Compare
HockWorks or
Agencies build good websites. So do we. The difference is where the work starts, who you work with, and what the website is measured by. Here is an honest comparison, including when an agency is the better choice.
A free 15-minute call. No pressure, no sales script.
The short answer
When to choose a traditional agency, and when to choose us
Choose a traditional agency if you
- need a large team working on many channels at once
- are running a major brand campaign or rebrand
- need complex custom software or a large online store
- want contracted service levels and round-the-clock support
Choose HockWorks if you
- run a service business that wins clients on trust
- want a website that explains your value, not only one that looks new
- want to work directly with the person planning your site
- care more about the quality of enquiries than the number of them
Side by side
HockWorks and a traditional agency, compared
- Where the work starts
- HockWorksDiscovery: who the site is for and what it must say, agreed before any design.
- AgencyOften with design: a moodboard, a homepage concept, a sitemap.
- Who you work with
- HockWorksThiam Hock, directly, from the first call to launch.
- AgencyUsually an account manager, with designers and developers behind them.
- Copywriting
- HockWorksIncluded, written from how your clients decide.
- AgencyOften extra, or left to you to supply.
- Price
- HockWorksFrom S$1,800, scoped on a 15-minute call.
- AgencyVaries widely; team overheads are part of the price.
- Speed
- HockWorksOur quickest website went live in 5 days. The pace is usually set by your content and feedback.
- AgencyDepends on the agency's schedule and the number of people involved.
- What success means
- HockWorksRight-fit enquiries: fewer price-shoppers, shorter sales calls.
- AgencyOften a launch on time and a site the client likes the look of.
- After launch
- HockWorksOptional SEO & AEO and Managed Website, from the same person.
- AgencyRetainers, often with a separate team.
Where we fit
What we do differently
Most agency processes are built to produce a good-looking website. Ours is built to produce a website your clients can decide from. That is why we start with Discovery and only design once we know what the site has to say. For a worked example, see how Discovery shaped an insurance agent website for a business whose best work clients never review.
If you have had a website built before and the enquiries did not change, the problem was probably not the design. If the site already gets found, a Homepage Restructure may be all it needs; if not, see how Website Development works. Or read what clients said in our case studies.
Questions
Questions people ask before choosing
We do what an agency does for a service business website: strategy, copywriting, design, build, SEO and upkeep. The difference is the order we work in and who you work with. You deal directly with Thiam Hock, who plans the site, rather than with an account manager.
Website Development starts from S$1,800, and copywriting and SEO setup are included. Agency prices vary widely, so compare scope as well as the number: check who writes the words, who plans the structure, and what happens after launch.
When you need a large team running many things at once: a big brand campaign, complex custom software, a multi-language e-commerce store, or round-the-clock support with service levels in a contract.
Usually, yes. You can keep your agency for ads or branding and work with us on the website and its messaging. Tell us what you have on the Clarity Call.
Weighing something else?
- HockWorks vs a freelancerA freelancer builds what you ask for. The question is who works out what to ask for, and who writes the words.
- HockWorks vs Wix, Squarespace, and AI buildersWhen doing it yourself is fine, and when the time and the missed enquiries cost more than the subscription saves.
Still deciding? Ask us anything.
A 15-minute call is enough to tell whether we're the right fit, or whether you'd be better served elsewhere. We'll say so either way.
A free 15-minute call. No pressure, no sales script.We reply within a few hours to arrange the call.