Ways to Build a Website (and Which Might Be Right for You)
2025-07-09
Websites Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All
If you own a business, you’ve probably heard at least one of these:
> “Just use Squarespace, it’s easy.”
> “Get on Shopify so you can sell online.”
> “WordPress is the most popular.”
> “You need a React site for speed and SEO.”
None of these are wrong, but none are universally right either.
Different businesses have different goals, budgets, and technical needs. Here’s how to actually think through your options.
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The Big Options (Simplified)
DIY Website Builders (Wix, Squarespace, basic Shopify)
What it is:
Pick a template, drag and drop your content, and publish. Hosting and security are included.
Pros:
- Low monthly costs
- Fast to launch
- No technical skills needed
Cons:
- Limited control over design and functionality
- Can be harder to optimize for speed or advanced SEO
- Often ends up looking like dozens of other sites
Best for:
Side hustles, quick event pages, or testing an idea before investing more.
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WordPress (Self-Hosted or Managed)
What it is:
The world’s most popular content management system. You install it on a server, pick a theme, and bolt on plugins for almost anything.
Pros:
- Huge ecosystem (themes, plugins, tutorials)
- Flexible enough for blogs, shops, or almost any layout
- Tons of agencies and freelancers who work with it
Cons:
- Plugins can conflict and break things
- You’re responsible for updates, backups, and security (or paying someone to handle it)
- Can get bloated and slow if not carefully managed
Best for:
Content-heavy sites that revolve around publishing. Just be ready to actively maintain it or hire someone to keep it dialed in.
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Webflow (Custom Marketing Sites & Content-First Brands)
What it is:
A modern visual builder that outputs clean, performant code. Built for designers and developers to create custom sites without fighting WordPress plugins.
Pros:
- Great for content-driven brands that care about standout design
- Visual CMS that’s easy for your team to edit
- No plugin mess, fast load times, SEO-friendly by default
Cons:
- Slightly higher monthly fees than cheap shared hosting
- Not built for complex ecommerce out of the box (it does simple stores fine)
Best for:
Marketing-focused businesses that want a unique site, modern performance, and a backend non-tech staff can easily use.
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Shopify (Two Approaches)
1. Standard Shopify Themes
What it is:
A hosted ecommerce platform where you pick a theme, add products, and start selling.
Pros:
- Handles inventory, orders, secure checkout, taxes, and payments
- Tons of apps to extend features
- Quick to get up and running
Cons:
- Design is limited to what the theme can do (without heavy customization)
- Apps can pile on costs or slow things down
Best for:
Small to mid-size stores that just want to get online and start selling.
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2. Shopify as a Backend + Custom Frontend (Next.js, Hydrogen, etc.)
What it is:
For larger or more brand-focused stores, we keep Shopify running your products and checkout, but build a custom storefront on a modern framework (like Next.js). This gives you full control over design, performance, and functionality.
Pros:
- Still leverages Shopify’s secure backend and admin tools
- Total design freedom on the frontend
- Often significantly faster than theme-based sites, which helps SEO and conversion
Cons:
- Higher initial build cost
- Requires developer support for ongoing changes (though content updates still run through Shopify)
Best for:
Brands that care about speed, unique design, and scaling with advanced features down the road.
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Fully Custom Builds (Next.js, React, Laravel, etc.)
What it is:
A developer builds your site from scratch using modern tools, tailored exactly to your needs.
Pros:
- Maximum speed, flexibility, and security
- Integrates directly with your internal systems or unique workflows
- You fully own the code
Cons:
- Costs more and takes longer
- You’ll need a developer for updates or new features
Best for:
Complex sites, custom dashboards or portals, or businesses that can’t fit into off-the-shelf solutions.
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What About Ongoing Costs?
A common question:
> “Once the site’s live, what am I paying every month?”
Here’s a typical range:
- DIY Builders (Wix, Squarespace, basic Shopify): ~$25-$60/month all-in.
- WordPress: ~$25-$200/month depending on hosting, plugins, and who manages updates.
- Webflow: ~$25-$45/month, stable with no surprise plugin conflicts.
- Shopify: ~$50-$200/month as you add apps or advanced shipping.
- Custom builds on Next.js, Laravel, etc.: ~$25-$150/month for hosting, database, CDN, plus any dev costs for updates.
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How I Handle This at ASDF.Design
I don’t bundle your hosting into my invoices or quietly mark up your monthly costs.
Your platform and hosting are billed directly to you.
What you pay me is for strategy, design, and development, not for me to quietly tack on 20% to your Stripe bill every month.
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So... Which Should Duluth Businesses Pick?
- If you're a local startup testing the waters: A simple site builder is perfectly fine to start.
- If you're an established Twin Ports business that needs to compete with larger markets: Webflow or custom Shopify builds give you the performance edge you need.
- If you're selling online to customers beyond Duluth: Don't handicap yourself with slow themes. Speed = conversions.
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My Honest Take for Local Businesses
A lot of Duluth and Superior businesses default to cheap WordPress builds and end up with slow, bloated sites that hurt their Google rankings. For local businesses competing in search results, modern platforms give better speed, SEO, and long-term flexibility.
When someone searches "restaurants near me" or "services in Duluth," you want to be found - and you want your site to load fast when they click.
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Want to Talk It Through?
If you're a Twin Ports business owner trying to figure out what fits your needs best, let's have a real conversation over coffee. I'm local, I understand the market, and I can help you figure out what makes sense for your actual business.
Contact me here or email hello@asdf.design.