# Should You Use a Website Builder or Hire a Developer?

Every Filipino business owner I talk to asks me some version of this
question: "Should I just use Wix/Shopify/WordPress myself, or should I hire
someone to build my website?"

The honest answer is: it depends. But not in the vague "consult an expert"
way — there are specific factors that make one option clearly better for
your situation.

Let me break it down so you can decide in 5 minutes.

## The Three Real Options

Forget the dozens of choices. For Filipino small businesses, there are
really three paths:

### Option 1: DIY Website Builder (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify)

You use an all-in-one platform with drag-and-drop editing. You pay a monthly
fee, pick a template, and build it yourself over a weekend.

**Best for:**

- New businesses testing their idea
- Simple brochure sites (5-10 pages)
- Ecommerce stores with under 50 products
- Owners who are comfortable with computers and design

**Cost:** ₱1,500-4,000/month (hosting + domain included)

**Time to launch:** 1-2 weekends

### Option 2: WordPress (Self-Hosted)

You buy hosting, install WordPress (free), pick a theme, and customize it.
More flexible than a website builder, but requires more technical know-how.

**Best for:**

- Businesses that want full control
- Blogs and content-heavy sites
- Sites that will grow over time
- Owners willing to learn basic WordPress

**Cost:** ₱500-1,500/month hosting + ₱1,000/year domain + optional premium
theme/plugins (₱2,000-5,000 one-time)

**Time to launch:** 1-3 weeks (depending on complexity)

### Option 3: Hire a Developer/Designer

You pay someone (like me) to design and build a custom website for you.

**Best for:**

- Established businesses that need a professional presence
- Custom functionality (booking systems, portals, integrations)
- Owners who want to focus on running their business, not their website
- Businesses where the website directly generates revenue

**Cost:** ₱15,000-80,000 one-time (for a quality Filipino freelancer or
small agency) + ₱500-1,500/month hosting

**Time to launch:** 3-8 weeks

## How to Decide: The 5-Question Test

Answer these 5 questions and the answer will be obvious.

### 1. What's your budget for the next 12 months?

- **Under ₱10,000:** DIY website builder (Wix/Squarespace). The monthly cost
  stays low and you don't pay upfront.
- **₱10,000-30,000:** WordPress with a premium theme, possibly with a
  freelancer to set it up.
- **₱30,000+:** Hire a developer for a custom build.

### 2. How much time do you have?

- **I have weekends free:** DIY is realistic. You can build a decent site in
  2-3 weekends.
- **I'm running my business full-time:** Hire someone. Your time is worth
  more than the money you'd save.

### 3. What's the website's job?

- **Just need an online presence (contact info, services, about):** DIY
  website builder is fine.
- **Generate leads or sales every week:** Worth investing in a professional
  build. A good developer optimizes for conversions, not just aesthetics.
- **Complex features (bookings, memberships, integrations):** You need a
  developer. No DIY builder handles complex custom features well.

### 4. Will you update it often?

- **I'll update it once a year:** DIY or hire a developer — both work.
- **I'll post weekly (blog, products, news):** WordPress is your best bet.
  Its editor is made for regular content publishing.
- **I'll add products daily (ecommerce):** Shopify or WordPress + WooCommerce.
  Both handle high-volume product management well.

### 5. How important is design quality?

- **"Good enough" is fine:** DIY templates are decent these days.
- **My website represents my brand:** Hire a designer. Templates look like
  templates, and customers can tell.
- **I'm in a design-conscious industry (fashion, food, beauty, premium
  services):** Definitely hire a professional. Bad design costs you
  customers in these industries.

## What I Tell My Clients

When someone asks me this question honestly, here's what I say:

**If you're just starting out and money is tight:** Use Shopify (for
ecommerce) or Wix (for services). Get something live. Don't overthink it.
Your first website doesn't need to be perfect — it needs to exist. You can
always upgrade later.

**If you've been in business 1+ years and your website actually matters:**
Hire a professional. Your website is your 24/7 salesperson. A good one pays
for itself; a bad one (or no one) costs you customers every day.

**If you're somewhere in between:** WordPress with a good theme and a
freelancer to set it up properly. One-time investment of ₱15-25k, then
you can manage it yourself.

## The Hidden Costs of DIY

People compare "₱2,000/month for Wix" to "₱30,000 for a developer" and
think DIY is cheaper. But they forget:

- **Your time has value.** 40 hours building a website = 40 hours not
  serving customers. If your time is worth ₱500/hour, that's ₱20,000 in
  opportunity cost.
- **DIY sites often look DIY.** Customers judge. A template-y site can
  subtly communicate "this business isn't doing well" or "this business
  isn't professional."
- **Maintenance is on you.** Updates break things. Plugins conflict.
  Backups need to happen. If you're not technical, this becomes a recurring
  headache.
- **No optimization.** DIY builders produce sites that look okay but aren't
  optimized for speed, SEO, or conversions. You're leaving customers on the
  table.

This isn't me being anti-DIY — I genuinely think DIY is right for many
businesses. Just be honest about the tradeoffs.

## Red Flags When Hiring a Developer

If you do hire someone, watch out for:

- **"₱5,000 full website"** — This is either a scam, a template they'll
  barely customize, or someone who doesn't know what they're doing. Quality
  work costs real money.
- **No portfolio or testimonials** — Anyone legit can show you previous work.
- **Won't explain their process** — A good developer walks you through how
  they'll build your site, step by step.
- **Wants full payment upfront** — Standard is 50% to start, 50% on
  completion. Be wary of anyone asking for 100% upfront.
- **No training on how to update it** — A good developer hands over a site
  you can actually maintain, with documentation or a training session.

## Bottom Line

There's no universally right answer. The right choice depends on your
budget, time, and how much your website matters to your business.

**For 60% of new Filipino small businesses:** Start with Shopify or Wix.
Get something live. Iterate.

**For 30% who are established:** Invest in a professional WordPress or
custom build. Your website is too important to DIY.

**For 10% with specific needs:** Custom development is worth every peso.

Whatever you choose, the worst choice is no website at all. A mediocre
website beats no website every time.

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*Still not sure which option is right for your business? [Send me a
message](https://michaelmondala.site/#contact) with what you do and your
budget — I'll give you honest advice, even if that means telling you to
DIY instead of hiring me.*