---
title: "Why paying an initial web design fee can be cheaper than just monthly payments - Light Bulb Web Design Blog - Light Bulb Web Design in Carlisle, Cumbria, and the UK - The UK Creative Agency who delivers"
description: "Find out how our initial web design deposit option can be cheaper than just paying monthly."
url: "https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/entry/up-front-web-design-fees-vs-monthly-payments"
date: "2026-06-05T22:12:50+00:00"
language: "en-GB"
---
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# Up front web design fees vs. monthly payments
[Website Design](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/categories/website-design)
[Chris Wilcox](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/blogger/chris)
Wednesday, 21 March 2018
4596 Hits
[  ](//www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/images/easyblog_articles/53/affordable-web-design-in-carlisle.jpg "Affordable website design in Carlisle")
From the outset, we have offered three payment options for our web design services:
1\) Pay an initial 40% deposit, and then pay the remainder when the website design is finished and ready to go live
2\) Pay an initial deposit and then pay the remainder spread over 12 months
3\) Pay all of the fee up front
Those costs all cover you for 12 months of hosting and our support during that time to make updates to your site or help you in using any of the features included such as e-commerce, a portfolio or blog.
Once the initial year is at an end, you can maintain our excellent ongoing hosting and support services for a fixed monthly fee (usually with a 10% discount on the year 1 monthly cost).
We have the initial deposit payment for two reasons - we are committing our time and expertise to your web design project, and we also know you are serious about getting your website completed. We have occasionally been told that 'We don't pay creatives up front' - we've never really understood that type of comment, since without any up front outlay, a client has no investment in the project and could choose to disappear and waste the many hours of time it takes for us to put your new web design draft together.
Some web design companies only offer monthly payment schemes, perhaps on a 2 year or longer contract term. Let's take a look at a comparison between our 40% deposit route and a 2 year monthly payment alternative, using our base price of £70 deposit and £10 per month:
**1) Our price for two years**
**Year 1**: £70 up front + 12 x £10 = £190
**Year 2**: 12 x £9 = £108
**Total price for 2 years**: £298
**2) Competitor charging £20 a month for 2 years:**
**Year 1:** 12 x £20 = £240
**Year 2:** 12 x £20 = £240
**Total price for 2 years:** £480
That makes our cost over 2 years quite a large £182 cheaper - if you continue with either service for longer than 2 years, these cost differences mount up quite considerably. Also be aware that some companies are also charging extra for hosting, your domain name and any SSL certificates - that will further increase the expenses for your website.
Even for a cheaper £10 a month comparison, by the time you add these extra hosting, domain and SSL costs on top, our inclusive [website design prices](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/cheap-website-design-services/carlisle-website-design "Carlisle web design prices") are still going to save you money whilst offering many advantages!
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#### About the author
[  ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/blogger/chris)
### [Chris Wilcox](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/blogger/chris)
[ ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk) [ Subscribe to updates from author ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/javascript:void(0);) [ Unsubscribe to updates from author ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/javascript:void(0);) [ Chris Wilcox ](https://www.lightbulbwebdesign.co.uk/website-design-blog/blogger/chris)
Chris is the founder and lead strategist at Light Bulb Web Design, a UK‑based creative agency specialising in psychology‑driven, AI‑ready websites for professional service businesses. From law firms and financial practices to property and consultancy brands, he helps organisations turn underperforming websites into high‑trust, high‑converting digital assets.
With a background rooted in web design, technology, and human‑centred strategy, Chris writes about the real issues holding most websites back; unclear messaging, bloated builds, weak trust signals, and structures that search engines and AI simply can’t interpret. His work blends behavioural insight, technical precision, and a deep understanding of how people make decisions online.
Chris speaks at industry events, sharing practical, no‑nonsense guidance on AI‑aware optimisation, digital trust, and the future of web strategy. When he’s not building or refining websites, he’s exploring the intersection of technology, psychology, and business growth - and helping service‑based brands show up online with clarity, confidence, and credibility.
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