It’s no secret that the economy is in a pretty weird place right now worldwide, and small business owners are among those being most affected. But you need a website, right? Hopefully, an affordable website that can bring you credibility, client attraction, income and bookings.
So: what are your options? How do you get yourself a website that looks professional and brings in customers without breaking the bank?
You’ve got a few options. Let’s go through them.
DIY from scratch
You can create your own website completely from scratch on any of the major web platforms. I only recommend this route if you’re a little bit tech savvy and have a decent eye for design (or are ok with using templates made by someone else with an eye).
If you’re tech savvy, WordPress (.org not .com) with the free version of Elementor is an excellent, cost-effective choice. If you’re not so good with learning new apps/page builders, then Wix or Squarespace will be the better option for you. They’ve all got great templates to work with. If you’ve got that design eye we talked about, then Wix is fine. If you haven’t, stick with Squarespace.
The biggest pitfall with a DIY site is you can quickly outgrow it and may discover you’ve signed up for a platform that doesn’t let you do more advanced things you want to do. Another issues is DIYed sites on these platforms tend to, well, look it. This is why I recommend templates.
DIY with templates
I love templates as a solution. You can use the free ones that are often included or you can buy more boutique templates made by fellow small businesses. These can range from $150 to $2000+. The cheaper the template, the more likely that many people will be using it BUT the beauty of templates is that you can customise them with your own brand colours, fonts and imagery so that they have your unique spin on them.
I offer affordable WordPress template via my Shop. These are currently available for Bricks builder, with Elementor versions coming soon.
Shop WordPress website templates
Semi-custom websites (aka DFY template customisation)
Maybe DIY isn’t for you but you don’t want to pay $4000 for a custom website. Many template creators offer a customisation service where you purchase a template from them and then purchase a customisation of said template. They’ll customise it with your content, imagery and branding, and usually add extra or more advanced changes to give you a truly unique website. This is typically around half the price of a custom website and much faster than a custom build or DIYing it yourself!
Custom website – landing page
2025 has brought an uptick in requests for landing page-only websites, or one-page websites. These can be a great alternative to the typical 5-8 page custom website build and still allow you to book clients. We typically do 5-6 page sections that your audience who you are, what your services are, and then allow them to send you an enquiry via a booking form. The great thing about these is they can be done in 1-2 days, so if you need something quick and easy on a budget, this is a solid go-to.