Plenty of small businesses build their own site, and many do it well. Plenty hire someone, and many are glad they did. Neither choice is wrong. This guide lays out both honestly, including where we are not the best answer.
We are a studio that builds sites for local businesses, so we have an interest here. We will try to be fair anyway, and we will show our sources.
What the do-it-yourself builders do well
Wix, Squarespace and similar builders let you pick a template, drag in your words and photos, and publish. The monthly plan covers hosting, and the support team helps with the tool.
They are a good choice when:
- Your needs are simple. A few pages, your hours, a phone number and a contact form.
- You enjoy it, or you have time. Some owners like tinkering, and a site they built themselves feels like theirs.
- Your budget is tight. There is no build fee, only the monthly plan and your time.
- You will keep it current. A site you update yourself can stay fresher than one you have to ask someone to change.
- You are testing an idea. A cheap, quick site is a reasonable way to start.
What it costs, in money and time
The builders charge by the month. As an example, Wix's Core plan, the lowest one that handles online payments and booking, is about $29.77 a month billed yearly (about $357 a year), according to wix.com/plans, which we checked on October 21, 2026. Wix says prices and currency vary by location, so look at the plan page for your own number. Squarespace and others have their own plans, and prices change, so check current ones before you decide.
The bigger cost is usually your time. Choosing a template, writing the pages, finding photos, setting up booking and payments, testing on phones and learning the editor all take hours. Those hours come out of running your business.
Where hiring someone makes sense
- Booking and payments have to work. Setting up scheduling, deposits and a payment account correctly is fiddly. A mistake can cost you customers or money.
- You need to be found locally. Search setup, a Google Business Profile and structured data are easy to skip when you do not know they exist.
- You work in a regulated field. Medical and legal sites need care about what forms collect and which tools you use. We offer compliance-sensitive builds for that, and we do not certify compliance.
- You would rather spend your time on the business. This is the main reason owners hire us.
- You want someone to call. When something breaks, you do not want to search a help center.
What it costs to hire us
Our prices are starting prices, and every project gets a written quote.
- Starter: Starting at $249 with a template.
- Business: Starting at $899 with a template.
- Premium: Starting at $2,499 with a template.
Every site also comes with our Basic care plan for hosting, the padlock in the browser and security updates: Starting at $24/month or Starting at $199/year. From the second year on, that is less than the Wix Core plan at about $357 a year, but the two are not the same thing. The Wix plan includes the tools to run your site. Our Basic plan keeps ours online and secure. Edits are included from the Standard plan up.
A few ways to decide
Ask yourself:
- How many hours can I give this, honestly? If the answer is none, hire.
- Does the site have to take bookings or payments? If yes, and you have not done it before, lean toward hiring.
- Do I enjoy this kind of thing? If so, try it yourself.
- What is a missed booking worth to me? A site that works is worth more to a business with high-value appointments.
- Who will update it in a year? Whatever you choose, be sure someone will.
Whichever you choose
Some things hold either way:
- Own your domain name. It should be registered in your name, with auto-renew on.
- Own your accounts. Your scheduling tool, Stripe account and Google Business Profile should belong to you.
- Use real photos of your business. They matter more than any template.
- Test on a phone. Many visitors will see it there first.
- You can change your mind. Plenty of owners start with a builder and hire someone once the business outgrows it.
If you already have a site and are unsure where it stands, run it through our website check. If you want a price from us, ask for a written quote.