Custom Website vs Template
Should you use Wix, Squarespace or a WordPress theme - or hire a developer for a custom website? Here's an honest comparison to help you decide what's right for your business and budget.
The Quick Answer
Choose a Template/DIY Builder If:
- You have a very limited budget (under £500)
- You need a simple brochure website (1-5 pages)
- You're comfortable learning new software
- Your business doesn't need custom features
- You're testing a business idea before committing
Choose a Custom Website If:
- Your website represents your main sales channel
- You need specific functionality or integrations
- Brand differentiation matters in your industry
- You want to rank well on Google (SEO priority)
- You value speed, security and professional support
Full Comparison
How templates and custom websites stack up
| Factor | DIY / Template | Custom Website |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Cost | £0 - £500 | £999 - £5,000+ |
| Monthly Cost | £12 - £40/month (platform fees) | £0 - £50/month (hosting only) |
| 3-Year Total Cost | £430 - £1,940 | £999 - £6,800 |
| Design | Limited to template options | Fully unique to your brand |
| Functionality | Basic, plugin-dependent | Anything you need |
| Page Speed | Often slow (bloated code) | Optimised for performance |
| SEO Potential | Limited control | Full optimisation possible |
| Ownership | Tied to platform | You own everything |
| Time to Launch | Hours to days (DIY) | 2-6 weeks |
| Support | Generic platform support | Personal, dedicated support |
Understanding Your Options
What's available and what they're good for
The Real Cost Over Time
Templates aren't always cheaper long-term
Scenario: 5-Year Website Cost
Wix Business Plan
- Monthly fee: £27 x 60 months = £1,620
- Domain: £12 x 5 years = £60
- Premium apps: ~£100/year = £500
- 5-Year Total: ~£2,180
Custom Website
- One-time build: £1,999
- Hosting: £100 x 5 years = £500
- Domain: £12 x 5 years = £60
- 5-Year Total: ~£2,559
The cost difference is often smaller than expected - and custom gives you better performance, SEO and flexibility. For businesses earning revenue through their website, the ROI on custom development typically pays for itself.
When Custom Development Makes Sense
Situations where investing in custom pays off
Your Website Generates Revenue
If you get leads, bookings or sales through your website, a faster, better-designed site with proper SEO will generate more revenue. A 10% improvement in conversion on a site generating £5,000/month in leads = £6,000/year extra.
You're in a Competitive Industry
When competitors are fighting for the same customers, standing out matters. A template site looks generic - potential customers might not even register your business as an option compared to a competitor with a polished, professional site.
SEO Is Important to Your Strategy
Template sites have limited SEO capabilities. Custom sites can be built with technical SEO best practices from the ground up - proper heading structure, schema markup, optimised images, fast loading times and clean code that Google loves.
You Need Specific Functionality
Booking systems, custom calculators, integrations with your business software, member portals, complex forms - templates can only take you so far. Custom development builds exactly what you need.
Your Time Has Value
Building a website yourself takes time - learning the platform, designing, writing content, troubleshooting. If your hourly rate is £50+ and you spend 40 hours on a DIY site, you've "spent" £2,000 in time. A developer lets you focus on running your business.
When Templates Are Fine
Honest situations where DIY makes sense
You're Testing a Business Idea
If you're not sure your business will work, spending £2,000+ on a website doesn't make sense. A simple landing page or Wix site is perfect for validating your concept before investing more.
You Get Most Business Through Referrals
If 90% of your customers come from word-of-mouth and you just need a basic online presence with contact info, a template site is perfectly adequate. Not every business needs to compete on Google.
Budget Is Genuinely Limited
If you simply cannot afford custom development right now, a template site is better than no site. You can always upgrade later when revenue allows - and we can help with that transition.
Common Questions
Yes, this is a common path. Start with a template to get online quickly and test your business, then invest in custom development once you have revenue and a clearer idea of what you need. We've helped many businesses make this transition. Note that content can usually be migrated, but you'll essentially be starting fresh with design and functionality.
It can be. WordPress with a quality theme gives you more flexibility than Wix/Squarespace while being cheaper than full custom development. However, it still has limitations - you're working within the theme's structure, and performance is often poor due to plugin bloat. If you go this route, avoid "multipurpose" themes that try to do everything - they're usually slow and complex.
Custom development involves a skilled professional spending time understanding your business, designing a unique solution, writing clean code, optimising for performance and SEO, testing across devices, and providing ongoing support. A template spreads development costs across thousands of users, but you get a generic product. Custom is like bespoke tailoring vs off-the-rack - both have their place, but one is made specifically for you.
Shopify is a solid platform for e-commerce and sits between DIY builders and full custom. It handles payments, inventory and shipping well out of the box. For many small e-commerce businesses, a customised Shopify theme (which we offer) is the sweet spot - you get Shopify's reliable infrastructure with professional design. True custom e-commerce makes sense for complex requirements or high-volume stores where platform fees become significant.
Google doesn't directly penalise templates, but template sites often have characteristics that hurt rankings: slow loading (Google uses speed as a ranking factor), poor mobile experience, bloated code, limited SEO options, and duplicate structures that don't stand out. Custom sites can be built with SEO as a priority from the start, giving you an advantage in competitive search results.
Not Sure What's Right for You?
We offer free consultations with honest advice. We'll tell you if a template makes sense for your situation - no pressure to buy custom if it's not right for you.