How to create a website: a guide to choosing the right method

Creating a website means choosing between four paths: doing it yourself with a no-code tool (Wix, WordPress), going through an agency or freelancer on a quote, subscribing to an all-inclusive plan that covers both creation and maintenance, or having a custom solution developed. The right choice mostly depends on your budget, how much time you can devote to it, and the actual complexity of your needs. There's no universally best method, only methods suited to different situations.

Why this choice is harder than it looks

The difficulty doesn't come from a lack of options, but from their sheer number. A tradesperson who searches "create a website" runs into dozens of tools, agencies quoting wildly different prices for what looks like the same need, and subscription offers promising simplicity. Without technical bearings, it's hard to know what justifies a 1-to-10 price gap between two providers.

The classic trap is choosing based on the sticker price without looking at what's actually included. A €15-a-month no-code site may be enough for an online business card, but quickly becomes limiting if you need a booking form, a page per service, or simply solid local SEO. Conversely, a €4,000 agency quote might include a full redesign with a content strategy, or be limited to a slightly customized standard template. Price alone tells you nothing about value.

A second trap is underestimating the cost of time. No-code seems free or nearly so, but learning the tool, writing the copy, choosing images, and fixing display issues often takes a professional who's never done it before 10 to 30 hours. That time has a cost, even if it never shows up on an invoice.

The four methods for creating a website

1. Self-service no-code (Wix, WordPress, Squarespace)

You pick a theme, fill in the text and image blocks, and publish. It's the cheapest method to get started: free in a limited version, then a few euros up to €30 a month for a decent plan with a domain name.

It works well if your need is simple (a presentation page, contact details, a few photos) and you have the time and motivation to get hands-on. It works less well if you're short on time, if the generic design clashes with your brand image, or if you need features that go beyond the standard (advanced booking, a complex catalog, integration with business software).

WordPress also requires technical maintenance: core and plugin updates, backups, security. It's manageable on your own, but it's a recurring workload that many non-technical professionals neglect — until the day the site gets hacked or stops working after a failed update.

2. Agency or freelancer on a quote

You describe your need, receive a quote, and the provider designs and builds a custom site. In theory, this is the most flexible method: nothing stops you from asking for a specific feature.

In practice, a standard brochure site through an agency costs between €1,500 and €5,000 depending on complexity and the provider's reputation, with a 2-to-6-week timeline. Redesigning an existing site tends to run between €2,000 and €8,000. An e-commerce site with a catalog and online payment starts around €3,000 and can exceed €15,000 depending on the number of products and integrations (accounting, stock, shipping).

The key point to watch: what happens after delivery? Many agency contracts don't cover later changes, which then get billed hourly, sometimes €60 to €100 an hour. A site "finished" in April that needs a price change in June can be expensive to update if that wasn't planned in the contract.

3. The all-inclusive subscription

This model, which is where VeryAppi positions itself, bundles creation and maintenance into a fixed monthly subscription. The idea: the provider designs the site, hosts it, and handles ongoing changes without hourly billing.

At VeryAppi, the offer is €99 excl. VAT per month all-inclusive (hosting in France, domain name, changes), with a first site delivered in 7 days and changes handled within 48 hours. This model targets professions with recurring but not overly complex needs: lawyers, tradespeople, accountants, doctors, restaurants, real estate agencies, coaches or consultants, associations.

The advantage is budget predictability and no technical management on your end. The limit: it's a subscription, not a one-time purchase, so the cumulative cost over several years can exceed that of an agency site if you almost never need changes. This model suits you well if you know your site will evolve often (new services, new pricing, new pages), less well if you want a fixed site and to pay nothing after the first year.

4. Custom development

For needs that go beyond a standard brochure site or shop: a mobile app, a SaaS platform with user accounts, an API connecting several systems, desktop software, AI automation of a business process. Here, neither no-code nor a subscription template is enough: you need a developer or a team capable of designing a specific architecture.

Prices are project-specific, generally set after a scoping phase, and timelines run into weeks or months depending on complexity. It's the most expensive and longest method, but also the only one that can address a genuinely unique need.

How to choose based on your situation

Three concrete questions help you decide:

1. Do you have time to manage the site yourself (content updates, technical maintenance), or would you rather have it handled for you?
2. Is your need standard (presentation, contact, a few services) or specific (business logic, calculations, integrations)?
3. Would you rather have a one-off cost followed by unpredictable fees, or a predictable monthly cost?

If you have time and a simple need, no-code often remains the most economical choice. If your need is standard but you want peace of mind, an all-inclusive subscription makes sense. If your need is specific or you want full ownership of the code without a monthly commitment, an agency quote or custom development remain the right options.

Key takeaways

• There's no absolute "best" method: the choice depends on your budget, the time you have available, and the actual complexity of your need.
• No-code (Wix, WordPress) is economical but requires time to learn and, for WordPress, ongoing technical maintenance.
• A traditional agency bills the site upfront (€1,500-5,000 for a brochure site) but often bills later changes by the hour.
• An all-inclusive subscription like VeryAppi's (€99 excl. VAT/month, 7-day delivery) pools creation and unlimited changes, suited to needs that evolve often.
• A specific need (app, SaaS, automation) goes beyond a standard brochure site and requires custom development, with a budget and timeline specific to the project.
• The sticker price alone tells you nothing — always check what's included after delivery.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to create a website?

Expect anywhere from a few euros a month for basic no-code, to €99 excl. VAT/month all-inclusive with a provider like VeryAppi, to €1,500–€5,000 with an agency for a custom brochure site. An e-commerce site usually starts between €3,000 and €15,000, depending on catalog complexity and integrations.

How long does it take to create a website?

With no-code on your own, expect anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on your availability. With a traditional agency, 2 to 6 weeks is common, depending on the provider's workload and the number of revision rounds. An all-inclusive subscription like VeryAppi's typically promises 7 days for a first site online.

Can you create a website without knowing how to code?

Yes, using no-code tools like Wix or WordPress with a ready-made theme, or through a managed service where a developer handles everything for you. The first option requires time to learn the tool; the second requires a monthly budget or an upfront quote.

WordPress or Wix, which one should I choose for a first website?

Wix works well if you want to start fast without installing anything, with technical support included. WordPress offers more freedom and more extensions but requires more maintenance (updates, security). For a simple need and a tight budget, both are roughly equivalent; the choice mostly comes down to how much technical management you're willing to take on.

When should you go through a developer instead of a no-code tool?

As soon as the site needs to handle business-specific logic: booking with specific rules, automated quote calculations, connection to internal software, a mobile app. No-code quickly hits its limits once the need goes beyond a standard brochure-site or simple shop template.

In summary

The best starting point is still to list precisely what your site needs to do today, and what it will likely need to do in a year. That list, more than any comparison chart, naturally points you toward no-code, an agency, a subscription, or custom development. If you're looking for a formula that combines a professional website with changes handled for you, without repeated quotes, you can check out VeryAppi's website subscription offer.