Build your website yourself or have it made? An honest comparison

Building your own website is no longer rocket science: with a builder you can click something together over a weekend. The question is not whether you can — but whether it is worth it. Your time is the most expensive resource in the business, and a website nobody finds brings no enquiries. This article helps you weigh it up honestly.

Doing it yourself: what it really involves

Builders promise «a website in minutes». Realistically it is more: structure, writing copy, preparing images, checking the mobile view, setting up a contact form — several days go quickly. And the work does not stop there: opening hours change, a new service is added, a photo needs swapping. Every change stays with you, alongside the day job.

A builder gives you a tool, but not a craft. The result often looks like a template, loads slowly, and the basics of being found on Google — clean titles, fast loading, sensible structure — the builder does not handle for you.

Having it made: what you get

Commissioning a website buys not just a design but one fewer decision on your plate. A professional brings three things a builder does not: craft (structure, copy and images made for your customers), findability (a site built so Google understands and shows it), and time back (you describe your business once, someone else does the rest).

The classic drawback was the price. That is exactly where the market has moved.

The honest question: what is your time worth?

Do the maths honestly: if you spend three days on a website and your hourly rate is CHF 80, doing it yourself costs around CHF 2,000 in unbilled time — and the site is still not maintained, still not visible on Google. DIY is rarely free. It is just a cost that appears on no quote.

We break down how the different routes compare over five years in «What does a website cost in Switzerland?».

Signs that DIY is hitting its limits

• Your site looks like a hundred others — because it sits on the same template.
• You are not found on Google when someone searches for your service in your region.
• The last update was months ago, because everyday work leaves no time.
• Enquiries rarely come through the site — it is a digital business card, not a tool that brings customers.

If several of these ring true, the problem is not the website but the model behind it.

The middle way: made for you, without a big budget

For a long time the choice was either cheap-and-DIY or expensive-and-commissioned. The subscription model closes that gap. With the Werkwave website subscription you pay no upfront cost but a fixed monthly rate from CHF 60 — with design, copy, hosting and ongoing care included. You get a professional's craft and findability without several thousand francs upfront and without carrying the upkeep yourself. Your content always remains yours.

Conclusion

Doing it yourself pays off if you are technically confident, enjoy it and genuinely have the time. For most small businesses, the more honest calculation is: the website should bring customers, not cost evenings. Then having it made — especially as a predictable subscription — is the route that pays off in the end.

First see where your current site stands, with a free website check in a few minutes.