What Yell actually offers
Yell promotes itself as a one‑stop shop for getting online. Typical packages include:
- Template‑based website
- Domain and hosting bundled
- Mobile‑friendly layouts
- Optional SEO and marketing upsells
- Monthly subscription payments
The main selling points are a low upfront cost, fast setup, and “done‑for‑you” management — attractive if you just need something live quickly.
The limitations of Yell websites
- You don’t own the website. If you stop paying, you lose the site because it lives on Yell’s platform — years of payments, no transferable asset.
- Monthly costs add up. £30–£100+ per month can total £1,000–£3,000+ over 2–3 years — often more than a custom site you’d own outright.
- Limited design and control. Templates restrict layout and features; custom integrations (booking, quoting, bespoke forms) are hard to add.
- SEO performance can be weak. Heavier, templated stacks are slower and harder to fine‑tune, making it tougher to rank for local terms like “electrician Portsmouth” or “café Chichester”.
- Support is impersonal. You’ll usually speak to a national team rather than someone who knows your area and market.
How local web designers compare (e.g. LumenForges)
- Ownership: You own the site, content, and code — move hosts anytime.
- Costs: One‑off build £500–£900; hosting from ~£20/mo; no platform lock‑in.
- Customisation: Fully tailored design and features that fit your workflow.
- SEO: Technical SEO baked in from the start (speed, structure, schema, local signals).
- Support: Local, personal help from someone who cares about your business.
When Yell might make sense
- You need any online presence this week.
- There’s no upfront budget and you’re okay paying more over time.
- You only need a basic digital business card for a short period.
Case study: window cleaning company
A local window cleaner paid £125/month to Yell for the first year, then £40/month after that — and still didn’t own the domain. Moving away was difficult because the website and address were controlled by the provider.
If they’d gone with LumenForges, it would have been a £500 one‑off build and £20/month hosting — with full ownership of the website and domain from day one.
That’s the difference between renting online real estate and owning a transferable asset you can improve over time.
Conclusion: think long term
Yell gets you online quickly, but the trade‑off is higher long‑term cost, less control, and limited flexibility. For local businesses in Portsmouth, Chichester, Havant, and Emsworth, owning a fast, SEO‑ready site is usually the smarter investment.
Considering Yell? Get a free website audit first — we’ll review your current site or plans, give honest feedback, and lay out your options.
FAQ
- Is Yell good for small businesses? Fine for a quick presence, but often costlier and less flexible long term than owning your site.
- Do I own my Yell website? No — it’s built and hosted by Yell. If you stop paying, you lose access to the site.
- How much does Yell cost? Typically £30–£100+ per month. Over 2–3 years, it often exceeds a custom site you own outright.
- Best alternative in Portsmouth/Chichester? A local web designer (like LumenForges) can build a custom, SEO‑ready site you fully own.