Every local business owner faces this question: should I build my own website with Wix or Squarespace, or hire a web designer?
Website builders are tempting. They're cheap, they're instant, and the templates look decent in the preview. But here's what the ads don't tell you:
Performance. Squarespace and Wix sites are notoriously slow. They load 3 to 5 seconds on mobile because they ship massive JavaScript bundles and unoptimized images. Google measures this. Slow sites rank lower. Your customers leave before the page finishes loading.
SEO. Template builders give you basic SEO fields, but the underlying HTML structure is bloated and generic. You can't control heading hierarchy, schema markup, or page speed — the things that actually determine whether Google shows your site to anyone.
Differentiation. If you're a plumber in Vancouver and your website looks exactly like every other plumber's Squarespace site, you've already lost. Your website is often the first impression a customer has of your business. A template says "I didn't invest in this." A custom site says "I take my business seriously."
AI visibility. This is the new frontier. ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity are increasingly how people find local businesses. These AI systems prioritize websites with clean semantic HTML, structured data, and authoritative content. Template builders don't give you any of this.
A custom web designer costs more upfront but pays for itself. At Forge Digital, we build sites that rank on Google, get recommended by AI, and actually convert visitors into phone calls. We work with contractors, restaurants, fitness studios, and service businesses across Vancouver and Canada.