7 Website Builder Side Hustles: All You Need is a Domain!

I remember staring at my laptop one rainy Tuesday evening in Manchester, wondering how I could earn extra money without leaving my flat. The answer was simpler than I expected. A domain name and a website builder turned into my ticket to £500+ monthly income.

Let me show you seven legitimate ways to start a side hustle using nothing but website builders and a domain. No coding required. No massive investment needed.

Why Website Builders Are Perfect for Your Side Hustle in 2026

The UK side hustle economy is booming right now. Nearly 4 in 10 Brits run some form of side business according to recent surveys. But most people think starting online requires technical skills they don’t have.

That’s where website builders changed everything. Platforms like Wix, Truehost, Squarespace, and GoDaddy Builder eliminated the coding barrier completely. You can launch professional websites in hours, not weeks.

Here’s what makes this approach brilliant for a side hustle. The startup costs are ridiculously low. A domain costs £10-15 yearly. Most website builders offer plans from £5-20 monthly. You’re in business for less than a night out in London.

Understanding the Website Builder Landscape

Before we dive into the seven money-making ideas, let’s quickly understand your options. Each platform has strengths that suit different side hustles.

Wix offers the most flexibility with drag-and-drop freedom. It’s perfect when you want complete creative control. The app marketplace gives you endless functionality options.

Squarespace delivers stunning templates that look expensive. It’s ideal for visual businesses like photography or design portfolios. The built-in e-commerce works beautifully for small shops.

Truehost focuses on speed and simplicity. You can launch websites in under an hour. It’s brilliant for local businesses that need quick online presence.

Other options like WordPress.com, Weebly, and Webflow each have their place. The key is matching the builder to your specific side hustle idea.

Side Hustle 1) Local Business Website Service

Every high street in Britain has businesses without proper websites. Hair salons, plumbers, electricians, and local shops desperately need online presence. You can be the person who provides it.

How It Works

You approach local businesses with outdated or non-existent websites. Offer to build them a modern site using Squarespace or Wix for £300-800. The whole process takes 3-5 hours of actual work.

Most local businesses need simple sites. Five pages maximum: home, about, services, gallery, and contact. Website builders make this incredibly straightforward with their templates.

I started this side hustle by walking down my local high street. I identified 20 businesses with terrible online presence. Ten responded to my email. Three became paying clients within two weeks.

The Money Breakdown

Charge £400-600 for initial website setup. This includes domain registration, one year of hosting, and the basic site build. Add £30-50 monthly maintenance fees for updates and support.

Three clients generate £1,200-1,800 upfront plus £90-150 monthly recurring. Scale to ten clients and you’re earning serious side income. The beauty is that website builders handle all the technical heavy lifting.

Use Truehost for reliable hosting that won’t let your clients down. Pair it with any website builder and you’ve got a winning combination.

Side Hustle 2) Affiliate Niche Websites

Building affiliate websites used to require coding knowledge and expensive developers. Not anymore. Website builders transformed this completely.

Choosing Your Niche

Pick something you’re genuinely interested in. Fitness equipment, kitchen gadgets, outdoor gear, or tech accessories all work brilliantly. The UK market loves honest product recommendations.

Create a simple review site using Wix or WordPress.com. Write helpful articles comparing products. Include Amazon affiliate links or join UK-specific programmes like Awin.

Building Traffic and Income

Your site needs 15-20 quality articles to start generating traffic. Write about products you’d actually recommend to friends. Google rewards genuine helpful content according to Search Engine Journal.

This side hustle takes 3-6 months to generate meaningful income. But once established, it runs almost on autopilot. I know people earning £200-500 monthly from single affiliate sites built entirely on Squarespace.

The initial time investment is significant. But the long-term payoff makes it worthwhile. You’re building an asset that generates income while you sleep.

Side Hustle 3) Template Shop for DIY Business Owners

Thousands of UK entrepreneurs want to build their own websites but need starting points. You can sell them customised templates.

Creating Templates to Sell

Design 5-10 beautiful website templates for specific industries. Think restaurant templates, photography portfolios, or consultant landing pages. Make them using Squarespace or Wix.

Sell these templates on your own website or platforms like Etsy. Price them between £15-50 depending on complexity. Include setup instructions and basic customisation guidance.

The Scalability Factor

This side hustle is purely digital. Create the template once, sell it hundreds of times. No inventory, no shipping, no physical products to manage.

I’ve seen UK creators earning £300-800 monthly selling just 20-30 templates. The key is creating templates for underserved niches. Don’t make another generic business template. Focus on specific industries that need help.

Market your templates in relevant Facebook groups and Instagram communities. Show before-and-after transformations. Demonstrate how easy your templates make website building.

Side Hustle 4) Wedding and Event Websites

British couples spend thousands on their weddings. But many neglect their wedding website or settle for basic free options. You can fill this gap beautifully.

The Service Offering

Create a simple service building custom wedding websites. Include RSVP functionality, photo galleries, venue information, and gift registries. Wix and Squarespace both have wedding-specific templates that look stunning.

Charge £150-300 per wedding website. The actual build time is 2-3 hours maximum. Couples happily pay for something personalised and professional.

Finding Clients

Partner with local wedding planners, photographers, and venues. Offer them referral fees for sending clients your way. Join UK wedding Facebook groups and offer helpful advice.

This side hustle is seasonal but highly profitable during peak wedding months. April through September in the UK generates most of the demand. You could easily service 5-10 weddings monthly during peak season.

The emotional value makes pricing easier. Couples want their big day represented beautifully online. They’ll pay premium prices for quality work.

Side Hustle 5) Portfolio Websites for Freelancers

Every freelancer needs a professional portfolio. Writers, designers, photographers, and consultants all struggle with creating their own sites. You solve this problem.

Understanding the Market

Freelancers know they need portfolios but lack time or technical skills. They’ll gladly pay someone £200-400 to build something professional quickly. GoDaddy Builder or Squarespace work perfectly for these projects.

Create package tiers: Basic (£200), Standard (£350), Premium (£500). Include different features at each level. Basic gets a simple 3-page site. Premium includes blog setup and SEO optimisation.

Ongoing Revenue

Offer hosting and maintenance packages at £20-35 monthly. Many freelancers want someone handling technical aspects while they focus on client work. This turns one-time projects into recurring revenue.

This side hustle scales beautifully through referrals. Happy freelancers recommend you to their networks. I’ve landed six new clients from a single satisfied customer.

Target freelancer communities on LinkedIn and relevant Slack channels. Offer free portfolio reviews to start conversations. Some will naturally convert to paying clients.

Side Hustle 6) Restaurant and Takeaway Menu Sites

The pandemic proved every restaurant needs solid online presence. Yet many UK eateries still have terrible websites or rely entirely on third-party apps.

The Opportunity

Build simple, mobile-optimised menu websites for local restaurants and takeaways. Include online ordering integration if they want it. Use Wix or Squarespace with their restaurant templates.

Charge £250-500 for the initial build. These sites need frequent menu updates, so charge £25-40 monthly for maintenance. Restaurants understand the value of controlling their own online presence.

The Sales Process

Visit restaurants during quiet times (2-4 PM typically). Speak with owners about their online presence. Show examples on your phone. Most will see the value immediately.

This side hustle works brilliantly in cities and towns with lots of independent eateries. You could service 10-15 restaurants in a single area. That’s £250-600 monthly recurring income from one neighbourhood.

Partner with Truehost for hosting that handles traffic spikes during busy ordering times. Reliable hosting matters enormously for restaurant sites.

Side Hustle 7) Landing Pages for Social Media Influencers

UK influencers and content creators need professional landing pages. They can’t rely on social media alone. Platform algorithm changes could destroy their business overnight.

What Influencers Need

Create simple one-page websites linking to all their content and offerings. Include email signup forms, product links, and booking calendars. Wix and Squarespace make these pages look incredible.

Price these at £150-350 depending on complexity. Influencers with even modest followings (5,000-20,000) will pay for professional presentation. They understand their personal brand’s value.

Finding Your Clients

Reach out to micro-influencers in your area or niche. Beauty, fitness, food, and lifestyle creators constantly need better web presence. Offer package deals including domain setup and hosting.

This side hustle grows through Instagram testimonials and word-of-mouth. Influencers know other influencers. One happy client can lead to five more referrals. The network effect works powerfully in creator communities.

Add value by teaching basic SEO principles. Help them understand how a proper website boosts their Google visibility. Position yourself as their web presence partner, not just a one-time builder.

The Technical Setup: Getting Started This Week

Starting any of these side hustles requires minimal technical setup. Let me walk you through exactly what you need.

i) Register Your Business Domain

Choose a professional domain name for your service business. Something like YourNameWeb.co.uk or CityWebsites.co.uk works perfectly. Register it through Truehost or any UK registrar.

Keep it simple and memorable. Avoid numbers and hyphens. Make sure it’s easy to spell when you tell someone verbally.

ii) Choose Your Primary Website Builder

Start with one platform and master it completely. I recommend Wix for beginners because of its flexibility. Squarespace works brilliantly if you’re visually oriented.

Sign up for their mid-tier plan initially. You can upgrade as your side hustle grows. Most platforms offer free trials to test everything out.

iii) Build Your Own Portfolio Site

Create your service website showcasing what you offer. Include three things: your services, pricing, and contact information. Add a portfolio section once you complete your first few projects.

Keep it simple initially. You can always enhance it later. The goal is launching quickly and starting to find clients.

iv)Set Up Payment Processing

Use Stripe or PayPal for accepting payments. Both integrate easily with most website builders. Set up invoice templates for professional billing.

Consider using QuickBooks or similar software for tracking income. Proper bookkeeping matters when you’re running a UK side business.

Marketing Your Website Builder Side Hustle

Having the skills means nothing without clients. Here’s how to find your first paying customers quickly.

Local Networking

Attend chamber of commerce meetings and local business networking events. Bring business cards and a tablet showing your portfolio. Real-world connections still matter enormously.

Join local Facebook business groups. Offer free advice and helpful tips. Don’t hard sell. Let people naturally discover your services through genuine helpfulness.

Digital Presence

Create a Google Business Profile if you’re targeting local clients. Optimise it with photos and service descriptions. Local SEO drives enormous business for location-based services.

Start a simple Instagram or LinkedIn account showcasing your work. Before-and-after website transformations perform incredibly well. People love visual proof of transformation.

Partnership Strategy

Connect with complementary service providers. Web designers who don’t build websites anymore. Marketing consultants who need technical partners. Accountants whose clients need websites.

Offer generous referral fees (15-20% of project value). Make it easy and profitable for others to recommend you. Build a referral network that feeds you consistent leads.

Pricing Your Services for UK Market

Pricing strategy makes or breaks your side hustle. Too low and you attract problem clients while earning peanuts. Too high and you price yourself out of the market.

Understanding Market Rates

Basic business websites in the UK typically range from £300-1,200. Your pricing depends on your experience level and target market. Start lower, increase as you build reputation and portfolio.

Never compete on price alone. Compete on service, speed, and understanding client needs. The cheapest option rarely wins in website services.

Package Pricing Strategy

Create three clear packages at different price points. This psychological approach works brilliantly. Most people choose the middle option, avoiding the cheapest and most expensive.

Basic Package (£300-400): Simple 3-5 page website, mobile responsive, basic SEO.

Standard Package (£600-800): Everything in basic plus blog setup, contact forms, social media integration.

Premium Package (£1,000-1,500): Everything in standard plus e-commerce, advanced SEO, custom graphics.

Adding Recurring Revenue

The real profit lives in ongoing maintenance and hosting. Charge £30-75 monthly for updates, backups, and support. This transforms one-time projects into long-term income streams.

Ten clients at £40 monthly equals £400 recurring revenue. That’s passive income for minimal ongoing work. Website builders automate most maintenance tasks.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

I’ve made every mistake possible with my website builder side hustle. Learn from my expensive lessons.

Over-Promising Timelines

Never promise same-day delivery unless you’re absolutely certain. Website projects always take longer than expected. Client feedback, content delays, and revisions add time.

Give yourself buffer room. Promise one week, deliver in five days. Under-promise and over-deliver builds incredible reputation.

Neglecting Contracts

Always use simple contracts outlining scope, timeline, and payment terms. Verbal agreements lead to misunderstandings and payment issues. Protect yourself legally from the start.

Free contract templates exist on Rocket Lawyer and similar sites. Customize them for your specific services. Having contracts makes you look professional and serious.

Trying to Learn Everything

Master one website builder before branching into others. Trying to learn Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress simultaneously leads to mediocre skills across all platforms. Specialisation beats generalisation when starting out.

Become the go-to expert for one platform in your area. Deep knowledge commands higher prices and builds stronger reputation than surface-level understanding of multiple tools.

Scaling Beyond Your First £1,000 Monthly

Once you’ve proven the model works, scaling becomes your next challenge. Here’s how to grow systematically.

Hiring Help

Contract other builders once you have consistent client flow. Pay them £150-250 per project while you charge clients £400-600. You manage clients and quality control while they handle building.

This frees your time for marketing and client acquisition. Your income stops being tied to hours worked. You’re building a real business, not just a side hustle.

Creating Processes

Document everything you do. Create checklists for client onboarding, website building, and project handoff. Systems allow others to replicate your work while maintaining quality.

Use project management tools like Trello or Asana. Track all projects in one place. Professional systems make scaling possible.

Specialising Further

Consider niching down to specific industries. Become the wedding website expert. Focus exclusively on restaurants. Specialisation allows premium pricing and easier marketing.

Specialists can charge 30-50% more than generalists. You’re not just another website builder. You’re the fitness industry website specialist or the solicitor’s website expert.

Your Action Plan: Starting This Month

You now have seven proven side hustle ideas using website builders. Here’s your specific action plan for the next 30 days.

Week 1: Foundation

Choose one side hustle idea from the seven. Don’t try doing all of them. Focus creates success. Pick the one that genuinely excites you.

Register your domain and set up your portfolio website. Spend £30-50 getting everything ready. Choose your primary website builder and complete their tutorial.

Week 2: Learning

Build three practice websites. Create one for a fictional restaurant, one for a freelancer, and one landing page. Get comfortable with your chosen platform’s features and limitations.

Join online communities for your chosen website builder. Learn from others’ questions and solutions. Watch YouTube tutorials for advanced techniques.

Week 3: Marketing Preparation

Create your service packages and pricing. Design simple flyers or business cards. Write email templates for outreach. Prepare everything you need for client conversations.

Make a list of 50 potential clients in your area or niche. Research their current web presence. Identify specific ways you could help each one.

Week 4: Client Acquisition

Start reaching out to potential clients. Send 5-10 personalised emails daily. Visit local businesses if you’re targeting brick-and-mortar shops. Make phone calls to warm leads.

Offer your first three clients a discount in exchange for testimonials and portfolio pieces. Building social proof matters more than maximum profit initially.

Why This Works Better Than Other Side Hustles

The website builder side hustle model has advantages over other popular options. Let me explain why I chose this over driving for Uber or doing food delivery.

Higher Hourly Value

Food delivery might pay £10-15 hourly in the UK. Website projects pay £50-150+ per hour of actual work once you’re efficient. The financial math clearly favours web services.

You’re building skills that appreciate over time. Every project makes you faster and better. Delivery driving doesn’t compound your abilities the same way.

Location Independence

Build websites from anywhere with internet connection. I’ve worked from cafes, libraries, and my sofa. No commuting to an office or driving around town burning petrol.

This flexibility matters enormously when you’re juggling a day job. Work evenings and weekends on your schedule. No boss controlling your hours.

Asset Building

Website projects create portfolio pieces that attract future clients. You’re building business assets and reputation. Traditional side hustles leave you starting from zero each shift.

Your client list becomes valuable. Recurring maintenance fees create predictable income. This side hustle can become a full-time business if you choose.

Start Your Side Hustle Today

Everything you need to start exists right now. Website builders have free trials. Domains cost less than a dinner out. The only missing ingredient is your decision to begin.

Stop waiting for perfect circumstances. They never arrive. Start with the resources and knowledge you have today. Improve and learn as you go.

Choose one of the seven side hustle ideas I’ve shared. Pick the one that genuinely interests you. Passion sustains you through the inevitable challenges of starting something new.

Visit Truehost and get your domain and hosting sorted this week. Choose your website builder and complete their getting-started tutorial. Build your portfolio site even if it’s basic initially.

Reach out to your first ten potential clients before this month ends. Some will ignore you. Others will say no. But one or two will say yes. Those first clients change everything.

Your side income journey starts with a single domain and a website builder. The opportunity sits right in front of you. The only question remaining is whether you’ll take action.

Start building your website builder side hustle today. Your future self will thank you for beginning.