Compare
Build it yourself, or
Wix, Squarespace and the new AI builders make it easy to get a website online. Getting one that brings the right enquiries is a different job. Here is when doing it yourself is fine, and when it costs more than it saves.
A free 15-minute call. No pressure, no sales script.
The short answer
When to choose a DIY builder, and when to choose us
Choose a DIY builder if you
- are just starting and still testing what you sell
- have more time than budget right now
- mostly need an online presence, not enquiries
- enjoy writing and building it yourself
Choose HockWorks if you
- already get traffic but not the right enquiries
- spend sales calls explaining what the site should say
- want the site written from how your clients decide
- would rather spend your time on clients than on the website
Side by side
HockWorks and a DIY builder, compared
- Upfront cost
- HockWorksFrom S$1,800 for Website Development.
- DIY builderA monthly subscription. Lowest upfront.
- Hidden cost
- HockWorksYour time in Discovery and reviews.
- DIY builderYour time for everything: structure, copy, design, SEO, updates.
- What the site says
- HockWorksDecided in Discovery, from how your clients decide.
- DIY builderWhatever you, or the AI, write.
- SEO and AEO
- HockWorksSet up properly from day one; ongoing SEO & AEO available.
- DIY builderBasic settings; the rest is up to you.
- Looks
- HockWorksDesigned around the message.
- DIY builderGood templates. Often similar to many other sites.
- Upkeep
- HockWorksManaged Website, a fixed yearly fee.
- DIY builderHandled by the platform; content changes are yours.
Where we fit
What we do differently
DIY builders and AI tools solved the problem of getting a website online. They did not solve the problem of knowing what to say on it, and that is now what separates websites that bring enquiries from websites that only exist.
If your site is live and doing its job, keep it. If it gets visits but the wrong people, or none of the right ones, that is what Website Development fixes. More on this in why AI-built websites start to look alike.
Questions
Questions people ask before choosing
For many businesses, yes, as a platform. The platform is rarely the problem. What decides whether a website brings enquiries is what it says and the order it says it in, and a builder can't decide that for you.
It can write fluent pages quickly. It can't know why your best clients chose you, what makes the wrong ones hesitate, or what sets you apart from the competitor down the road. That comes from your clients, and finding it out is what Discovery is for.
When the website gets traffic but the enquiries are the wrong people, when you spend sales calls explaining what the site should have said, or when your time is worth more than the money you're saving.
Weighing something else?
- HockWorks vs a traditional agencyWhere the work starts, who you work with, and what the website is measured by. Plus when an agency is the better choice.
- 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.
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.