By Brett Thomas, Owner of Rhino Web Studios in New Orleans, LA
Let’s be honest. Building your own website sounds like a good idea. It’s cheap. It’s fast. It’s marketed like it’s as easy as ordering a pizza. “No coding skills required!” they shout. “Launch your business in minutes!” they promise.
But somewhere between uploading your logo and trying to center your navigation bar for the 14th time, reality sets in. And that reality usually smells like frustration, missed leads, and a website that looks like your nephew built it after a Red Bull bender.
Trust me—I’ve seen it all. I’m not knocking your hustle. I respect the DIY spirit. I’ve built businesses from scratch, too. But your website is not the place to learn by trial and error. It’s not a lemonade stand. It’s your brand’s digital handshake. And if it’s not firm, clear, and confident… you’re losing business while you sleep.
Let’s break down the real costs of DIY websites. Spoiler alert: they’re not just financial.
1. The Price of Looking “Almost” Legit
DIY builders lure people in with clean templates and drag-and-drop tools. But here’s the thing: everyone is using the same templates. So while you’re thinking, “Wow, this looks good,” so is the bakery down the street… and the dog groomer… and the guy selling haunted dolls on Etsy.
Before long, your site blends in with every other generic site on the internet. And instead of standing out, your business fades into a digital beige wall. People aren’t wowed—they’re wondering if you’re real.
2. Performance Anxiety (And We’re Talking About Load Speeds)
DIY websites may look okay to the human eye, but search engines? They’re not impressed. Google wants speed, structure, and clean code. DIY sites often come bloated with unnecessary scripts, widgets, and code spaghetti that make your website load slower than dial-up.
Page speed matters. Especially on mobile. Most people will give your site about three seconds before clicking the back button. That’s less time than it takes to sneeze. If your homepage doesn’t load fast enough, that potential client is gone—probably forever.
3. SEO? More Like S.O.L.
If you’re relying on a DIY builder’s SEO tools to get you to the top of Google, grab a Snickers—you’ll be waiting a while.
SEO isn’t a checkbox. It’s a strategy. It involves content structure, keyword mapping, metadata, schema, backlinks, technical audits… I know, I lost some of you. But trust me when I say most DIY platforms don’t even give you access to the engine room. You can’t fix what you can’t touch.
And those built-in SEO checklists? That’s like getting a sticker that says “I tried” on your science project.
4. The Magical Disappearing Traffic Trick
Here’s a fun experiment: launch your DIY site, do nothing, and then… wait. Wait for the phone to ring. Wait for someone to contact you. Wait for the crickets to start chirping. It’s a phenomenon I call “Build it and they won’t come.”
A website without strategy is a digital paperweight. And yet, so many people treat their site like a vending machine: plug it in, walk away, and expect it to spit out customers. No promotion, no SEO, no tracking. Just hope.
And let me tell you—hope is a terrible marketing strategy.
5. The Monthly Subscription That Never Ends
That $20-a-month plan? That’s just the base model. Want email capture? That’s extra. Need to sell a product? Fork it over. Want someone to talk to when your site crashes? Premium support starts at $49.99/month.
Before you know it, you’re in $600 a year deep on a site that still isn’t doing its job. Multiply that over a few years and factor in the eventual day you throw your hands up and hire a pro anyway… suddenly your “cheap website” is one of the most expensive decisions you’ve made.
6. When You’re Not the Owner… of Your Own Website
Most DIY platforms don’t tell you this upfront, but you don’t really own your site. You’re renting it. Your content, your layout, even your domain in some cases—it’s all stuck in their sandbox.
Want to switch to a different provider? Good luck. You’ll be rebuilding from scratch because they don’t let you export the good stuff. It’s digital hostage-taking, and the ransom is your time, energy, and reputation.
7. Looks Aren’t Everything
Yes, your DIY site may be “pretty.” But pretty doesn’t pay the bills. What matters is function—can people find what they’re looking for? Is the call to action clear? Does it convert visitors into leads?
I’ve worked with clients who had gorgeous DIY websites that hadn’t produced a single lead in over a year. Once we rebuilt their site with strategy and user experience in mind, leads started flowing like a second line parade down Bourbon Street.
The Bottom Line
Building your own website is a lot like cutting your own hair. Sure, it might save money today—but you’re probably going to end up wearing a hat tomorrow.
A website is your most important digital asset. It’s open 24/7. It greets every customer before you do. It tells your story, builds trust, and—if built right—brings in business without lifting a finger.
So the next time you’re tempted to save a few bucks with a DIY website, just remember: the cheap comes out expensive.
And if you ever need help taking off that digital hat, you know where to find me… in New Orleans, where the gumbo’s rich, the music’s loud, and the websites actually work.
