John K Mitchell's Misc Blog

The Hidden Website Costs That Catch Small Businesses Off Guard
The Hidden Website Costs That Catch Small Businesses Off Guard


When small business owners talk about website costs, the conversation usually sounds something like this:


“It’s fine, I only paid £500 for the site.”


And on the surface, that sounds reasonable. Job done. Website sorted.

Except… that £500 is very rarely the full story.

For many UK small businesses, the real costs of having a website don’t show up until months (or years) later. They creep in quietly, often in small amounts, and before you know it you’re paying far more than you expected — sometimes without even realising why.

This post breaks down the hidden website costs that regularly catch small businesses off guard, what they’re for, and how to avoid getting stung.


1. Hosting That Gets More Expensive Over Time


Cheap hosting is tempting. £3–£5 a month sounds like a bargain when you’re starting out.

The problem? That price is rarely permanent. https://www.forestsoftware.co.uk/blog/?p=2899

Why Small Businesses Trust Accountants and Lawyers – But Not Specialist Website Designers
Why Small Businesses Trust Accountants and Lawyers – But Not Specialist Website Designers


Your website is often the first handshake with a customer. Yet many small businesses trust experts with their money, contracts, and tax – then leave their website to chance. That mismatch costs more than most owners realise.


Introduction: The Professional Gap No One Talks About


Most small business owners are sensible people. You know what you’re good at, and you know what you’re not. That’s why you hire an accountant to deal with tax, a solicitor to deal with contracts, and maybe even a bookkeeper to keep things tidy. You wouldn’t dream of “having a go” at your own accounts after watching a few YouTube videos, because you know the risk. Get it wrong and it can cost you real money, real stress, and sometimes real trouble.

But then there’s the website.

For some reason, websites live in a different mental box for many business owners. They feel approachable. Familiar. Almost harmless. https://www.forestsoftware.co.uk/blog/?p=2895

Beyond the Hype: How Do You Really Know if Your Website is Working?
Beyond the Hype: How Do You Really Know if Your Website is Working?


Let’s be honest. When you first launched your small business website, the success metric was pretty simple: Did it load without error? Did the contact form actually send you an email? Victory! Champagne (or a stiff cup of tea) all round.


But fast forward a few months or years, and that initial relief has morphed into a low-level, nagging question. A question you probably ponder while making another brew, staring at the analytics dashboard like it’s a modern art piece you don’t quite understand.


“Is this thing actually doing anything for my business?”


We’ve all been fed the same lines. “You need a website!” “It’s your digital shop window!” “Drive traffic! Generate leads!” It’s true, of course. But once you’ve got the thing live, the goalposts shift. Now you’re not just a business owner; you’re a part-time digital strategist, wondering if the time and money you’ve invested is paying off. https://www.forestsoftware.co.uk/blog/2026/02/beyond-the-hype-how-do-you-really-know-if-your-website-is-working/

Beyond the Hype: How Do You Really Know if Your Website is Working?
Beyond the Hype: How Do You Really Know if Your Website is Working?


Let’s be honest. When you first launched your small business website, the success metric was pretty simple: Did it load without error? Did the contact form actually send you an email? Victory! Champagne (or a stiff cup of tea) all round.


But fast forward a few months or years, and that initial relief has morphed into a low-level, nagging question. A question you probably ponder while making another brew, staring at the analytics dashboard like it’s a modern art piece you don’t quite understand.


“Is this thing actually doing anything for my business?”


We’ve all been fed the same lines. “You need a website!” “It’s your digital shop window!” “Drive traffic! Generate leads!” It’s true, of course. But once you’ve got the thing live, the goalposts shift. Now you’re not just a business owner; you’re a part-time digital strategist, wondering if the time and money you’ve invested is paying off. https://www.forestsoftware.co.uk/blog/2026/02/beyond-the-hype-how-do-you-really-know-if-your-website-is-working/

Should You Ask a Web Designer to Start Work If Your Content Isn’t Ready?
Should You Ask a Web Designer to Start Work If Your Content Isn’t Ready?


Short answer: yes… but only if you understand what you’re really paying for. Starting a website before your content is ready can save time, or waste money. This article explains how to tell the difference before you sign anything.

If you run a small business, chances are your website sits on that long mental to-do list. You know it matters. You know you need it to look professional. You also know that sitting down to write pages about yourself, your services, your pricing, your story, and your FAQs feels a bit like homework you keep avoiding.

That’s usually the moment when a web designer enters the picture. Maybe someone recommends one. Maybe you’ve seen a few nice sites and thought, “I want something like that.” Then comes the awkward question: “Do you have your content ready?”

For many business owners, the honest answer is no. Not really. You might have a few notes. Maybe an old brochure. https://www.forestsoftware.co.uk/blog/?p=2890

Corporate or Funky? What Your Website Style Really Says to Customers
Corporate or Funky? What Your Website Style Really Says to Customers


Corporate or funky? Clean and serious, or bold and playful? For small business websites, the wrong choice doesn’t just look bad – it can quietly lose you customers. And most of the time, it comes down to one simple rule: don’t make your visitor think.


The Big Question: Corporate or Funky?


At some point, almost every small business owner asks the same thing: should my website look corporate or funky? It feels like a branding crossroads. Corporate sounds safe, professional, and grown-up. Funky sounds fun, memorable, and different. And because standing out online feels harder than ever, the funky option can look very tempting.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth. Most visitors don’t arrive on your website hoping to be impressed by your personality. They arrive because they want something done. They want an answer, a price, a service, a phone number, or reassurance that you’re the right choice. https://www.forestsoftware.co.uk/blog/?p=2887

Is Your Website Crawlable? A Simple Seo Check For Small Businesses
Is Your Website Crawlable? The SEO Basic Most Small Businesses Miss


If Google can’t read your website, it can’t rank it.


It really is that simple. Before keywords, blogs, links, or anything fancy, your site has to be crawlable. If it isn’t, you’re invisible. This guide explains what crawlable actually means, how to check your own site, and how to fix common problems without needing to be a tech wizard.


What “Crawlable” Actually Means (And Why It Matters So Much)


Let’s strip away the jargon first. When people talk about search engines “crawling” a website, they’re really talking about software bots visiting your pages and reading them. These bots follow links, look at text, and try to understand what each page is about. If they can do that, your page can appear in search results. If they can’t, it won’t.

Think of it like this. Your website is a shop. Google is a delivery driver trying to find it. https://www.forestsoftware.co.uk/blog/?p=2885

The Wayback Machine And Practical Uses For Your Small Business Website
The Wayback Machine: A Surprisingly Powerful Tool for Small Business Websites


Ever wished you could go back in time with your website? The Wayback Machine lets you do exactly that. It’s free, easy to use, and packed with useful insights for small business owners who want to understand their site, their competitors, and their online history better.


Introduction: What the Wayback Machine Is and Why Small Businesses Should Care


 

 The Wayback Machine is part of the Internet Archive, a huge digital library that’s been quietly saving copies of websites for decades. Think of it like a massive time machine for the web. You type in a website address, pick a date, and you can see what that site looked like in the past. Sometimes you can go back 20 or even 25 years (for example the image to the right is of the Forest Software home page from the 12th of December 1998! - things have changed a lot since then) . That’s older than many small businesses, and definitely older than most websites. https://www.forestsoftware.co.uk/blog/?p=2879