Squarespace vs. Hiring a Web Designer for Your Contracting Business
If you’ve been thinking about getting a website for your business, you’ve probably seen the Squarespace commercials. The pitch sounds simple: drag, drop, done. But is it actually the right call for a contractor or service business? Here’s the honest comparison.
What Squarespace gets right
Squarespace is genuinely good software. The templates are clean, the editor is intuitive, and you can get something live quickly. For a freelance photographer or a small online shop, it makes a lot of sense.
Where it falls short for contractors
The problem isn’t Squarespace itself — it’s that building and maintaining your own website takes time you don’t have. Consider what “DIY” actually means in practice:
- You spend evenings and weekends learning the platform
- You write your own copy (which most people do poorly and don’t enjoy)
- You handle your own SEO setup — or pay extra for an SEO app
- Every time something looks wrong on mobile, you fix it yourself
- When Squarespace updates their platform, you figure out what broke
That’s not a website. That’s a part-time job you didn’t sign up for.
What hiring a web designer actually costs
Most contractors assume hiring a designer costs thousands upfront and ongoing fees on top. At Bag of Apples, the model is simple: one build fee, then $150/month covers hosting, maintenance, security, and updates. For most service businesses, that’s less than the cost of a single Google ad campaign — and it keeps working 24/7 without ongoing management.
The real question
The question isn’t whether Squarespace is good software. It is. The question is: what’s an hour of your time worth? If you’re billing $100–$200/hour on jobs, the time you’d spend managing a DIY website pays for professional help many times over.
The verdict
For a busy contractor or tradespeople who wants a professional web presence without the time investment: hire someone. The cost is lower than most people think, and the time you get back is worth far more.
