What is a Semi-Custom Website and is it Right for You?
A semi-custom website is a happy medium between a do-it-yourself (DIY) website and a fully custom website. You probably figured that part out, but you might be wondering how a semi-custom website works exactly. Why would you pick a semi-custom website instead of a full custom website? Why would you pay for a semi-custom website instead of doing it yourself? What are the differences in cost between these options?
Let’s dive in and get you some answers!
Quick note: I know a lot about semi-custom websites on Squarespace because Squarespace is the platform I use and love. The general gist of a semi-custom website will apply to all platforms, but I do get a little Squarespace specific below.
How Does a Semi-Custom Website Work?
A semi-custom website starts with a pre-designed template that a web designer updates for you with your content (text, images, fonts, and colors). The designer also takes care of all the technical pieces of launching the website for you. The service may also include small changes to the template like moving sections around, taking out sections you don’t need, and sometimes adding new sections or pages in the same style of the template.
Semi-custom websites are sometimes called “restyles” or a “set-up service” or may have names like “one week website” or “website in a day”. (Services named for how long they take don’t always start with a template, so read the fine print to understand what those services include.)
A web designer can typically build a semi-custom website in one week or less (once they have all of your content) so you can get up and running pretty quickly!
A Squarespace semi-custom website will always start with a premium Squarespace template, not an out of the box free template that comes with your Squarespace subscription. A premium template will have unique design features and often a little custom code that makes the design more “elevated” (a fancy word for “it looks cooler”). (Read more about My Favorite Squarespace Premium Templates.)
Web designers usually customize templates they have designed to sell as DIY templates. Not everyone offers this service, but some will charge extra to take the implementation off your plate.
Some designers (like me!) have templates that are ONLY available as part of a semi-custom service. This might be because the designer hasn’t built the training course to teach people to update the template on their own OR the template has some special custom design features that are trickier for people to implement themselves.
Some designers (again, like me!) will also customize templates that are made by other designers as part of a semi-custom service.
How Much Does a Semi-Custom Website Cost?
Web designers typically charge between $1,200 - $2,500 for a semi-custom website in 2024. You may pay a little less for a one-page website or more for a bigger website. This cost may or may not include the cost of the template itself.
Selecting fonts and colors, creating a logo, and finding stock images are not usually included in the cost of a semi-custom website. If these services are included, the designer charges more or they may offer them as optional additional add on services. (This applies to a fully custom website as well, FYI!)
If you need a little extra customization of the template (like a special page or a big blog) you will pay a bit more.
For a Squarespace semi-custom website, you will almost always get some training so you can make simple changes to your website on your own (one of the big selling points of Squarespace!) and some email support (usually 30 days) after you go live for questions.
How Does the Cost of a Semi-Custom Website Compare to a DIY Website?
A Squarespace subscription comes with completely FREE template options that you can use to build your website, but I don’t recommend them for a professional website. As I mentioned above, if you purchase a designer template you will get a more “elevated” design (remember that means it “looks cooler”) and you get more training and support to help you create your website.
Premium Squarespace templates typically cost between $100 - $400. The lower end of the range are simple one-page website templates, and the higher end are multi-page templates with more custom coding that makes them look a little more unique. A massive 20+ page template with functionality for ecommerce, courses, and quizzes can cost up to $1,000.
Premium Squarespace templates come with training that shows you how to implement the template and replace everything with your own content. If the template has some custom code, you will get training on how to update it if necessary. Some templates also come with guidance on writing your text, finding images, and selecting fonts and colors (or you can add it on at a low cost).
Templates usually come with 30 days of email support, and you can sometimes hire the designer for a “support hour” if you get stuck!
How Does the Cost of a Semi-Custom Website Compare to a Custom Website?
Web Designers charge anywhere from $2,500 to tens of thousands of dollars for a multi-page custom website and projects can take two weeks to many months. The cost and length of the project will depend on how big the website is and what special functionality you need. There is a lot of variability, but you will likely pay at least three times as much for a custom website as a semi-custom website.
What are the Benefits of a Semi-Custom Website?
The obvious benefit of a semi-custom website is that it takes a lot of the work off your plate. A DIY premium template will give you a head start with some training and a solid design that works for your business, but it can still take a lot of time to implement because it’s easy to get tangled up with technology if websites aren’t your day job.
Semi-custom websites don’t just take the technology out of your hands, they also give you some access to a website expert. Not every service is the same, but you usually get some strategic support as part of the package. Your designer may help you select the right template, give guidance on writing your website words and gathering the right photos, help you select colors and fonts, and maybe even include a simple logo.
One of the reasons I offer semi-custom websites is because I realized that most business owners need support more than they need a totally unique website. If I am going to charge you for my time and expertise, I want you to get the most return on that investment.
Here’s the truth – website visitors like things to be familiar. There are standard structures that WORK for all websites that help people find what they need and take the right next steps. A good template is designed with those strategies in mind. When you mix in the magic of YOU – your words and pictures of you and your work - you have an effective online home that will work for your businesses. The layout does not need to be completely different than everyone else’s (and in many ways, it shouldn’t be!)
There is ABSOLUTELY value in a more unique website and visual identity that stands out from the competition - once you have all of the other pieces in place. A semi-custom website gets you started at a more affordable cost until you have all of your ducks in a row and you are ready for the big kahuna! (Definitely went all out on my idioms there.)
The Net-Net
A semi-custom website is a great, relatively affordable option when you are just starting out, have a little more money than time, or would never in a million years consider building your own website. There are lots of great pre-designed templates out there to start with (you can find my favorites here) and with a web designer on your team you should have smooth sailing and get your website up much more quickly than taking it all on yourself!
If I have piqued your interest, you can check out my semi-custom Squarespace web design service and feel free to reach out with any questions!
