Us vs a DIY Website Builder
DIY website builders (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify) are perfect for some businesses and the wrong choice for others. Here's how to know which you are.
When we're the right fit
- ✓You're competing on Google for high-intent commercial keywords
- ✓You have a custom workflow (booking, quoting, integrations)
- ✓You've outgrown a DIY site (slow, hard to edit, limited SEO control)
- ✓You sell on differentiation, not price
- ✓Customer LTV justifies £2k+ investment
When DIY builders are the right fit
- ✓You're a side project or pre-revenue
- ✓You genuinely just need a placeholder presence
- ✓You'll edit the site yourself weekly
- ✓Your customers come from word-of-mouth, not Google
- ✓Total budget is under £1,000 in year 1
Side by side
| Us | DIY builders | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | £1,500–£4,500 | £0–£500 |
| Monthly cost | £0–£200 (hosting/maintenance) | £15–£60 |
| Time to launch | 4–8 weeks | 1–7 days |
| SEO ceiling | No real ceiling | OK for low-competition, struggles in competitive niches |
| Performance | Excellent (Astro / WordPress optimised) | Mediocre (heavy page weight) |
| Custom features | Anything possible | Limited to what the builder supports |
| Migrate away later | Easy (you own the code) | Hard (proprietary platforms) |
| Best for | Established / growing businesses | Pre-revenue / side projects |
Our honest verdict
DIY builders are honest tools for honest jobs. If your business is growing past the brochure-site stage, you'll usually outgrow them. The cost of moving later is usually more than building properly the first time.
Want our honest assessment of your situation?
Request a free growth audit. We'll look at your goal, your current site, and tell you honestly which approach makes sense, including whether we're the right fit at all.
Free audit
No sales pitch, just useful info.
Got it, your audit request is in.
We'll review your site and email you the audit within 2 working days. If you ticked the call-back option, we'll be in touch at your preferred time.