and fixes. Without a report, you pay blind.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your site's age, CMS and priorities, and we will quote a maintenance plan from 80 to 170 GBP/month suited to your SME. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
