No sales spin — here's the real trade-off for a small business, and who each option is actually right for.
| Do it yourself | Hire a pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Free–$30/mo, but you pay with your time | Higher upfront (~$1,000–$5,000), then low monthly |
| Time to launch | Days–weeks of your evenings | A couple of weeks, mostly hands-off for you |
| Looks unique | Template-based; looks like everyone else | Built around your brand |
| SEO & getting found | Basic; you do all the work | Set up properly from day one |
| Fixes when it breaks | You Google it at 11pm | Someone fixes it for you |
| Best for | Hobby sites, testing an idea, very tight budgets | A business that needs the site to actually bring customers |