June 11, 2026Blog
Wix, Squarespace or a web agency — which should you choose?
Should you build the website yourself with Wix or Squarespace, or pay a web agency? The honest answer is that DIY is exactly right for some businesses — and wrong for others. Here is the difference, without scare tactics.
When DIY is a good choice
Wix, Squarespace and similar tools are good products. If you need a simple site with opening hours, contact info and some photos — and have an evening or two to spend — the result can be perfectly fine. A hairdresser, a food stall, a small club or a hobby on display rarely needs more.
The same goes for testing an idea. Spending as little as possible before you know whether anyone wants what you sell is sensible. A site-builder page is an excellent prototype.
What the tools actually cost
DIY is not free. The subscription runs every month, and the biggest cost is your time — both the build and all the content maintenance afterwards. The tools also have limits: design within the template, limited control over speed and technical search setup, and your content lives in the vendor’s system, not yours.
When an agency is worth the money
An agency makes sense when the website must produce something measurable: inquiries, bookings, orders. Then the job is less about looks and more about structure — which pages exist, which searches they answer, and what visitors should do. That craft is what you pay for.
An agency also makes sense when you need a webshop with Norwegian payments and shipping, integrations with booking or accounting, or when your hours are simply worth more in running the business than in a site builder.
Will the site mainly show info — hours, contact, photos?
Yes: DIY often works fine. No: read on.
Must the site produce inquiries, bookings or sales?
Yes: structure decides the result — consider professionals.
Do you need a webshop, booking or integrations?
Yes: an agency or specialist saves you real pain.
Is your time worth more in the business than in a site builder?
Yes: buy the job. No: build and learn as you go.
The middle option many forget
The choice is not binary. A common middle option is WordPress set up by professionals, where you update text, prices and images yourself afterwards. You own everything, can switch providers freely, and pay for the setup — not for every small change.
Wondering what such a solution would cost for your business? The numbers and the pitfalls are in What does a website cost in 2026?
In short
Simple info page and a small budget: build it yourself, with a clear conscience. A site that must produce customers, a webshop or integrations: get help from people who do this daily.
If you want to see what an agency would propose for your business, you can get a website proposal from us — you see a draft right away, free and without obligation.
See the proposal before you choose
Answer a few short questions and see a first draft of a new website right away. Then compare it with what you would build yourself.
Get a website proposal