Because we’re not just selling access to software. With website builders such as Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy, the lower monthly price usually buys you the platform and its features. You still need to make decisions, set things up, organise the content, keep things updated, and deal with the day-to-day management yourself. Wix describes choosing a template or AI builder, customising the site, and adding tools yourself; Squarespace and GoDaddy similarly sell plans, features, and add-ons rather than a fully managed local service by default. Our service is for time-poor sole traders and small businesses who do not want another job on their list. You are paying for the website, the hosting, the setup, the management, and the reassurance that somebody sensible is handling it properly. In other words, you are not just paying for a website. You are paying to avoid the hassle of having to become your own website manager.

Yes – in many cases you can get the software for less. Wix offers free and paid plans, and Squarespace says its subscriptions start at a low monthly figure after trial periods. GoDaddy also promotes low-cost builder and hosting entry points. But that is not the same as getting the same service for less. A cheaper builder plan does not automatically mean someone will choose the domain for you, structure the site, create the page, manage the email setup, handle revisions, look after backups, keep an eye on the practical details, and remain available when you need changes. Those builder companies offer tools and support resources, but their model is built around helping you use the platform, not around acting as your personal web department. Wix points users to its Help Center, customer care, and 'Hire a pro'; Squarespace offers an 'Hire an Expert' route; GoDaddy offers support and tools, but also makes clear that its Website Builder and WordPress options are different products with different levels of portability and control. So yes, you can often buy the hammer more cheaply. But our clients are paying us because they don’t want to spend their evenings learning carpentry.

You get a managed relationship, not just a login. With DIY platforms, the service is designed so that you build, edit, and manage the website yourself, even if the platform gives you templates, AI tools, support articles, and customer support. Wix explicitly promotes templates, AI site creation, drag-and-drop editing, and self-service setup. Squarespace promotes subscriptions, selling tools, and add-ons such as Google Workspace. GoDaddy promotes its builder, hosting, and related products as separate services. With TradShack you’re getting: • someone to handle the practical setup • someone to manage the hosting side • someone to deal with the routine technical admin • someone to make agreed changes for you • someone you can speak to when the website needs attention That difference matters most to businesses that are busy, non-technical, or simply bored stiff by websites.

Usually, you don’t get the same level of time-saving, judgement, and hands-on support. For example, with Wix, a custom domain on paid plans is typically tied to the plan, and the ‘free domain’ offer is generally a first-year voucher on eligible new purchases rather than a forever-included domain. Wix also says that business email is purchased separately through Google Workspace. Squarespace likewise directs users to Google Workspace for custom email, and its payments documentation shows that selling online can involve both payment processing rates and, depending on plan and product type, transaction fee considerations. GoDaddy separates website builder, hosting, and email products across different product lines, and states that Website Builder sites are not portable to another hosting provider in the same way WordPress files are. So the missing piece is not ‘a website.’ The missing piece is usually someone taking responsibility for the boring bits and the fiddly bits.

No. For the right buyer, they can be perfectly good options. They make sense for people who are comfortable choosing a template, learning the system, making their own edits, comparing plan features, managing extras such as business email, and troubleshooting the small problems that come with owning a site. That is exactly the kind of self-service model these companies are built around. They are less attractive for business owners who are already stretched, do not enjoy this kind of work, or know from experience that ‘I’ll do it myself later’ usually means ‘it will sit half-finished for six months.’

You are paying for convenience, time saved, and responsibility taken off your hands. The raw ingredients of a website — domain, hosting, SSL, builder software — are not, on their own, especially mysterious or expensive. Domain names are often modestly priced, builder plans can start low, and some platforms include hosting or trial features. Wix says many yearly plans include a one-year domain voucher; GoDaddy advertises low-cost hosting and builder entry points; Squarespace offers entry-level subscriptions and optional Google Workspace integration. What costs money is having somebody handle it properly and keep it from becoming your problem. That is what our pricing reflects.

Because doing it yourself is only cheaper if your own time has little value and nothing goes wrong. Many small business owners can absolutely build a basic site themselves. But they still have to decide what platform to use, buy the plan, connect the domain, arrange email, write the copy, set up the pages, deal with forms, maintain the site, and revisit it when something needs changing. The major builder platforms provide tools for that journey, but they are still asking the owner to participate in the build and management process. If you would rather spend your time serving customers, doing paid work, or running the business, then paying someone to handle the website is often the more economical choice in real life.

No – but lower price nearly always means more of the work sits with you. That is true whether the platform is Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, or something else. The common trade-off is simple: as the monthly cost drops, the amount of self-management usually rises. That is not a criticism of those platforms; it is simply how self-service pricing works. Their own materials emphasise plans, features, editors, support resources, and optional upgrades rather than a bespoke done-for-you service wrapped around a local business relationship. Our service is for people who want the opposite trade-off: pay a fair price, and have less to think about.

A website builder sells you the tools. A managed web service sells you the outcome. If you enjoy tools, have spare time, and are happy to manage the details yourself, a builder may suit you very well. If you want the website handled properly without it becoming your evening hobby, that is where our service earns its keep. Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy all market builder plans, features, support, and optional extras; my offer is deliberately positioned around done-for-you management instead.