We build websites for a living, so you might expect us to say you should always pay someone. We do not think that. A DIY website builder is a perfectly sensible choice for some businesses, and pretending otherwise would be dishonest.
Here is how to tell which side of the line you are on.
When a DIY builder is the right call
You are just starting out. If the business is new, the budget is tight and you are still working out what you offer, spending on a custom build too early can be a mistake. A simple, honest page that says who you are and how to reach you does the job.
The site is small and simple. A single page with your details, a few photos and a phone number is well within reach of a builder.
You enjoy it and have the time. Some people like building things. If you will happily spend a few evenings on it, and you can see the point, go for it.
You need something live this week. A quick page now is better than a perfect one in two months.
It is a side project. A hobby, a community group, a one off event. The stakes are low.
When it is probably not the right call
Your time is worth more than the saving. If a few evenings of fiddling would cost you paid work, or time with your family, the maths is not as good as it looks.
You have been "about to finish it" for months. An unfinished site does nothing for your business. If it keeps sliding down the list, that is useful information.
It has to look and work properly. If customers judge you by your site, because you sell something where trust or quality matters, a rushed DIY job can make a good business look smaller than it is.
Things need to keep working. Bookings, enquiry forms, a shop or anything connected to another system. When these quietly break, you may not find out until a customer tells you, or never does.
You have already outgrown it. Plenty of businesses start on a builder and later find it no longer fits what they do.
Questions to ask yourself
- Do I have the wording and photos, or am I starting from nothing?
- Will I actually finish it, and keep it up to date?
- Does my site need to do anything beyond showing information?
- If it breaks, do I know how to fix it, or who to ring?
- Is the domain in my own name, in an account I can log into?
If you answered yes to the last one and the rest look manageable, DIY may well suit you.
Things to watch whichever way you go
Keep the domain in your name. Even on a builder, your web address should be registered to you. We explain the difference in domain, hosting and website, and the check in who owns your website.
Understand what you are renting. With many DIY builders, the site lives inside the builder's own account. That can make it harder to take the design with you if you ever leave. Ask before you commit, not after.
Be honest about maintenance. A website is not a one time job. Opening hours change, prices change, a phone number gets updated.
If you have already built one and it is not working
You are not alone, and it is not a sign you did anything wrong. A lot of the businesses we speak to started on a DIY builder, got the site mostly right, and then ran out of time or patience. If that sounds like you, we have a page for exactly that situation: switching from a DIY website builder.
Wherever possible, we rebuild on the setup you already have and pay for, so there is no new bill and nothing to transfer. You get a fixed price in writing before anything starts, and you own the result.
What paying someone does and does not buy
It buys your time back, and a site that is set up properly in your own accounts. It does not buy a guaranteed flood of customers. Nobody honest can promise that.
If you want to see how the numbers work, what a website actually costs sets it all out. And if you are not sure whether your current site is worth saving, refresh or rebuild will help you decide.