Wix and Squarespace are easy.
They promise “build your website in an hour.”
So why are London businesses moving to custom WordPress?
Because easy doesn’t mean better.
The Problem with Wix and Squarespace
These platforms work great—until they don’t.
You Don’t Own Your Site
With Wix or Squarespace, you’re renting.
What this means:
- Can’t export your site to another platform
- Locked into monthly fees forever
- Platform shuts down? Your site disappears
- They change pricing? You pay or lose everything
With WordPress:
- You own the files, database, everything
- Move to any hosting provider
- No vendor lock-in
Performance Suffers
Speed matters. Google ranks fast sites higher.
Average load times:
- Wix: 4–7 seconds
- Squarespace: 3–5 seconds
- Custom WordPress: 1–2 seconds
Why the difference?
Wix and Squarespace load code for features you don’t use. WordPress custom sites only load what you need.
Real impact:
A London law firm moved from Squarespace to custom WordPress. Load time dropped from 5.2 to 1.7 seconds. Rankings improved for 18 keywords in 4 months.
SEO Limitations
Wix and Squarespace offer basic SEO tools.
But you can’t:
- Control site structure fully
- Optimize Core Web Vitals properly
- Add advanced schema markup
- Fine-tune technical SEO
Result: Harder to rank in competitive London markets.
Custom WordPress gives you complete SEO control.
Design Restrictions
Wix and Squarespace templates look fine.
But everyone uses them.
In London’s competitive market:
- Standing out matters
- Your brand needs unique design
- Templates make you look generic
Custom WordPress: Unique design built for your brand.
Limited Functionality
Need custom features?
Wix/Squarespace limitations:
- Limited integrations
- Can’t add complex functionality
- Stuck with their app marketplace
- Advanced features cost extra (monthly)
WordPress: Build anything. Custom plugins, integrations, features.
When Wix or Squarespace Still Make Sense
Let’s be fair. These platforms work for:
✓ Very small budgets (under £1,000)
✓ Simple sites (5 pages, basic info)
✓ Non-technical users (no developer available)
✓ Temporary projects (event sites, short campaigns)
But if you’re serious about growth, you’ll outgrow them fast.
Why London Businesses Choose Custom WordPress
1. Performance
Fast sites rank higher and convert better.
Custom WordPress sites load in under 2 seconds. Wix and Squarespace can’t compete.
2. SEO Control
In competitive London markets, SEO matters.
WordPress gives you full control over:
- Site structure
- Technical optimization
- Schema markup
- Page speed
- Mobile experience
You can’t get this level of control on Wix or Squarespace.
3. Ownership
You own everything:
- Domain
- Hosting
- Content
- Design
- Code
No platform can hold your site hostage.
4. Scalability
Start with 10 pages. Grow to 1,000.
Add e-commerce. Add membership areas. Add custom tools.
WordPress scales. Wix and Squarespace hit walls.
5. Cost (Long-Term)
Wix/Squarespace costs over 5 years:
- Monthly fees: £20–£40/month = £1,200–£2,400
- Apps and plugins: £10–£30/month = £600–£1,800
- Total: £1,800–£4,200
Custom WordPress over 5 years:
- Build: £5,000–£8,000 (one-time)
- Hosting: £20/month = £1,200
- Maintenance: £100/month = £6,000
- Total: £12,200–£15,200
WordPress costs more upfront but gives you a better site that you own.
Plus: WordPress sites generate more revenue (faster, better SEO, higher conversion).
Migration from Wix/Squarespace to WordPress
Switching is easier than you think.
What we migrate:
- All content (pages, blog posts, images)
- Contact forms
- Product data (for e-commerce)
- URL structure (with proper redirects)
Timeline: 4–6 weeks
Cost: £2,000–£5,000 depending on site size
What you gain:
- 2–3x faster load times
- Better SEO rankings
- Complete ownership
- Unlimited flexibility
Real London Business Example
Client: Marketing consultancy in Shoreditch
Before (Squarespace):
- Load time: 4.8 seconds
- Page 3 for target keywords
- 200 monthly organic visitors
- Monthly cost: £30
After (Custom WordPress):
- Load time: 1.9 seconds
- Page 1 for 12 keywords
- 850 monthly organic visitors
- Monthly cost: £20 hosting + £150 maintenance
ROI: 15 new clients in 6 months = £45,000 revenue
The switch paid for itself in month 2.
How We Handle Migrations
At AlgoSemantic, we’ve migrated dozens of London businesses from Wix and Squarespace to WordPress.
Our process:
- Audit current site (what stays, what improves)
- Build on staging (test before going live)
- Migrate content (pages, posts, images)
- Set up redirects (preserve SEO rankings)
- Launch (minimal downtime)
- Monitor (track rankings post-migration)
Typical timeline: 4–6 weeks
Cost: £2,000–£5,000
Is It Time to Switch?
Ask yourself:
✓ Is my site too slow? (over 3 seconds)
✓ Am I struggling to rank in London?
✓ Do I need features my platform can’t handle?
✓ Am I worried about being locked in?
✓ Is my design too generic?
✓ Am I serious about growth?
If you answered yes to 3+, it’s time to migrate to WordPress.
Ready to Move to Custom WordPress?
We’ll review your current site and give you a migration plan.
No pressure. Just honest advice on whether switching makes sense for your business.
Email us: contact@algosemantic.com
Call us: +44 7412 808430
