January 2026
I'm a web developer, so you'd expect me to say "always hire a professional." But that's not the honest answer.
The truth is, DIY website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.com are genuinely good these days. For some situations, they're the right choice. For others, they're a false economy that'll cost you more in the long run.
So let's cut through the marketing spin from both sides and figure out what actually makes sense for your situation.
There are genuine scenarios where a DIY builder is the smart choice:
You're testing an idea. Starting a side hustle? Not sure if there's a market for your thing? A $20/month Squarespace site is a sensible way to test the waters before committing thousands to a proper build.
It's a hobby or passion project. Personal blog, family reunion site, community group page — if it's not generating income, spending $5,000 on development doesn't make financial sense.
You genuinely enjoy this stuff. Some people like tinkering with websites. If you've got the time and find it satisfying, there's nothing wrong with doing it yourself.
Budget is genuinely tight. When you're starting out and every dollar matters, $200/year for Wix beats $5,000 upfront. Just go in with your eyes open about the trade-offs.
You need something tomorrow. DIY builders can have you live in an afternoon. If you've got an urgent deadline and something basic will do, that's a legitimate advantage.
Here's what the DIY platforms don't make obvious in their pricing:
Your time. This is the big one. Learning the platform, choosing templates, tweaking layouts, figuring out why something isn't working — it adds up. If your time is worth $50/hour and you spend 40 hours building a site, that's $2,000 in hidden costs. Plus whatever you could have earned doing actual work instead.
Premium templates. The free templates are limited. The good ones cost $50-200. Then you'll probably buy another one when the first doesn't quite work.
Apps and plugins. Want online bookings? That's $15/month. Better contact forms? Another $10/month. SEO tools? More again. These subscriptions stack up fast.
Removing their branding. Most platforms slap their logo on free plans. Removing it means upgrading to a more expensive tier.
Ongoing subscriptions. A custom site has hosting costs, sure. But DIY platforms charge $15-50/month forever, plus you never actually own anything. Stop paying and your site vanishes.
DIY builders are designed to work for everyone, which means they're not optimised for anyone. Here's where they fall short:
SEO. Yes, they have SEO settings. But the code they generate is often bloated, slow, and not structured the way Google prefers. For local businesses trying to rank in their area, this matters. More on that in our Google Maps guide.
Speed. Templates come loaded with features you'll never use, and all that code still loads. Custom sites can be built lean and fast. DIY sites are almost always slower.
Customisation limits. Want something that doesn't fit the template? Good luck. You'll spend hours trying to hack around limitations, or give up and accept "close enough."
Ownership. Build on Wix, and your site lives on Wix forever. Want to move? Start from scratch. A properly built custom site belongs to you — files, code, everything.
Integration. Need your website to talk to your booking system, accounting software, or custom database? DIY platforms have limited options. Sometimes none.
There are clear situations where paying for professional help is worth the money:
Your website generates income. If customers find you through your website, it's an investment, not an expense. A site that ranks better, loads faster, and converts more visitors pays for itself. For more on costs, see how much a website costs in Gippsland.
Your time is valuable. If you bill $100/hour for your actual work, spending 30 hours on a DIY site costs you $3,000 in lost income. Paying someone $4,000 to do it properly in a week might be the better deal.
You need custom functionality. Online quotes, booking systems, member portals, e-commerce with specific requirements — if it's not a standard template feature, you need someone who can build it.
You want it done right. Proper SEO structure, fast loading, accessibility, security updates — the stuff that separates amateur from professional. If these matter to your business, get someone who knows what they're doing.
You want ongoing support. When something breaks or you need changes, do you want to spend your weekend on YouTube tutorials? Or call someone who fixes it in an hour?
When you hire a professional, you're not just paying for someone to do what you could do yourself. You're paying for:
Strategy. Understanding your business, your customers, what you're trying to achieve — and building something that actually helps you get there.
Experience. Knowing what works and what doesn't. Avoiding the mistakes they've seen others make. Building things properly the first time.
Speed. What takes you 40 hours of frustration takes them 8 hours of focused work. And they get it right.
Quality. Clean code, fast loading, proper SEO structure, works on every device. The stuff you don't know to check for until it's wrong.
Support. Someone to call when things go sideways. Someone who'll help you evolve the site as your business grows. Check out how to choose a developer for what to look for.
Forget "which is better" — that's the wrong question. The right question is: what's the best use of your money and time right now?
If you're testing an idea, keep costs low and go DIY. If your website is a business tool that needs to perform, invest in doing it properly.
There's no shame in starting with Squarespace and upgrading to custom later when the business can afford it. And there's no shame in admitting that your time is better spent running your business than wrestling with website templates.
Either way, make the choice with your eyes open. Know what you're getting, know what you're giving up, and make the call that's right for where you are now.
Not sure which way to go? Get in touch and I'll give you an honest assessment. Sometimes I tell people to stick with their Wix site. Sometimes I explain why a custom build would pay for itself in six months.
No sales pitch, just straight advice. That's how I'd want someone to treat me, so that's how I do business.