Web Design

The hidden costs of DIY websites: Why Wix & Squarespace might fail your Perth business

19 December 2025 • Amplify Creative Lab • 8 min read

Web Design
SEO
Small Business
Perth Business
Digital Strategy

In 2025, it has never been easier to “build your own website.” Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify promise a stunning site in minutes for a low monthly fee. For a cash-strapped Perth startup or a local tradie, this sounds like a no-brainer.

But there is a reason professional web development agencies still exist—and why the busiest venues and businesses in Perth eventually migrate away from these platforms.

The truth is, the “easy” route often comes with hidden costs: lost Google rankings, slow mobile performance, and a generic brand image that fails to convert visitors into customers.

1. The Speed Trap (Core Web Vitals)

Google’s ranking algorithm prioritises User Experience, measured specifically through Core Web Vitals. The most critical metric? Speed.

The DIY Problem

To make their drag-and-drop editors work, platforms like Wix load massive amounts of JavaScript code in the background. Even an empty page is “heavy.”

Result: A site that looks fine on NBN wifi but crawls on a mobile 4G connection in Fremantle or Joondalup.
Impact: 53% of mobile users leave a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

The Professional Difference

A custom-coded site (like the ones we build with Astro or Next.js) loads only the code needed for that specific page.

Result: Instant load times (often under 0.8 seconds).
Impact: Higher Google rankings and more customers staying on your page.

2. The “Rent vs. Buy” Hosting Model

DIY platforms markets themselves as “cheap,” but let’s do the maths for a Perth business over 3 years.

Wix/Squarespace (Business Tier):

Subscription: ~$45 AUD/month
Total over 3 years: $1,620
Asset Value: $0 (You stop paying, the site disappears. You cannot move the code.)

Professional Static Site (Netlify/Vercel):

Development: Upfront cost (e.g., $2.5k - $5k)
Hosting: $0/month (Generous free tiers for static sites)
Total over 3 years: Upfront cost only
Asset Value: You own the code. You can move it to any host.

While the upfront cost is higher, a custom site is an asset you own, not a service you rent.

3. Local SEO Limitations

Ranking for “Best Cafe Perth” or “Electrician Subiaco” requires more than just keywords. It requires Technical SEO.

DIY platforms often restrict your ability to:

Implement custom Schema Markup (crucial for local business rich snippets).
Control your URL structure (Wix forces generic structures).
Optimise image delivery specifically for mobile devices.
Fix canonical tag issues that cause duplicate content.

A professional developer builds the site with Google’s bot in mind, ensuring your Perth business sits on a solid technical foundation that makes ranking easier.

4. The “Template Trap”

Have you ever visited a cafe website and thought, “I’ve seen this before”?

Templates are designed to be generic enough to sell to everyone—from a yoga studio in California to a plumber in Perth. They lack personality.

In a competitive market like Perth hospitality or trades, brand differentiation is everything. If your site looks like a template, customers subconsciously perceive your service as “generic” or “commodity.”

A custom design allows you to:

Build a user journey specific to your customers.
Integrate unique features (e.g., a custom booking flow or portfolio filter).
Use animations and interactions that feel premium and unique.

When IS a DIY Site Okay?

We aren’t saying Wix is evil. It has its place. You should use a DIY builder if:

You have a $0 budget and just need something online.
You are validating a business idea and don’t know if it will exist in 6 months.
You are a hobbyist/blogger not relying on the site for income.

When Should You Go Pro?

You should invest in professional web development if:

Your website generates leads or sales. (It’s an investment, not a cost).
You operate in a competitive Perth niche. ( Hospitality, Trades, Professional Services).
You are spending money on Ads. (Don’t send paid traffic to a slow converting page).
You want to rank on Google Page 1.

The Bottom Line

A website is your 24/7 salesperson. Would you hire a salesperson who shows up late (slow loading), wears a generic uniform (template design), and can’t find the customer’s location (poor local SEO)?

Probably not.

If you’re ready to upgrade from a DIY struggle to a high-performance asset, Amplify Creative Lab builds lightning-fast, SEO-optimised websites specifically for Perth businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wix bad for SEO in Perth?

Wix has improved, but it still struggles with technical SEO fundamentals important for local rankings. Its heavy code structure often leads to slower load speeds (Core Web Vitals failures), and its URL structures can be rigid. For competitive Perth niches (like trades or hospitality), these small disadvantages can keep you off Page 1.

Can I migrate my Squarespace site to a custom build later?

Yes, but it’s not a simple ‘click’ process. You can’t export the design code. You typically have to rebuild the site from scratch on the new platform and manually migrate your content (text and images). It’s often more cost-effective to build correctly the first time.

How much faster is a custom website compared to Wix?

Significantly. Our custom-coded sites often load in 0.5–1.5 seconds, whereas heavy DIY builder sites often take 4–8 seconds on mobile 4G networks. In 2025, Google penalises slow sites, and users bounce if a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

What is the maintenance cost of a custom website?

Contrary to belief, it can be lower. DIY platforms charge monthly subscription fees (AUD $30–$70/month) forever. A custom site hosted on Netlify or Vercel often has $0 monthly hosting fees, meaning you only pay for the domain and occasional updates.

Do I really need a developer for a simple brochure site?

If you just need a digital business card, a simple Carrd or Google Site is fine. But if you want to rank for keywords like ‘plumber Perth’ or ‘cafe Fremantle’, you need a site optimised for performance and local SEO, which is where professional development pays for itself.