DIY Website Costs: What Should You Consider?

We’ve all seen adverts offering a free website that can be set up in minutes. A DIY website builder usually lets you choose a template and add your own text and images. This can be a useful starting point, but DIY website costs include more than the initial subscription. You also need to consider content preparation, design decisions, maintenance and any features your business needs as it grows. Compare those responsibilities with the scope of professional web design services before deciding which route suits you. A quick setup does not necessarily mean the finished website is ready to attract customers. The sections below explore the practical trade-offs to review before committing your time and budget.

What are my options?

As a start up business owner or if you are looking to redesign/revamp your existing  website, there are a few option to choose from…

1. DIY web design A self-managed option whose flexibility, design controls and expansion possibilities depend on the platform and subscription you select.
2. Bespoke web design Often a more expensive option for complex requirements. Coded 100% from the ground up using raw code and various design languages. If you want your website to be all singing all dancing, with seriously complex functionality and programmed by an experienced web developer and then assembled by a professional web designer. This is largely unnecessary in today’s world of CMS platforms and advanced frameworks such as WordPress and Joomla, and carries an astronomical price compared to the below option.
3. Hybrid web design This can be a practical option when its features match your business requirements. CMS platforms such as WordPress and Joomla provide established ways to manage website content without building every component from scratch. With almost the exact same opportunity to expand and update as the bespoke option, many add-ons and plugins can achieve what you would usually pay hundreds (if not thousands) of pounds for. Templates can be selected if required, but this isn’t required, or even benefitial most of the time.

The limitations of DIY Websites

As a start up business, it is very tempting to scrimp and save as much as possible. Sometimes this is done in completely the wrong areas and this is simply down to inexperience and shooting from the hip, without proper research and planning. We see the same thing all the time – new businesses breezing over the importance of having a professional web designer construct their online presence. They feel that a DIY site builder is the best option for them in the beginning, but the long-term implications still deserve careful thought. A quick solution implemented at this stage may limit future options if it does not meet your requirements. We will discuss these limitation below.

1. Confusion Many people assume that these DIY site builders are easy – they heard a friend of a friend has done it, so hard can it be? Confusing, if you aren’t computer savvy and used to online computer interfaces. Many people try to save time and money with these online options, but soon realise that there is much more to it than just typing some text and selecting a few pictures. Some decide to seek professional help, while others spend substantially more time than expected before they complete the project. Then there are some who refuse to let it beat them and post the site live for all to see. The next task is to assess how effectively the website supports their business.

   Allow time for content, testing and ongoing updates when comparing DIY website costs

2. Design Template choice and customisation controls vary between DIY website platforms. A large template library does not automatically provide the right design for your business. Review suitable layouts carefully, including how they handle your content, images and navigation, before choosing the basis for your online presence. Unfortunately, you are not the only one looking through these templates, so the best of the bunch will have been chosen by thousands of other customers. Your branding and content therefore matter if you want the result to feel distinctive. Check what you can change before subscribing: some features require paid apps or a higher plan, and the available controls may differ from those of a self-hosted CMS. If your website is an important part of your business, I would look elsewhere just on this basis.
3. Mobile friendly Modern builders can support mobile-friendly websites, but the finished pages still need testing on phones, tablets and different browsers. Check menus, forms, images and text spacing, and establish who will handle any display problems as your content and the platform change.
4. Little, or no support What most people don’t realise with web design, is that it takes many hours and lots of experience to render a website on multiple devices and browsers. When a new business owner signs up for a DIY website builder, they only expact the fun creative (although very limited) part and not the hours of trouble shooting to edit the code for each display. Support varies by provider and plan, so confirm which channels, response times and types of assistance are included in your subscription.
5. SEO If SEO is important to your website, assess the controls available for page titles, descriptions, URLs and internal links. Modern builders should not be dismissed using obsolete Flash claims. Platform choice alone does not determine rankings: useful content, accessible pages and ongoing improvements matter too. Use Google’s SEO Starter Guide when reviewing your requirements and the work involved.
6. Content Management Being able to update and add to your website is an integral part of managing a business website. Check whether your chosen plan includes the blogging, page-management and publishing features your business requires as it grows. Missing features could hinder attempts to promote and expand your site further down the road. This may not seem like a big deal now, but a web designer’s ability to extend or migrate your website will depend on the builder’s tools and export options. Some changes can be made within the platform, while a move elsewhere may require rebuilding layouts.
7. Your own Domain Not having your own personal and unique domain name screams that you are not a serious business. This will instantly deter any prospective clients who are looking at your website. It could be enough for them to loose faith and simply move on tot he next company in the search results. Yet another opportunity (if you are lucky) for the software company to charge you more money for this privilege…it’s all starting to add up isn’t it.
8. Extending Functionality Adding extra features to your bog standard website is again a tough pill to swallow. Whereas CMS platforms such as WordPress and Joomla have many thousands of plug-ins offering all kinds of updates and expansions little or no cost. With the “quick & easy” DIY site builder, you are now at the mercy of a specialist developer within th company, who will now charge you astronomical prices to create these modifications.
9. Advertising Most of these DIY websites won’t let you use external advertising on your site – a viable option if you decide to promote with this feature. They will however place their own annoying adverts all over your website, in order to recoup some income from their free or low cost website option. Again this feature can sometimes be removed, but guess what…at a price. I assure you, it wont be long before you decide these ads are completely ruining your already boring and bog standard low cost website.
10. Portability and security Before choosing a builder, check what content you can export and whether the finished site can be hosted elsewhere. Changing a domain name is different from moving the website itself, so ask about each process separately. Security support, backups and recovery options also vary by provider. Establish who is responsible for these tasks and how you would recover from a problem, whether you choose a hosted builder or a professionally managed website.

Comparing DIY Website Costs Over Time

A recurring theme throughout this comparison is the total cost of ownership. What looks like a low-cost starting point can become more expensive when you add the features and support your business needs. Compare current subscriptions, domain renewals, apps, maintenance and the value of your own time over several years. The £350 example in the original article was illustrative, not a current quote or a reliable comparison between every platform. A professionally designed website also has ongoing costs, so ask for a clear breakdown of what is included. Our guide to website design cost explains the scope and pricing questions to discuss before choosing a supplier.

If you are serious about creating a website for your business and want it to be taken seriously, hire a professional and be proud of your online presence. Your time should be spent on much more important things, such as building stock, accounts, promotion…and your family or loved ones.