Website builder vs web designer: which suits you?

Website builder vs web designer: should you build your own site, or pay someone to do it? It's a fair question, and I don't think the answer is always "hire someone". This guide sets out the honest pros and cons of each, when DIY is the right call, and when it tends to cost more than it saves.

For what each option costs, see my guide to website costs in Australia. This one is about everything except the price.

What a website builder gives you

Website builders like Wix and Squarespace give you templates, hosting and an editor in one subscription. For a small business, that has real advantages.

• A low start. You pay a monthly or annual fee rather than a build price.
• Hosting is handled. The platform runs the server for you. Squarespace, for example, includes SSL certificates (opens in a new tab) for domains pointing to its sites.
• You can try before you pay. Squarespace's pricing page (opens in a new tab) offers a 14-day free trial, and its annual plans include a free domain for the first year.
• Change anything, any time. If you like being hands-on, you don't have to wait for anyone.
• Good templates. The better builders have clean, modern designs to start from.

Where DIY gets harder

The software is the easy part. The hard part is everything around it.

• Your time. Writing the words, choosing photos, working out what goes on each page and checking it on a phone all take hours. It's easy for a DIY site to stall halfway.
• Structure and words. A template gives you a layout, not a plan. It won't tell you that customers want your service area before your company history.
• Looking like a template. Popular templates get used a lot. Without some care, your site can look like many others.
• You're tied to the platform. Wix's own help article (opens in a new tab) says a Wix site needs to be hosted on Wix's servers. Squarespace's export guide (opens in a new tab) says its export only includes some content types, and many page types don't export. If you move later, plan on rebuilding.
• The details are on you. Page titles, descriptions, image sizes, form delivery, accessibility and licence details in the footer all need someone to think about them.
• The fee keeps going. The subscription continues for as long as the site is live, and paid add-ons can creep in.

What having a site built gives you

When someone builds the site for you, you're paying for decisions as much as design.

• A plan before the pixels. A good designer works out what your customers need to see and in what order.
• A design that fits you. Layouts and photos chosen around your business, not the other way round.
• Checks you might skip. Phones of different sizes, keyboard use, colour contrast and whether every form arrives where it should.
• Someone to ask. When something needs changing, you send a message instead of learning an editor.
• Your time back. The hours you'd spend in an editor go back into your business.

The honest downsides of hiring someone

Paying a designer isn't automatically the better choice.

• A bigger upfront cost. Even a modest build costs more on day one than a subscription.
• Waiting on someone else. If you want to change the homepage on a Sunday night, you'll be waiting until they're back at work.
• Quality varies. Some designers are excellent. Some will hand you a template with your logo on it.
• Lock-in can happen here too. Ask who owns the domain, who owns the files, and what you get if you leave.

Here's how I handle those last points. Your domain is registered in your name from day one. Once the build is paid, the agreed custom files transfer to you, with one standard export and a transfer guide included. Changes are made by me under your care plan rather than through an editor you log into. If you know you'll want to edit everything yourself every week, tell me before I quote, or consider a builder instead. That may genuinely suit you better.

When DIY is the right answer

A website builder is often the right choice when:

• You're just starting out. You're testing an idea and money is tight.
• Your needs are simple. One page with what you do, where you are and how to reach you.
• You enjoy it. Some people like writing and fiddling with layouts, and do it well.
• You change things constantly. A daily specials board or a weekly roster might be easier to manage yourself.
• You have the time. And you'll actually finish it.

When it usually isn't

Paying someone tends to make more sense when:

• The DIY site has been "nearly done" for months. An unfinished site does nothing for you.
• Your time is worth more elsewhere. An hour on the tools or in the chair often pays more than an hour in an editor.
• You have several services or areas. The structure matters more as the business grows.
• Customers compare you with others. If people are choosing between three quotes, first impressions count.
• You've got rules to follow. Licensed trades and health practitioners have advertising requirements, and they're easy to miss on a template. There's more on that in what a tradie website needs and websites for physiotherapists.

Website builder vs web designer: there is a middle path

You don't have to choose forever. Some businesses start with a DIY site, then hand it over once the business has grown. Others have a single page built properly, then add pages as they need them. My Launch package, 1 focused page for $999, is meant for exactly that. AUD. GST is not charged.

If you already have a site, the free website check gives you plain-English pointers on what may need attention, whatever you decide. If you'd like to see the kind of work I do, have a look at the concept sites, which are clearly labelled as fictional businesses. And when you're ready, tell me about your business through the website brief.