Why Hand Coded Websites Outperform WordPress or Page Builders
In an age where anyone can create a website using WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace, many business owners assume those platforms are the best option. They’re quick, convenient, and promise professional results. But what most people don’t realize is that these platforms often sacrifice speed, security, and customization for simplicity. That’s why at Champlain Valley Web Designs, we take a different approach. Every website we build is coded by hand from the ground up.
This approach offers serious advantages for performance, security, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and long term value. Here’s why hand coded websites outperform WordPress and page builders in nearly every way.
1. Superior Performance and Load Speed
Most page builders and WordPress themes come packed with unnecessary scripts, plugins, and code that slow down your site. Every extra line of code adds milliseconds to your load time, and those milliseconds matter. Studies show that users abandon websites that take more than a few seconds to load. Specifically, if your website is taking longer than 3 seconds to load, you're loosing over 50% of potential visitors.
Hand coded websites include only the code you actually need. By removing all the extra bloat, your site loads faster, performs better, and provides a smoother experience for visitors. Search engines reward fast websites with higher rankings, making performance an SEO advantage too. This also helps ad performance, when users click an ad they are met with a clean functional website that is informational and easy to navigate. Instead of something spammy that they want nothing to do with.
2. Clean, Secure, and Dependable Code
WordPress and other page builders rely heavily on third-party plugins and themes, which can introduce security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues. When one plugin fails or becomes outdated, it can break your entire website.
With a hand coded website, everything is built intentionally for your business. The result is cleaner, leaner code that’s easier to maintain and far more secure. You’re not dependent on a plugin developer to keep your site safe or functioning, it just works. If anything were to go wrong, our 24/7 support is always here to help.
3. Total Creative Control
Templates and drag and drop page builders limit what you can create. Even advanced tools force your website into predefined layouts that hundreds of other businesses are already using. That makes it nearly impossible to stand out online.
When a site is hand coded, design possibilities are endless. Every detail from the layout to the spacing and typography can be tailored specifically to your brand. This is how we at Champlain Valley Web Designs build websites that are visually unique and designed to convert. We work with you to create a website that makes you, and more importantly your visitors, happy.
4. Better SEO and Accessibility
Search engines prioritize websites that are fast, mobile-friendly, and built with clean, semantic code. Hand coded websites make it easier for search engines to crawl and understand your content, improving your visibility in search results. Leading to more clicks, and more customers.
Additionally, accessibility features are coded directly into the structure of the website, ensuring your site is usable for everyone. An important factor both ethically and for SEO rankings.
5. Built for Small Businesses, Not Massive Corporations
Most website builders were designed for the masses, not for small businesses trying to establish a strong local presence. They include features you’ll never use and often charge extra for hosting, security, or ongoing maintenance. They lure you in with a cheap price and sneak in charges when you least expect it.
Our hand coded websites are built specifically for small business owners in Plattsburgh and beyond. With our affordable $175 per month subscription, you get everything you need and nothing you don't including design, hosting, updates, and ongoing support.
A successful business has no business building and managing their own website. Leave it to the professionals to ensure everything is done right so you can worry about what you do best.
The Bottom Line
WordPress and page builders can be useful for beginners, but for businesses that want performance, reliability, and a website that turns visitors into customers, hand coded websites are the clear winner. They load faster, rank higher, and offer a level of usability that prebuilt systems simply can’t match.
If you’re ready for a website that’s fast, secure, and built to make an impact, contact Champlain Valley Web Designs today. We specialize in creating affordable, high quality, small business websites, coded by hand. No templates, no shortcuts, just clean code and professional design.