Many Irish startups and small business owners assume building their own website is the cheapest route. After all, Wix, GoDaddy, and Squarespace all promise sleek sites for €10–€20 per month. But when you factor in **time, performance, SEO, and hidden costs**, the DIY route often ends up more expensive — and slower to deliver results.
Breaking Down the True Cost
Here’s a real-world look at what most Irish businesses pay over 2 years:
| Item | DIY Builders (e.g. Wix, Squarespace) | Mean Web Design |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Setup | €0 (but hours of time) | From €299 |
| Domain | €20/year | Included |
| SSL Certificate | €60/year | Included |
| Design Tools | Limited or paywalled | Custom design |
| SEO Optimization | Basic | Full SEO setup |
| Time Spent | 50–100 hours | 0 hours |
But What About Creative Control?
DIY platforms are tempting because they offer drag-and-drop freedom. But that freedom comes at a cost: bloated code, slow mobile load speeds, and SEO that’s difficult to customize for Irish search engines.
“I spent 6 weeks tweaking a DIY site that never ranked. I handed it to Mean Web Design — and was on page 1 of Google in 3 weeks.” – Eoin R., Wexford
DIY Often = Do It Twice
One of the most common stories we hear: someone builds their own site, realizes it’s not converting customers, and pays a professional to rebuild it anyway.
That’s **double the cost**, and lost time in between.
What a Pro Website Delivers (That DIY Doesn’t)
- Mobile responsiveness on every device
- Fast Irish hosting with CDN
- On-page SEO baked into every section
- Speed-tested performance scores
- Built-in lead capture & contact forms
- Real support, not forums or bots
The Verdict
DIY might seem cheaper up front, but the long-term price — in hours, mistakes, and missed traffic — is much higher. If you want a website that actually brings you leads and shows up on Google.ie, professional design is worth every cent.
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