Wix vs a Custom Website: What's Right for Your Small Business?
DIY builders like Wix and Squarespace look cheap and easy. Here's an honest look at where they help, where they hurt, and when spending on a custom site pays off.
Short answer: Wix and Squarespace are fine if you need something basic online today for as little as possible. A custom site is the right call once you want the website to bring in real leads or rank locally. Here's the honest breakdown of where each option fits.
Where DIY builders genuinely help
If you're just starting out, have almost no budget, and need something basic online today, a DIY builder can be a reasonable first step. They're cheap up front and you don't need a designer to publish a page.
Where they tend to fall short
The problems usually show up later, once you actually want the site to bring in business:
- They're slower, and speed affects both rankings and conversions
- SEO is limited, so you struggle to get found on Google
- Templates make you look like every other business using them
- Your time isn't free, most owners spend many frustrating hours
- You're locked in; moving your site elsewhere later is painful
When a custom website wins
Once your website is meant to do real work, bring in calls, bookings or sales, a custom site usually pulls ahead. It's faster, built around your specific customers, properly optimised for search, and designed to convert visitors instead of just displaying information.
The real cost over time
A DIY plan looks cheaper at €20 to 40 a month, but add up a few years plus your own time and the gap narrows fast, and you still don't own a high-performing asset. A one-time custom build that ranks well and converts often pays for itself in new customers.
If you're weighing it up, get in touch and Anchor Web Digital will give you a straight answer about which makes sense for your situation, no pressure either way.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wix bad for SEO?
Not "bad", but it's more limited than a modern custom build. Wix pages tend to load slower, generate heavier code and give you less control over technical SEO (schema, canonical tags, image handling). It's usually workable for a brand name search, and often not enough for competitive local terms.
Can I move my Wix site to a custom website later?
You can, but not automatically. The design, content and pages have to be rebuilt on the new platform, and you'll need 301 redirects from the old Wix URLs to preserve rankings. If you already know you'll outgrow Wix, it's cheaper to start with a custom site.
How much does a custom website cost vs Wix?
Wix is roughly €20 to €40 per month indefinitely. A custom small-business site is €399 to €1,699 one-time (see pricing). Over 3 to 5 years the numbers get close, and only one of those options actually gets you an asset you own.
When is Wix actually the right choice?
Brand new business, tiny budget, no need to rank on Google, and you're comfortable being your own web person. In that case Wix or Squarespace is genuinely the sensible move, upgrade when the business needs the site to do more work.