Estimated read time: ~4 minutes
If you’ve Googled 'how to build a website', you've probably fallen into a rabbit hole of sales pages, affiliate links and strong opinions. Let's park all that.
There are really only two paths:
- Use a DIY website builder.
- Hire a developer or agency.
Both can work. The right answer depends on three things: complexity, time and risk.
When a DIY builder is good enough
If you just need to be findable and credible – 'Here’s who we are, what we do, how to contact us' – a DIY platform can absolutely be fine.
It’s usually a good fit when:
- Your site is small (a handful of pages).
- You don’t need custom integrations or complex forms.
- Your budget is tight and your time is more flexible than your cash.
You’ll trade money for time. You’ll be the person picking templates, tweaking layouts, fixing that one heading that keeps jumping around on mobile. The result may not be perfect, but it can be 'good enough' to prove an idea or support a small local business.
If you go this route, be honest with yourself:
- Will you actually sit down and finish it?
- Will you keep it updated?
If the answer is 'probably not', you’re not saving money – you’re delaying your online presence.
When hiring a developer makes more sense
A developer becomes less of a 'nice to have' and more of a 'must' when your site is:
- Revenue-critical – you expect it to generate real sales or leads.
- Complex – e-commerce, bookings, memberships, portals, custom workflows.
- Integrated – needs to talk to CRMs, inventory systems, accounting, etc.
You’re not just paying for someone to 'make it look pretty'. You’re paying for someone to think through:
- What happens if 100 people hit the site at the same time?
- What does Google see?
- What happens after someone fills in a form?
- How will this site be maintained in 2–3 years?
If your website is a core part of how you make money or deliver service, having someone own those questions is usually worth the investment.
How to choose without overthinking it
A quick way to decide:
- If your business would be fine if the website disappeared for a week → DIY is probably okay.
- If being offline or broken for a day would hurt → you likely need a professional build and ongoing support.
You can also blend the two:
- Start with a DIY site to validate an idea.
- Once it’s working, brief a developer to rebuild it properly with better performance, SEO and integrations.
There’s no prize for doing everything yourself. Equally, there’s no sense in spending thousands on a site before you’ve proven there’s demand.
The real question to ask
Instead of 'Should I DIY or hire?', try:
'What’s the cost of this website not working properly?'
If the risk is low, DIY can be a perfectly rational choice. If the risk is high – missed leads, broken checkout, a brand that looks amateur – bringing in a developer isn’t a luxury. It’s risk management.
