CUSTOM WEB BUILD VS TEMPLATE / DIY BUILDER
Custom Web Build vs Template — When Does Each Make Sense?
Templates (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify themes, WordPress free themes) are fast and cheap up front. Custom builds cost more and take longer. The right answer depends on what you're actually trying to achieve and what compromises you can live with.
Compared
A
Custom Web Build
B
Template / DIY Builder
Upfront cost
Quoted after a free audit — scoped to the build, not a fixed list price
NZ$0–$500 (template fee) + your DIY time
Ongoing cost
Hosting $20–100/month, optional retainer
$20–$50/month platform subscription
Time to launch
4–8 weeks
1–2 weeks if doing it yourself
Mobile load speed
Sub-2-second consistently
Often 4–6 seconds (heavy platform JS)
SEO foundation
Built-in (schema, sitemap, llms.txt, Core Web Vitals)
Limited — platform constraints, generic schema
AI search readiness
GEO foundations from day one
Rarely — platform crawlers often block AI bots
Design flexibility
Unlimited
Constrained to template patterns
Brand distinctiveness
Distinctive — won't look like other businesses
Will look like many other sites using the same theme
Owned long-term
Yes — fully portable code
Platform-locked — moving means rebuilding
Pick Custom Web Build
Pick a custom build when SEO and AI search matter, when your brand is a real differentiator, when sub-2-second mobile load matters, or when you're investing for the next 3+ years.
See the servicePick Template / DIY Builder
Pick a template when you need a basic web presence quickly, when the business is unproven and you're testing market demand, or when the budget genuinely doesn't allow more.
See the serviceRun both
Start with a template if you have to. Migrate to custom when the business is proven and the SEO ceiling on the template starts costing you actual leads. Most NZ businesses outgrow Wix or Squarespace by year two.
Related pricing guides.
Still not sure?
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