Should a small business use Wix or Squarespace, or get a custom website?
Short answer: Wix and Squarespace are good choices if you have the time to write, design and set up search yourself, and you are happy paying a monthly subscription. A custom website makes more sense when you want someone else to do that work, need many service or town pages, or want a site you can move to any host. Either can rank on Google if it is set up well, so the real question is who does the work and what you want to own.
What Wix and Squarespace do well
Website builders have come a long way. Wix and Squarespace give you good-looking templates, drag-and-drop editing, hosting, a security certificate and built-in tools for forms, booking, online stores and email marketing. You can have something live in a weekend.
Both platforms include basic SEO settings, such as page titles, descriptions, custom page addresses, a sitemap and connections to Google Search Console. Both also add some structured data automatically. For a lot of small businesses, that is a solid starting point.
They are a good fit if you enjoy doing it yourself, your business is simple, and you would rather spend time than money up front. A builder is also a reasonable way to test a new business idea before you invest more.
The trade-offs with website builders
The main cost of a builder is your time. The platform gives you the tools, but you still need to write every page, choose photos, set up each page title, connect your Google Business Profile and keep it all current. Many owners start strong and then leave the site half finished.
Other trade-offs to know about:
- Ongoing fees: you pay a subscription for as long as the site is live, and paid apps or premium features can add to it.
- Portability: you own your content and you can move your domain, but you cannot take the site's design and code to another host. Leaving usually means rebuilding.
- Speed: builder sites can be fast enough, but heavy templates, big images and added apps can slow them down on phones.
- Limits: deeper custom changes, unusual layouts or specific technical setups can be hard or impossible within the platform.
What a custom website means
A custom website is built for your business rather than dropped into a template you edit yourself. It might be hand coded or built on a flexible platform, but the point is the same: someone plans the pages around your services and towns, writes them with you and handles the setup.
Custom does not have to mean expensive or complicated. For a small business, it can be a lean site with a page for each service, a page for each main area, your reviews, a quote form and a call button, built to load quickly on a phone.
Ownership works differently too. With a custom site, ask whether you get the site files and full control of the domain. If you do, you can switch hosts or hire a different designer later without starting from scratch. If a designer builds a custom site but keeps the domain or hosting locked in their own account, you lose much of that benefit, so get it in writing.
When a custom site makes more sense
A custom site is usually worth considering if:
- You do not have time to write and set up the site yourself, or you tried and it stalled.
- You offer several services across several towns and need a page for each.
- You want the site files to be yours, so you can move hosts or designers without starting over.
- Page speed on phones matters to you, such as for trades where people search in a hurry.
- You want search setup done properly from the start, including structured data, a linked Google Business Profile and pages written to answer the questions customers and AI assistants ask.
SEO: does the platform matter?
Less than people think. Google does not rank a site lower just because it is on Wix or Squarespace. What matters far more is whether the pages clearly match what people search, whether your details are accurate and consistent, how fast the site loads, and whether other sites and reviews back you up.
Where custom sites often have an edge is the setup itself. Builders give you the settings, but someone has to fill them in well, plan the service and area pages, write useful answers and add detailed business data. A custom build handled by someone who does this work regularly tends to get those details right. A builder site set up carefully by its owner can do just as well.
Comparing the costs
A builder costs less up front. You pay a monthly or yearly plan, often somewhere around $15 to $50 a month for small business plans, plus any paid apps, and you put in your own time.
A custom site costs more up front and less each month. You pay for the build, then typically only your domain renewal and hosting each year, plus any updates you choose to pay for. Over a few years the totals can end up closer than they first look, so compare the full cost, not just the first payment.
At CTS Media, custom websites start at $500, with one fixed price in writing after a free call. We write the pages with you and set the site up for Google and AI assistants, you own the site and domain, and most small sites go live within two weeks.
Related: Small business web design · Website redesign · Website cost
Common questions
Can a Wix or Squarespace site rank on Google?
Yes. Plenty of builder sites rank well. The platform matters less than clear pages, accurate business details, good reviews and solid setup. The catch is that you, or someone you hire, has to do that setup.
Can I move my Wix or Squarespace site somewhere else later?
You can move your domain and copy out your text and images. You cannot export the site itself to run on another host, so switching usually means rebuilding the site elsewhere.
Is a custom website harder to update?
It depends on how it is built. Some custom sites include an editor, others are updated by the designer. Ask before you start how changes are made and what they cost, so you are not stuck later.
I already have a builder site. Should I switch?
Only if it is holding you back. If it loads fast, ranks for your main services and brings in calls, keep it. If it is slow, half finished or missing key pages, a rebuild may be worth it, and we can keep or redirect any pages that already rank.
See how your business shows up today
We'll check you on Google, the map and AI answers for free, then send the 3 changes that would bring the most calls. We reply within one business day.