People argue about WordPress and website builders as if one is clearly better. For a small business, the more useful question is who will do the work, now and every month after launch. WordPress gives the most control and the most responsibility. A hosted builder trades some control for simplicity. A done-for-you service hands both the build and the upkeep to someone else. Each is right for somebody.
WordPress: the most freedom, the most upkeep
Self-hosted WordPress is free software you install on hosting you choose. You can add almost any feature through plugins, use any design and move your site to another host whenever you like. That flexibility is why so many agencies use it.
The responsibility is yours, though. Core software, themes and plugins need regular updates, and an outdated plugin is a common way sites get broken into. You pay for hosting, often for premium themes or plugins, and for someone’s time when an update breaks a layout. WordPress.com, the hosted version, takes some of that work off your hands in exchange for plan limits.
WordPress fits you if
- ✓You or someone on staff is comfortable with settings — updates and backups need regular attention
- ✓You need unusual features — there is a plugin for almost anything
- ✓You want to switch hosts freely — the site can move with you
- ✓You have a developer you trust — someone to call when an update misbehaves
Hosted builders: simpler, with walls
Builders such as Wix, Squarespace and GoDaddy bundle hosting, security updates and an editor into one subscription. You never install anything, and the platform keeps the software current. Many now add AI tools that draft a layout from a short description.
The walls show up later. Features you need may sit on a higher plan, and moving to another platform usually means rebuilding the design, since only text and images come with you. The building and writing work is still yours, which is where most DIY projects stall.
A builder fits you if
- ✓You like hands-on design — and have a few free evenings
- ✓Your site is small — a handful of pages that rarely change
- ✓You want one bill — hosting and software together
- ✓You are testing an idea — and want something live quickly
Done-for-you: someone else does both jobs
With a done-for-you service, a team writes, designs and builds the site, then keeps it running. You answer questions, review drafts and approve. With us, that means a consultation, copy written for you, mobile-friendly design and ten revision rounds, starting with the Launch Website at $399 for up to 5 pages. Website Care at $30/month handles managed hosting, HTTPS, backups, uptime checks and up to 30 minutes of small edits each month.
The tradeoff is that you do not get a dashboard. Changes go through us. If logging in and editing pages yourself every week matters to you, WordPress or a builder will suit you better, and we would rather tell you that now.
Questions that settle the choice quickly
- ✓How many hours a month can you give the site — zero points toward done-for-you
- ✓How often do your pages change — daily changes favor an editor you control
- ✓Who fixes it when it breaks — name a person, not a hope
- ✓Who owns the domain — it should be you on every path
What to expect, honestly
- ✓We do not edit inside WordPress or builders — we build new sites on our managed hosting
- ✓Some projects really need WordPress — unusual plugins or in-house editors are good reasons
- ✓Third-party tools keep their own fees — on every path
One example of what your site could look like
This is one sample we designed. Yours is built around your business, your photos and your words, and we have more examples if you want to compare directions.
What it costs
Websites are priced one-time by size, plus Website Care at $30/month for hosting, HTTPS, backups, weekly checks and A/B testing. Every package includes a consultation, mobile-friendly design, copy we write for you, a contact form, essential search setup and 10 revision rounds. Monthly SEO is an optional add-on when you are ready for it.
Optional add-ons, billed separately
The prices above are for your website. These two are separate monthly products you can add now or later. Neither is part of the website price.
Monthly SEO, from $50/month: new pages published on your site every month. See Monthly SEO →
Business Spotlight, from $30/month: articles about your business, labeled as paid, published on The Company Chronicle. See Business Spotlight →
How it works
1. Consultation
We learn your services, customers and goals, in English or Spanish.
2. We write and design
We draft the words and build the site around your business.
3. 10 revision rounds
You review and request changes until it is right.
4. Launch and care
We launch, then Website Care keeps it hosted, backed up, checked weekly and A/B tested.
Keep reading
Help managing a WordPress site · Wix vs done-for-you · Squarespace vs done-for-you · DIY vs hiring a designer
