If your business needs a new website, you have three realistic routes: build it yourself on Wix or Squarespace, hire an agency for a custom project, or book a focused, fixed-price build like the One-Day Website. Each one is the right answer for someone. This guide compares them on cost, time, quality and ownership, so you can pick the one that fits your business rather than the one with the loudest ads.
The short answer
If you have more time than budget and you’re testing an idea, a DIY builder is fine. If you need an online store, a large site or complex features, an agency or custom project is worth it. If you run a service business and need a professional site that brings in enquiries, a fixed-price package like the One-Day Website gets you there fastest, with a senior designer doing the work.
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) | One-Day Website | Agency custom website | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | $20–$50 a month, plus your time | $4,500, fixed | $10,000–$30,000+ |
| Time to launch | Weeks of evenings | One day, after a week of preparation | 2–4 months |
| Who does the work | You | One senior designer | A team, with handoffs |
| Design | A template, adjusted | Custom-designed on your brand | Custom, with more exploration |
| Pages | As many as you build | Up to five core pages | No practical limit |
| Platform and ownership | Stays on the builder’s platform | Self-hosted WordPress you own | Usually WordPress or custom, check the contract |
| SEO foundations | Up to you | Included | Included |
| Best for | Testing an idea on a tight budget | Service businesses that need a credible site fast | Larger sites, stores and complex features |
These are typical market ranges, not quotes, and match the figures in my small business website cost guide.
Option 1: Build it yourself on Wix or Squarespace
Website builders have come a long way. The templates look good, hosting is handled for you and the monthly fee is low. For a side project, an event or a business that’s still finding its feet, they’re a sensible start.
Where DIY works
- You enjoy design and have evenings to spare.
- You need something online this month and the budget is close to zero.
- The site is simple and isn’t your main source of new customers.
Where DIY costs more than it looks
- Your time. Most owners spend weeks of evenings choosing templates, writing copy and fixing layouts on mobile. That time has a price.
- Looking like everyone else. Templates are designed for thousands of businesses. Customers notice when a site looks generic, and it can make an established business look new.
- Structure and SEO. Builders give you the tools, but not the judgment: page structure, headings, titles and the path from visitor to enquiry are left to you.
- Moving later. Your site lives on the builder’s platform. If you outgrow it, you rebuild rather than move.
Option 2: Hire an agency for a custom website
An agency or a custom project is the right call when the website has real complexity: an online store, a large catalog, bookings, member areas, integrations with your other systems, or many page types. You get discovery, design exploration and a team.
What to expect
- Cost: typically $10,000–$30,000 and up.
- Time: two to four months, most of it scheduling, feedback rounds and waiting for content rather than design or code.
- People: a salesperson, a project manager, a designer and a developer. Handoffs between them are where details get lost.
For a service business that needs five clear pages, much of that process adds delay and cost, not quality.
Option 3: The One-Day Website
The One-Day Website sits between the two. It’s a custom-designed site of up to five pages, planned with you and launched in one focused day for a flat $4,500. It’s fast because the waiting is removed, not the work.
- Scope agreed up front. Usually Home, About, Services, a page for your work or results, and Contact.
- Preparation before the day. A checklist covers your text, photos, logo and access, with content due five business days before the build.
- One senior designer. The person you talk to is the person building your site, so decisions take minutes.
- Built in WordPress you own. You can edit text, images and pages yourself, and you’re never locked into a platform.
- Launch-ready. Mobile layouts, SEO foundations, contact forms and analytics are included, plus a seven-day refinement window and 30 days of bug fixes.
If you want to see what the day looks like hour by hour, read Can you really build a professional website in one day?
How to choose
Choose a DIY builder if…
You’re testing an idea, the budget is minimal, and you have the time and interest to do it well yourself.
Choose the One-Day Website if…
You run a service business, consultancy or practice, five strong pages cover what you do, and you want a professional site live this month without managing a long project.
Choose an agency or custom project if…
You need an online store, more than five core pages, bookings or member areas, integrations, or several rounds of design exploration. For those, I offer custom web design and eCommerce projects too.
Frequently asked questions
Is a One-Day Website just a template?
No. It’s designed on your brand, directly in WordPress, from the first hour. The speed comes from an agreed scope and preparation done before the day, not from reusing a layout.
Can I move my Wix or Squarespace site to a One-Day Website?
Yes. Your content is reused where it still works and rewritten where it doesn’t, and old page addresses are redirected so you keep what you’ve earned in search.
What does a website cost after launch?
A domain is around $15–$20 a year and managed hosting starts at $35 a month. Website care is optional, from $156 a month, and covers updates, backups, security monitoring and edits.
Will my site rank on Google?
Every One-Day Website launches with solid technical SEO foundations. Competitive rankings come from ongoing work like reviews, content and links, which is where SEO plans pick up.
Related reading
- How to Plan a Business Website That Performs
- How to Launch a WordPress Site That Drives Leads
- 12 Best Website Features for Small Business
Need a better website, fast? The One-Day Website is a custom-designed site of up to five pages, built and launched in one focused day for a flat $4,500. Reserve your day ›