Why Small Businesses Should Use Website Builders Instead of Hiring Designers
Key Points
- Don’t just rent space: Social media is borrowed land, but a website is an estate you own online.
- Launch quickly & affordably: Site builders give you pro websites in hours, at a fraction of the agency cost.
- Trust & growth: A website builds credibility and serves as the backbone for long-term growth.
The internet is no longer optional—it’s the first place people go when they hear about your business.
A website tells them:“I’m real, I’m established, I’m here to stay.”
Yet, nearly one-third of small business owners still don’t have a website.
Many rely only on social media pages—but that’s risky. Social platforms are rented space.
Your profile can get shadow-banned, hacked, or lost if algorithms change. A website, however, is your own estate online.
It’s digital “real estate” that you own, control, and can grow over time.
“A social profile is like renting a booth at the fair. A website is like owning the whole building.”
And here’s the kicker: every day without a website means lost trust, missed leads, and wasted opportunities.
Why Site Builders Make Sense for Small Business Owners
1. Speed & Simplicity. Today’s site builders let you launch in hours, not months. No need for back-and-forth emails or waiting on an agency. A drag-and-drop builder gives you a professional site fast—so you stop losing customers to competitors.
2. Cost-Effective. Hiring a web design firm can cost $3,000–$10,000 for even a simple site. Builders start at $10–$30 per month. That’s less than a single dinner out. For bootstrapped businesses, that’s game-changing.
3. Ownership & Control. Social platforms can vanish or change rules overnight. Your website is an asset you own. It’s your central hub, where you control the design, the message, and the customer journey. That’s power no one can take away.
4. Better Credibility. Customers trust websites more than social profiles. According to HubSpot, 71% of people say they’re more likely to buy from a company with a website. A site signals you’re serious, reliable, and ready for business.
5. Growth-Ready Tools. Most builders integrate with online stores, booking tools, email lists, and payment systems. This means your website doesn’t just showcase your brand—it helps you run it.
It’s Cheaper Than Hiring a Designer
If you have the time and money, hiring a web designer has certain benefits.
However, if budgetary and time constraints weren’t an issue, you’d already have a site.
Hiring a web designer may cost $6000 or more, a big line item in any business owner’s budget.
Some site builders are free, while others cost just a few dollars per month.
In any event, the cost of a website builder is easy to work into a shoestring budget than that of a web designer.
More Control
When you build a site yourself, you’re in control of its look and feel. With a web designer, it’s a matter of outlining your needs and hoping for the best.
By choosing a site builder, you’ll be able to select colors, a layout, and stylistic elements that effectively represent your business.
Options and Flexibility
Your business is unique, and your website should be as well.
Though site builders require the use of templates, there are still plenty of ways to make a site your own.
In addition to choosing from numerous templates, business owners can also select:
- Fonts;
- Colors;
- Formatting;
- Backgrounds;
- Placement of page elements.
Even within a pre-made template, it’s possible to create something uniquely and memorably representing your brand.
Easy Updates
Another great feature of small business website builders is that everything is done online.
That means you can update a site from anywhere there’s internet access.
Whether you’re making changes while on vacation or asking a work-from-home employee to do a few minor updates, you’re not tied to a single server or workstation.
It’s Time to Get Started
As a small business owner, building an online presence is an important step toward success.
While it’s easy to come up with reasons not to build a site, most of those excuses can be resolved with the right site builder.
With help from a website builder, you can build an online brand that helps you meet customers where they are.
