How much does a Yell website cost?
Yell does not publish its website prices. Here is what UK businesses commonly report paying, what is usually included, how to find out what you are paying now, and how it compares to the alternatives.
In short
Yell quotes individually and does not publish a price list. Independent reviews and business forums commonly report £50 to £100 a month for a Yell website, usually on a 12-month minimum term that renews automatically. Check your own contract and invoices for the real figure, and ask whether you own the site and the domain.
If you have a website through Yell, or you are being offered one, the obvious question is what it actually costs. It is also a surprisingly hard question to answer.
Yell does not publish a price list for its websites. Each business is quoted individually, and the website is often sold as part of a wider package with directory listings and advertising. So this article does three things: it sets out what businesses commonly report paying, explains how to find your own real figure, and compares it with the alternatives.
We should say up front that we build websites for local businesses, so Yell is a competitor of sorts. We have tried to keep this fair. A Yell package is the right choice for some businesses, and we say so below.
Yell prices: what businesses commonly report paying
Because there is no published price, the best guide is what businesses and independent reviewers report. The figures that come up most often are:
- Around £50 to £100 a month for a website
- A setup fee on some packages, commonly reported at a few hundred pounds
- More once listings, advertising, reputation management or other add-ons are bundled in
- A 12-month minimum term that then continues automatically
Taken together, that commonly works out at £600 to £1,200 or more in the first year for a website alone. Treat these as reported ranges rather than Yell's prices. Your own quote or contract is the only figure that counts.
How to find out what you are paying now
If you are already a Yell customer, these steps will give you the real numbers:
- Check your invoices or bank statements for the monthly amount and anything billed separately.
- Ask Yell in writing for a breakdown of what you pay for: website, listings, advertising and any add-ons.
- Find your contract term, the date it renews and the notice period.
- Ask who owns your domain name. If it is registered to Yell rather than to you, ask how a transfer works.
Do this by email, so you have everything in writing. It is useful whether you stay or leave.
What is usually included
Yell websites are typically built on Yell's own platform from templates, with hosting, a domain and some support included in the monthly fee. Yell's own website currently describes websites as being included within some of its wider marketing packages, rather than as a standalone product.
The things worth checking, because they vary, are:
- How much of the copy is written for you, and how specific it is to your business
- How changes are handled, and whether they cost extra
- Whether you can move the website elsewhere, or only the domain
- What happens to the site when the contract ends
Is a Yell website worth it?
It can be. If you want one supplier handling your listings, advertising and website together, and you are comfortable with the monthly cost and the contract, a bundled package keeps things simple.
Where people tend to feel it is poor value is when they are paying mainly for the website, the site itself is a generic template that says little about their business, and they realise they do not own it. In that case you are renting a website, and when you stop paying, it goes.
It is also worth knowing that a basic Yell directory listing is separate from a paid website. You can keep a free listing so people can find your phone number, and have your own website elsewhere.
How it compares
| Yell website (commonly reported) | DIY builder | Managed service (ours) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront | Setup fee on some packages | Nothing, plus your time | £450 |
| Monthly | £50 to £100 | £9 to £25 | £15 |
| Minimum term | Commonly 12 months | Usually monthly or annual | None, 30 days' notice |
| Who writes the copy | Varies | You | We do |
| Do you own the website? | Usually not | Only on that platform | Yes, and the domain |
For a fuller picture of what websites cost across every option, see our guide to how much a small business website costs in the UK.
If you decide to move
Leaving Yell is straightforward if you do it in the right order: check your notice period, secure your domain, have the new site ready, then switch. Done that way, there is no gap where customers cannot find you.
We have written a step-by-step guide to moving your website away from Yell, including how to keep your Google rankings. If you would rather someone handled it, we do the move for you as part of building your new site.
Paying Yell for a website you do not own?
We build websites for local businesses for £450, then £15 a month for hosting, maintenance and security. No minimum term, and the website and domain are yours to keep. We also handle the move away from Yell for you.
Tell us about your businessFrequently asked questions
Yell does not publish its prices and quotes each business individually. Independent reviews and small business forums commonly report £50 to £100 a month for a website, with some packages costing more once listings, advertising or reputation tools are added. The only reliable figure is the one on your own contract and invoices.
Yell packages are commonly sold on a 12-month minimum term that then continues automatically. Check your own agreement for the exact term, the renewal date and the notice period, and give notice in writing by email so you have a record.
The same way as for any other business: individually, usually as a monthly fee on a minimum term, sometimes with a setup fee. Sole traders should ask for the full first-year cost in writing, what is included in setup and monthly support, and whether the website and domain would be theirs if they left.
It can be, if you value having the website bundled with listings and advertising and are comfortable with the monthly cost and contract. Many tradespeople find they can get a site they own, with better local content, for less over a year or two. Compare the full yearly cost and the ownership terms before deciding.
No. A basic Yell directory listing is separate from paying Yell for a website. You can keep a free listing, which helps people find your contact details, and have your own website built and hosted elsewhere.
In most cases the Yell-hosted website stops when the contract ends, because the site runs on Yell's platform. Before you give notice, ask in writing whether you own your domain name and request the authorisation code to transfer it, so you can point it at a new website without a gap.
