Every UK service business owner faces this question at some point: build it yourself or pay someone?
The internet is full of people with strong opinions. DIY advocates say Wix is “just as good” as custom. Agencies say DIY sites look “unprofessional.” Neither is being entirely honest.
Here’s what actually matters: your situation. A brand new plumber doesn’t have the same needs as an established physiotherapy clinic. Let’s figure out which camp you’re in.
The Real Costs: DIY vs Professional
Let’s start with numbers, because everything else flows from budget.
DIY Website Costs (Year 1)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Platform subscription (Wix/Squarespace) | £180-360/year |
| Domain name | £10-20/year |
| Premium template (optional) | £50-150 one-time |
| Stock photos | £50-100 |
| Your time (20-40 hours at minimum) | £0 cash, significant opportunity cost |
| Total cash outlay | £290-630 |
Professional Website Costs (Year 1)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Design and development | £3,000-6,000 |
| Domain name | £10-20/year |
| Hosting and maintenance | £1,200-3,600/year |
| Professional photography (optional) | £200-500 |
| Total | £4,400-10,000 |
The cash difference is obvious. A DIY site costs 10-20x less upfront.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions
DIY: Your Time Has Value
That “free” website takes 20-40 hours minimum. More realistically, 40-60 hours if you want it to look decent and actually work properly.
If you bill £50/hour as a self-employed tradesperson, 40 hours of website building costs you £2,000 in lost earnings.
If you’re a physiotherapist billing £70/hour, you’ve just spent £2,800-4,200 worth of time.
Suddenly the gap narrows.
DIY: The Ongoing Time Drain
A DIY site isn’t “set and forget.” You’ll spend:
- 2-3 hours/month on updates and tweaks
- 5-10 hours/year fighting with the platform when something breaks
- Hours learning SEO basics (or ignoring it and wondering why nobody finds you)
Over 3 years, that’s another 100+ hours. For a physio, that’s £7,000+ of opportunity cost.
Professional: What You’re Actually Paying For
When you hire someone competent, you’re buying:
- Speed: A 3-week project vs 3 months of evenings and weekends
- Expertise: Proper mobile design, SEO foundations, accessibility
- No learning curve: They’ve built 50 sites, you’ve built none
- Problem-solving: When something goes wrong, it’s their problem
The Quality Gap: Is It Real?
Yes and no.
Where DIY Falls Short
Design consistency. Templates look fine at first glance. But trained designers notice (and your customers subconsciously notice) things like:
- Inconsistent spacing
- Fonts that don’t quite work together
- Images that are the wrong aspect ratio
- Mobile layouts that technically work but feel clunky
Performance. DIY platforms add bloat. A Wix site typically loads in 3-5 seconds. A properly built professional site loads in 1-2 seconds. Google cares about this. Your visitors care about this.
SEO foundation. Most DIY builders do the basics now. But “basics” means you’ll rank for your business name. Ranking for “physiotherapist in Manchester” requires knowledge most business owners don’t have.
Where DIY Works Fine
Early-stage businesses. If you’re testing a business idea, spending £5,000 on a website makes no sense. Get online cheaply, validate the concept, invest later.
Simple needs. If you just need a “digital business card”—your contact details, basic services list, and a few photos—DIY handles this adequately.
Low-competition markets. If you’re the only dog groomer in a small town, you don’t need to outrank anyone. You just need to exist online.
Real Examples: Same Business, Different Approaches
Case 1: The New Electrician
Situation: Just qualified, starting out solo, limited budget, working from a van.
DIY approach: Squarespace Business plan (£15/month), free template, photos from his phone, 30 hours over two weekends.
Result: A functional site that shows his services, area, and contact info. Ranks for his name. Gets a few enquiries per month from Google Business Profile linking to the site.
Cost: £400 first year. Appropriate for his stage.
Case 2: The Established Physio Clinic
Situation: 5 years in business, 3 practitioners, steady referrals but wants to grow, current website is 4 years old and looks dated.
Professional approach: Regional agency, custom design, online booking integration, SEO setup, professional photography.
Result: Site ranks for “physiotherapist [their town]” within 6 months. Online booking increases new patient enquiries by 40%. Practitioners spend less time on phone bookings.
Cost: £5,500 initial + £200/month maintenance. ROI positive within 8 months.
Case 3: The Salon Owner’s Mistake
Situation: 8 years in business, loyal client base, spent 3 months building a Wix site to save money.
What happened: Site looked acceptable but didn’t rank. No online booking integration with her salon software. Three months of evenings and weekends she could have spent with family or working.
The fix: Eventually hired a professional. Total cost was higher than if she’d just done it properly from the start.
Lesson: The decision isn’t always “DIY forever” vs “professional forever.” It’s about matching your approach to your current situation.
The Decision Framework
Answer these questions honestly:
1. How Much Can You Actually Spend?
If you genuinely can’t afford £3,000-6,000 for a website, DIY is your answer. No shame in that. Many successful businesses started with a cheap Wix site.
But be honest about “can’t afford.” If you’re established with decent revenue, it’s often “don’t want to spend” rather than “can’t afford.” That’s a different calculation.
2. What’s Your Time Actually Worth?
Calculate it: your hourly rate (or what you’d earn if you were working instead) multiplied by the hours you’ll spend.
If 40 hours of DIY costs you £3,000 in lost earnings, you’re not saving money. You’re just paying yourself poorly to do something you’re not qualified for.
3. How Important Is Your Website to Getting Customers?
For some businesses, the website is just a brochure. Customers come through referrals, and the website just confirms you’re legitimate.
For others, the website is the primary lead generation tool. People search “solicitor in [town]” and decide based on what they find.
If your website needs to actively generate business, invest accordingly.
4. How Competitive Is Your Local Market?
Search your service + your town. If the results show basic, dated websites, you can compete with DIY.
If you see polished, professional sites ranking, you’ll need to match or exceed that quality.
5. Do You Actually Enjoy This Stuff?
Some people genuinely like building websites. If you find it interesting and don’t mind the learning curve, DIY can be rewarding.
If the thought of spending weekends tweaking fonts makes you miserable, pay someone. Your mental health has value too.
The Hybrid Approach
You don’t have to choose forever. A sensible path for many businesses:
Year 1: DIY site to get online quickly and cheaply. Focus on building the business.
Year 2-3: Once revenue is stable, invest in a professional site. You’ll know more about what you actually need.
Ongoing: Professional handles major updates, you handle minor content changes.
This isn’t indecision—it’s matching investment to business stage.
What About the Middle Ground?
A few options between “fully DIY” and “£5,000 agency”:
Freelancers (£1,500-3,000)
Good freelancers charge less than agencies but deliver similar quality. The trade-off: less ongoing support, you might have to manage them more actively.
Template-Based Professional Services
Some agencies (including our subscription model) offer professional setup using premium templates. You get expert implementation without fully custom design prices.
Website Builders with Professional Help
Some Wix/Squarespace experts will set up and optimise your DIY platform for £500-1,500. Better than doing it yourself, cheaper than starting from scratch.
Red Flags: When DIY Will Cost You More
Consider professional help if:
- You’ve spent 20+ hours and still aren’t happy with the result
- You’re in a competitive market and need to rank in search
- You need booking systems, payment processing, or member areas
- Your current site is actively losing you business
- You’ve been “working on the website” for months without launching
Red Flags: When Professional Is Overkill
Stick with DIY if:
- You’re testing a business idea and might pivot
- Your customers come entirely through referrals
- You’re the only provider in your area
- You have more time than money (honestly assessed)
- A basic online presence is genuinely all you need
Making the Call
Here’s the simplified framework:
Choose DIY if:
- Budget under £2,000
- Time available and not fully booked
- Low competition in your market
- Website is secondary to referrals
Choose professional if:
- Established business with stable revenue
- Time is genuinely limited
- Website needs to generate leads
- Competitive local market
Choose hybrid/subscription if:
- Want professional quality without massive upfront cost
- Prefer spreading payments over time
- Want ongoing support included
Key Takeaways
- DIY saves cash but costs time—calculate your true hourly rate
- Professional sites cost 10-20x more but can deliver ROI within 6-12 months
- Match your website investment to your business stage
- The middle ground (freelancers, subscriptions) exists for good reason
- There’s no permanent choice—you can upgrade later when it makes sense
The right answer depends on where you are, not where someone on the internet thinks you should be.
