Design By Lui Nobrega · May 27, 2026 · Updated Oct 26, 2026 · 4 min read

Why We Build Every Site From Scratch

We do not use templates. That surprises some people, and it is fair to ask why. Here is the honest reasoning, where it does and does not matter, and a checklist you can use to judge any option, including us.

Templates carry weight you never use

A template has to work for many kinds of businesses. So it can ship with code for features yours will never touch. Unused code still has to be downloaded and processed by your visitor's browser, and Google's own performance guides say it can slow a page down. When we build from scratch, the page carries only what your business needs.

Helpful links

Your business is not a category

A template asks you to pick a category and pour your business into it. But the thing that actually wins you customers may not fit any of the boxes. Building from scratch means the page gets shaped around your real selling point instead.

It is easier to change later

When we build it, we know every piece of it. Adding booking or a new service page next year is simple. With a template, changes often mean working around rules that somebody else wrote for somebody else's business.

When a builder is the right call

Building from scratch is not always the answer. If your business is brand new, if you need something online this weekend, or if you have more time than budget, a website builder is a sensible start. We wrote a separate, honest comparison of the two.

Helpful links

How to compare a builder, a template and a custom site

Whatever you choose, ask the same questions of every option. Here is the checklist we would use ourselves.

  1. Speed. Pick a live site built the way you are considering: a builder's showcase site, or a designer's past work. Run it through PageSpeed Insights and look at the mobile results. See: PageSpeed Insights (opens in a new tab)
  2. Read the Core Web Vitals in that report. Google's targets for a good experience: the main content loads within 2.5 seconds, the page responds to a tap within 200 milliseconds, and the layout shift score stays at 0.1 or less. See: Web Vitals (opens in a new tab)
  3. Ownership. Ask who owns the words, the photos, the design and the domain name. Read the platform's own answer. Wix, for example, says the content you build belongs to you, but the site has to run on Wix's servers. See: Exporting or Embedding Your Wix Site Elsewhere (opens in a new tab)
  4. Moving. Ask what you can take with you if you leave. Squarespace, for example, exports some content to a WordPress file, while style settings, custom CSS, store pages and several other page types do not export. See: Export your site content (opens in a new tab)
  5. Your domain. Make sure the domain name is registered to you, not to your designer. ICANN says it is your right to move a domain to another registrar, and your registrar must give you the transfer code within five calendar days of asking. See: FAQs for Registrants: Transferring Your Domain Name (opens in a new tab)
  6. Monthly cost. Add up three years: the plan, domain renewals, email, and any paid apps or add-ons. Watch first-year deals. Squarespace, for example, includes a free domain for the first year on annual plans, then renews it at the standard rate. Prices change, so check the current pricing pages. See: Squarespace Pricing Plans and Features (opens in a new tab)
  7. Do the same sum for Wix, or any other builder you are considering. See: Wix Pricing Information (opens in a new tab)
  8. The next feature. Write down the one thing you will probably need next year, like online booking, a quote form with file upload, or ordering. Ask how it gets added, who does the work, and what it costs each month after that.
  9. Upkeep. Ask who handles updates, backups and fixes after launch, and what that costs. See: What Is Managed Hosting (and Do You Need It)?

Common questions

Is a site built from scratch always faster than a template?

Not automatically. Speed depends on what is on the page: image sizes, scripts and how it is built. Building from scratch lets us leave out code you do not need. Do not take anyone's word for it, ours included. Test real sites in PageSpeed Insights.

Can I move a Wix site to another host?

Not as a working site. Wix says sites built on Wix have to run on Wix's servers. You can keep your domain name registered somewhere else and connect it to Wix, which requires a paid Wix plan.

How much does a site built from scratch cost with Spring Websites?

Sites start at $600, and most projects land around $2,400. We can also host and care for your site after launch.

Sources and further reading

The takeaway

Building from scratch gives you a site shaped around your business, carrying only the code it needs, and easy to change later. Whatever you pick, check the speed, who owns what, whether you can leave, and what it costs each month.

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