Straight answers for small business owners.
The questions owners ask Sammy most, answered properly: the short answer first, then the detail, with real prices and the sources behind every outside figure.
- Guides
- 20
- Written by
- Sammy Morgan
- Last updated
- 30 September 2026
What things cost.
- How much does local SEO cost in the UK?
UK price guides put ongoing local SEO for a single-location small business at roughly £300 to £1,500 a month, and a one-off set-up of your Google Business Profile and local basics at roughly £250 to £2,000. Much of the groundwork you can do yourself, and M1’s Local Search Fix does the set-up for a fixed £800.
Updated
- How much does missed-call text-back cost in the UK?
UK missed-call text-back apps I checked cost from about £6.49 to £97 a month, and sending the texts yourself through a provider like Twilio costs a few US cents per text plus a small monthly number fee. A done-for-you set-up is a one-off fee on top; M1’s Missed-Call Rescue is £800 fixed, with text and app fees paid at cost or directly by you.
Updated
- How much does an online booking system cost?
Most booking tools used by UK small businesses cost from £0 to about £70 a month, with card fees taken from each deposit or payment on top. A custom-built booking system is a one-off project, and M1 builds them from £4,500.
Updated
- How much does website maintenance cost in the UK?
UK price guides put maintenance for a small business website at roughly £30 to £100 a month for the basics, and £100 to £300 a month when support and small changes are included. Ecommerce and bespoke sites cost more, and M1’s Website Care Plan is £250 a month with hosting included.
Updated
- How much do Google Ads cost in the UK?
You set your own budget and pay per click, and UK guides put most clicks at roughly £1.50 to £2.50, with urgent local trade searches often costing £6 to £25. Whether it’s worth it depends on your own numbers: what a click costs, how many clicks become enquiries, and what a job is worth.
Updated
Deciding what you need.
- Do I need a website for my business?
Most local service businesses should start with a Google Business Profile, because that’s what shows on Google Maps when people nearby search for what you do. Add one page when people need more than a profile can show, and a full website when you offer several services, cover several areas or take bookings online.
Updated
- Should I hire a web designer or use Wix or Squarespace?
Use Wix or Squarespace if your needs are simple, your budget is tight and you have the time to write, design and maintain the site yourself. Hire a web designer when your time is worth more on paying work, you need the words written or systems like booking connected, or you want a site you can move to another host.
Updated
- How long does it take to build a website?
At M1, a one-page site typically takes 1 to 2 weeks, a small business site of about 6 pages 3 to 4 weeks, and a site with custom booking or customer logins 8 to 12 weeks. The build itself is rarely the slow part: waiting for words, photos, decisions and logins is what stretches most projects.
Updated
Fixing a problem.
- How much does a website cost in the UK?
Published UK price guides put a small business website at roughly £500 to £3,500 from a freelancer and £2,500 to £10,000 from an agency, while DIY builders charge a monthly fee instead. On top of the build, budget for a domain, hosting, email and upkeep, which can run from a few pounds to a few hundred pounds a month.
Updated
- Why is my business not showing on Google?
Usually it’s one of two separate problems: Google hasn’t indexed your website (check Search Console for noindex tags, blocked pages or a new domain), or your Google Business Profile isn’t verified, is suspended, or is losing on relevance, distance and prominence. Work through both checklists below and you’ll normally find the cause.
Updated
- Why is my website not getting enquiries?
Either not enough of the right people are finding it, or the people who do arrive can’t quickly see what you offer, what it costs, why to trust you and how to get in touch on their phone. Check your traffic first, then the page itself, then what happens after someone makes contact.
Updated
- What is missed-call text-back and how does it work?
Missed-call text-back sends an automatic text to anyone whose call you miss, so they hear from you in seconds instead of ringing the next business. It works by diverting unanswered calls to a number connected to a texting system, which then sends your message from your business.
Updated
- How do I get more Google reviews?
Ask every customer, soon after the job, with a direct link to your Google review form, sent by WhatsApp or text. Don’t offer anything in return, don’t ask only the happy ones, and reply to every review you get.
Updated
How it works.
- How do I follow up a quote without being pushy?
Confirm the quote arrived the same day, check in with a short, helpful message after a few days, offer a quick call or a simpler option about a week later, then close the loop politely if you still hear nothing. Keep every message about the quote they asked for, with no fake deadlines and no sales offers added in.
Updated
- How do I reduce no-shows with reminders and deposits?
Send a confirmation when someone books and a reminder before the appointment with an easy way to rearrange, then take a modest deposit that comes off the bill, backed by a short, clear cancellation policy shown at booking. Under UK consumer law, deposits and cancellation charges should reflect what you actually lose, so keep them fair and explain them upfront.
Updated
- What is local SEO?
Local SEO is the work that helps your business show up when people nearby search for what you do, both in the map results and in the normal results below them. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence, so in practice it comes down to a complete Google Business Profile, a steady flow of reviews, the same business details everywhere and a website that says clearly what you do and where.
Updated
- Should a small business use an AI chatbot?
An AI chatbot is worth it when people ask you the same questions again and again, often out of hours, and it answers only from your own content and hands them to a person when they need one. It shouldn’t make up prices, give advice or deal with complaints, and you need to tell people how their messages are used.
Updated
- What is an AI receptionist?
An AI receptionist is software that answers your business phone with a computer voice, talks to the caller, takes a message or books an appointment, and sends you a summary. UK plans I found start at roughly £39 to £49 a month before VAT, and it suits businesses with lots of routine calls more than those whose callers need a person.
Updated
- What to text someone when you missed their call
Text them your name, that you’re sorry you missed them, when you’ll call back, and one simple question so they can tell you what they need. Keep offers and promotions out of it, so it stays a service reply rather than marketing.
Updated
- How to write a Google Business Profile description
Write up to 750 characters that say what you do, who for, where, and what makes you different, with the most useful line first. Google doesn’t allow links, and says the description shouldn’t focus on prices, promotions or sales.
Updated
Also useful.
- Calculators
What missed calls and no-shows might be costing you, and what your website should cost, from your own figures.
- Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms these guides use, from NAP to llms.txt.
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