/ Doing it yourself with WordPress, Wix or AI builders
RIOT vs DIY (build it yourself)
Building your own website looks free. It isn't. The hidden cost is your time, the lost sales while it sits half-finished, and the rebuild when you realise it's not converting.
DIY (build it yourself) is best for
Pre-revenue side projects where time is genuinely free.
Where it falls down
Anything that needs to actually convert, rank, or scale with the business.
Side by side
| Feature | DIY (build it yourself) | RIOT |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | £0–£200 | From £249.99 |
| Hidden cost | 60–200 hours of your time | 10 hours of your time, max |
| Design quality | Whatever you can manage | Studio-grade, custom |
| SEO | Usually missed entirely | Built in from day one |
| Conversion rate | Often <1% (industry average) | Designed to hit 3–5% |
| Time to launch | Weeks or months of weekends | 2–6 weeks done-for-you |
| When it breaks | You fix it at 11pm | We fix it |
The verdict
DIY is great for learning. Bad for selling. If your business depends on the website bringing in customers, the maths almost always works out cheaper to hire someone — even at agency prices, never mind ours.
Ready to switch?
We migrate from DIY (build it yourself) every month — usually keeping your existing SEO rankings intact. 48-hour quote, fixed price.
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