The short answer: Building it yourself is worthwhile if you have time, want to present a simple offer and can manage with the options of a website builder. Having it built is worthwhile if your website should be individually designed, offer special features or take work off your hands.
Don’t just compare the starting price, but also your own time and the ongoing costs over several years.
Three ways to your own website
| Way | How it works | Typical ongoing costs |
|---|---|---|
| Website builder | put together a website in the browser from templates | monthly subscription as long as the website is online |
| Set up a CMS yourself | install and customise a system such as WordPress | hosting, domain, possibly paid extensions |
| Have it built | a web designer plans, designs and develops the website | hosting and domain, maintenance as needed |
Effort: how much time do you put in?
The biggest difference often lies not in the price but in your time. If you build it yourself, you take care of everything: learning the system, page structure, design, copy, images, search engine settings, legal notice, privacy policy and cookie banner.
Even if you have your website built, there is still work for you: providing information about your business, agreeing on content and giving feedback. The technical and design work, however, is done by someone else.
Design: template or custom design?
Website builders work with templates. They often look good, but are used by many businesses and can only be adapted within their limits. A custom design, on the other hand, is created for your business: colours, structure and imagery are based on your offer and your target group.
For a simple presence, a well-chosen template can be quite enough. If you want to stand out clearly from competitors, a custom design plays to its strengths.
Maintenance and security
- Website builder: the provider takes care of technology and updates. In return, you’re tied to its platform and prices.
- Self-installed CMS: the system and extensions need regular updates. If they’re skipped, security holes arise.
- Custom-built website: a lean website without many extensions needs less technical maintenance. Content changes are made via an admin area or by the web designer.
Which maintenance is needed always depends on the technology used. A CMS with extensions needs different care than a static website.
Custom features
Website builders offer many standard features such as contact forms or galleries. Special requirements, however, quickly hit limits. When custom-built, features can be tailored exactly to your business, for example:
- a quote calculator with your own prices
- a configurator for your product
- an AI chatbot with your business information
- an admin area that makes exactly the content you want to change editable
The project report on the Staublos website shows what such features look like in practice.
Costs compared
| Website builder | Built by MyFortiPage | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | low or no starting amount | one-off from €499 |
| Ongoing | subscription as long as the website is online | domain and hosting directly with your provider, no subscription with me |
| Your time | high, you do everything yourself | lower, you provide content and feedback |
| Switching | the website often can’t simply be taken with you | the website belongs to you |
Calculated over several years, monthly fees can add up considerably. Work out both options for your situation – including the time you invest yourself. What my packages include is explained in the guide How much does a website cost for a small business?
Decision guide
Building it yourself fits if …
- you have the time and enjoy learning new things
- your offer is simple and can be presented on a few pages
- a template is enough for you in terms of design
- you don’t need any special features
Having it built fits if …
- you’d rather put your time into your business
- your website should be individually designed
- you need special features such as a calculator or chatbot
- you want a dedicated contact person for technology and changes
A middle way: have it built and maintain it yourself
You don’t have to choose between all or nothing. A custom-built website can get an admin area or a CMS that lets you change texts and images yourself. We define in advance which content you can edit. Alternatively, I make changes for you – learn more on the care & maintenance page.