That Cheap Website May Be More Expensive Than You Think

 

 What am I actually getting for that DIY or AI website builder price?

A website advertised for $10, $20, or $30 a month can sound like an incredible deal.  And yes for a low fee AI and  DIY website builders can create attractive websites. 

But before you decide based on price alone, ask one important question:

What am I actually getting for that price—and what will I still have to do myself?

AI Can Build a Website. Then What?

AI can create a layout, suggest images, write content, and get pages online remarkably fast.  But a good-looking website doesn’t necessarily mean it is ready to work for your business, because,

• Someone still needs to make sure the information is accurate
• Customers must be able to find what they need
• Search engines should understand the site, but does it work correctly on all internet-connected devices?
• Who secures it, and what about backups
• Has accessibility been considered?.
• And when your hours change, you hire a new employee, add a service, change the price, or something stops working—who takes care of that?

With many inexpensive website builders, that someone is you.

So what does a cheap website builder really cost?

You can’t compare website companies by the advertised monthly price alone.  Find out what is included.

Does the price include hosting? SSL? Backups? Security? Updates? Support? SEO tools? Forms? Email? Website changes?

And perhaps most importantly: How much of your own time will you spend building and maintaining it?  If you spend 20 hours building a DIY site and an hour every month maintaining it, that time has a cost—even if it never appears on your credit-card statement.

Do You Own It—and Can You Move It?

Before choosing any website platform, find out what happens if you eventually want to leave.

Do you control your domain name? Do you have administrator access? Can the entire website be moved to another hosting company, or would portions need to be rebuilt?

You may never want to move your website. But you should know whether you can before you commit.

Cheap and Affordable Aren’t the Same Thing

There are situations where a DIY or AI website builder makes perfect sense. Someone who enjoys working on their own site and needs only a simple web presence may be very happy with one.

But businesses that depend on their websites should look beyond the low introductory price. A professionally managed website costs more initially because you’re paying for more than software. You’re paying for people to design it, maintain it, monitor it, update it, and be available when something goes wrong.

At Digital Web Leprechauns, we’ve been designing, hosting, and supporting websites since 1997. Our website designs start at $750, and our managed hosting includes SSL, platform and plugin updates, 24/7 monitoring, 24/7 live support, and one hour of website updates each month at no additional charge.

Before deciding which website is cheaper, compare what you’re getting—not just what you’re paying.

Want to see the numbers?

Compare the 3-year and 5-year costs of popular DIY website builders with a professionally designed and managed website:

GoDaddy vs. DWLI – Cost Comparison 
Squarespace vs. DWLI – Cost Comparison

DIY and AI website builders can be a good choice for some people, especially if you have the time, interest, and confidence to manage the site yourself.

But the lowest advertised price does not always mean the lowest long-term cost.

Before choosing a website builder, look at the full picture: what is included, what you will need to do yourself, whether you control the website and domain, what happens if you want to move it, and who will be there when you need help.

A website is more than something that looks good online. It should support your business, be easy to maintain, remain secure and accessible, and continue working for you over time.

The best value is not always the cheapest website. It is the website that gives you the right combination of cost, control, support, and long-term reliability.