In this article I’ll walk you through how to build a professional website without breaking the bank. Over the years, web design has become much more affordable thanks to visual website builders and ready-made templates. I’ll explain the most popular platforms, compare costs, and share practical recommendations based on experience working with local businesses.
Why a Website Is Cheaper Today
Years ago, every website required hand-written code, which made development expensive. Today, tools like Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly provide themes (templates) and drag-and-drop editors so you can launch a site quickly. This lowers the cost and time needed to create an online presence.
Popular Website Builders: How They Work and What to Expect
Wix
Wix uses themes (templates) that you choose and then customize. It’s easy and fast for creative portfolios or small sites. Typical entry-level plans start around $17/month, with mid-tier plans closer to $29/month. Keep in mind apps and add-ons can increase your monthly bill.
Squarespace
Squarespace has clean templates well-suited for restaurants, salons, photographers, and small businesses. It’s a solid choice for simple, attractive sites. Pricing often starts around $16/month if you pay annually; on a monthly basis it’s higher. Squarespace can work okay for SEO, but I’ve seen mixed results depending on the project.
Weebly
Weebly (mentioned in the video as Wibly) is another theme-based builder. It even offers a free plan for basic one-page or personal sites. From my experience, Weebly can perform better for SEO than some competitors, but every case is different.
Advantages of Using a Website Builder
- Lower upfront cost: You don’t need a large budget to get started.
- Speed: Launch a site in hours instead of weeks.
- No coding required: Drag-and-drop editors and themes do most of the work.
- Managed hosting and support: The platform handles servers, updates, and security.
Disadvantages and Important Limitations
Website builders are great for quick sites, but they come with trade-offs. Here are the main limitations to consider:
- Design limitations: Themes restrict what you can change. If you need a very custom layout or specific features, a theme may not allow it.
- You don’t fully own the site: You’re essentially renting the site on the platform. Migrating a site from Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly to another host is often difficult or impossible.
- SEO and discoverability: Some builders perform worse in search results depending on how they generate pages and manage metadata. From experience, I’ve had to redesign some client sites on WordPress to get better SEO results.
- Adding custom code can be tricky: If you plan to run advanced tracking, custom scripts, or special integrations, you may run into platform restrictions.
- Recurring costs: Builders charge monthly or yearly fees for the lifetime of the site — and extra features and apps add to that cost.
“You’re renting the website.” — an important way to think about hosted builders.
Alternatives: WordPress and Shopify
If your website is central to your marketing and long-term growth, consider alternatives:
- WordPress (self-hosted): Gives you full ownership and flexibility. You host the files yourself, can move hosts, and have complete control of functionality. Typical cost for a basic self-hosted WordPress site can be around $100 per year (hosting + domain), depending on provider and needs. WordPress is often my recommendation when the site will be used for marketing or needs strong SEO.
- Shopify: If your primary purpose is e-commerce, Shopify is often the best hosted option. It’s built for online stores and handles payments, inventory, and store features in a way that general website builders don’t.
Cost Comparison (Typical Ranges)
- Website builders (Wix, Squarespace, Weebly): $16–$29 per month for standard business plans (paid monthly or cheaper if billed annually). Expect add-on costs for apps, premium features, or ecommerce.
- Self-hosted WordPress: Around $100 per year for a basic setup (shared hosting + domain). Costs increase with premium themes, plugins, or managed hosting.
- Shopify: Plans start at a monthly fee tailored to ecommerce functionality (varies by plan).
Quick Roadmap: Launch a Professional Site on a Budget
- Decide the primary purpose: marketing, portfolio, or e-commerce.
- If you want speed and low cost: pick a website builder (Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly) and select a professional theme.
- If marketing and SEO are priorities or you want full control: choose self-hosted WordPress.
- Choose a domain name and hosting plan (or sign up for the builder platform).
- Customize the theme: add your logo, text, contact info, and clear calls to action.
- Optimize basic SEO: set page titles, meta descriptions, and a clear site structure.
- Test on mobile devices and make sure contact forms and calls-to-action work.
- Plan ongoing updates: keep content fresh and monitor performance (Google Analytics, Search Console).
Final Recommendations
If you want a fast, attractive site and don’t need advanced marketing or full ownership, a website builder is a great, affordable option. However, if your website will be a core marketing asset or you need custom features and strong SEO performance, invest in a self-hosted WordPress site or use Shopify for serious online stores.
If you’re unsure which path is best for your business, reach out to a web professional who can evaluate your goals and budget. A simple site can be inexpensive, but choosing the right platform now will save time and money down the road.
— Salazar Digital – Marketing & Web Design
