Website builder or custom site?
Website builders like Squarespace and Wix are good products, and for a lot of businesses they are the right call. A custom site is worth it when your website has a specific job that a template does badly. Here is how to tell which one you are.
When a builder is the right choice
- You are just starting and need something live this week.
- Your budget is under a few thousand dollars.
- Your site is a simple brochure: who you are, what you do, how to reach you.
- You enjoy doing the design and updates yourself.
When custom is worth it
- Your business has a story or ritual that a template flattens: a 100-year-old bakery, a dance hall, a hat shop with four generations.
- Customers need to do something specific: build an order, book a time, pick options, check what is in stock.
- You sell online and want the store to feel like your brand, not a theme.
- Speed and phones matter and the builder site is heavy and slow.
- You have outgrown the template: workarounds, plug-ins and pages that never quite fit.
- You want to be remembered. A signature moment people screenshot and send to friends.
Side by side
What about SEO?
Either can rank well. What matters most is real text (not images of text), a clear title and description on every page, a fast mobile page, and correct business details like hours and location. Builders make some of this easy and some of it awkward; a custom site lets you get every piece right.
Questions
Is a custom website better for SEO than Squarespace or Wix?
Not automatically. A custom site gives you full control over speed, structure and content, which helps, but good SEO still comes down to useful content, correct business information and a fast mobile page.
Can I move from a website builder to a custom site later?
Yes. Your domain, email and content can move with you, and most businesses keep the same web address.
Will I still be able to update a custom site myself?
A good custom site includes an editor for the things that change often, like text, photos, hours and menus.
Got something worth scrolling?
Tell me what you're building. I reply to every message within a day, and every project gets a written quote after a short call.