Done with website-builder frustration: your tailor-made website – no monthly subscription, no cookie-banner madness
Website builders like Wix, Jimdo, Squarespace or 1&1 IONOS get you online fast – and often hold small and mid-sized businesses back: ongoing rent, little say over technology and loading time, templates with limits. I build your website individually and with craftsmanship: designed for short loading times and good findability – and it's yours, permanently and without a subscription.
Sound familiar?
- Statistics, marketing pixels and fonts from US companies like Google and Meta can be switched on in the builder with a single click – and suddenly your website needs a cookie banner and an expanded privacy policy.
- How fast your page loads is largely up to the builder: you can hardly change the scripts, the page structure or the technology underneath – yet that is exactly what Google's PageSpeed test rates.
- You pay rent every month and can't take the finished website with you: texts, your own images and domain yes – the website itself only runs at the provider (for Wix and IONOS, according to their help pages).
- What the template doesn't provide for gets complicated: integrations with your ERP, CRM or DATEV, custom calculators or configurators mostly exist only as add-on apps or through elaborate workarounds.
The solution
A website that fits your business – not the template.
GDPR-compliant by design, no cookie banner
No cookies, no third-party trackers, no fonts or videos from third-party servers, hosting in Germany. Where nothing is stored on the device and nothing is loaded from third parties, you usually don't need your visitors' consent – and so no cookie banner. This website is built that way too – you can check for yourself.
Ultra-fast: server response under 0.3 seconds
No builder framework, no script bloat, no web fonts: your page contains only what it needs. My benchmark: the server delivers it in under 0.3 seconds. Your visitors like that – and for Google, speed counts too.
Real craftsmanship – and it's yours
I build your website myself and understand every line that goes live. You get the source code, documentation and all access details. Switch, extend or maintain it yourself: that works without a platform provider holding the key.
Decision matrix: website builder vs. agency vs. Sascha Liesener
What fits when? A decision aid for businesses planning a new website or leaving a website builder (Wix, Jimdo, Squarespace, 1&1 IONOS). It was written by Sascha Liesener, so it is not neutral.
| Criterion | Website builder (Wix, Jimdo, Squarespace, IONOS) | Agency | Sascha Liesener |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costs | Low entry price, but an ongoing monthly fee for as long as the website is meant to be online; extra features often via paid apps or higher plans. | Often a higher one-off price (concept, project management, rounds of approval); maintenance and changes frequently extra under contract. | One-off build after a written quote with clear line items, then ongoing hosting and domain and – if you like – maintenance. Intro call free. |
| Loading time | Set by the provider; scripts and page structure can hardly be influenced. | Depends on the agency and the system used. | Built individually and lean, without web fonts or third-party scripts; benchmark: server response under 0.3 seconds. |
| Privacy / cookie banner | A cookie banner is needed as soon as statistics cookies, marketing pixels or third-party apps are active; technology and data processing sit with the provider. | Depends on the brief and the implementation – define it in the briefing. | No cookies, no third-party trackers, no fonts or scripts from third-party servers; hosting in Germany. So you usually don't need a cookie banner. |
| Ownership | Texts, images and domain are yours; according to the help pages of Wix and IONOS, the finished website only runs on the provider's platform. | Regulated by contract – clarify usage rights, hand-over of the source code and maintenance contract in advance. | Source code, documentation and access details are handed over to you; no tie to a platform provider, switching is possible. |
| Flexibility / integrations | Limited by the editor and the app offering; integrations with ERP or DATEV mostly only via add-on apps or workarounds; common payment methods are usually built into shop plans. | High, but usually with a matching budget. | High: integrations with shop, ERP and DATEV from client projects such as junaspin (WooCommerce, WeClapp, DATEV), plus payment via Stripe (gastkumpel), DATEV export (zeitkumpel) and real-time applications (tableroom). |
| Contact person | Support mostly via ticket, chat or community; personal support depending on the plan. | Account and project management; the developers mostly work in the background. | One dedicated contact: whoever builds the website is also your contact – also after launch. |
A website builder suits tests and small projects, an agency suits large undertakings with a budget and many stakeholders. Sascha Liesener suits small and mid-sized businesses and founders who want a fast, privacy-friendly website with one dedicated contact – and one that belongs to them.
How the move works
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Review of your builder site
We look at what your website does today: pages, texts, images, forms, shop functions, statistics – and what of it you really need. Plus a look at loading time and privacy.
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Tailor-made rebuild
I build your new website around your business, not around the template: fast, mobile-friendly, no third-party scripts. You see progress on a protected preview and can step in at any time.
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A move with your ranking in mind
The important old addresses redirect to the matching new page (technically: a 301 redirect), and I carry over titles and content that already perform well. The builder is only cancelled once everything is live and right.
An example without a website builder
tableroom.de: built without a template
More than 40 real-time games, no account, no ads, no cookies and no requests to third parties: I designed and programmed tableroom.de myself – concept, design and technology from one source. The calm natural-paper design of this website comes from there.
Read the case study →Questions about leaving a website builder
Why is hand-written code better than Wix?
Because you control it. A website builder ships a framework for every case; hand-built code contains only what your page needs. That makes it leaner, easier for search engines to read and free of third-party scripts. And there is no provider who only keeps your website running against monthly rent: source code and access details belong to you.
How much does it cost to move away from a website builder?
It depends on the scope: how many pages your website has, and whether there is a shop, forms or several languages. After a free intro call you get a written quote with clear line items – one-off instead of permanent rent. A lean company website is often ready within a few weeks. Hosting and domain remain running costs; with website builders they are included, depending on the plan.
Can I still change texts myself?
Yes. I set everything up so you can change texts, images and projects yourself – no coding skills needed – and show you how. If you'd rather not do anything yourself, I take care of the maintenance.
Will I lose my Google ranking when I switch?
Not if the move is done cleanly: the important old addresses get a 301 redirect to the matching new page, I carry over titles, descriptions and content that already perform well, and after launch we look at the search results together. Small fluctuations in the first weeks are normal – a crash doesn't have to happen. Nobody can give you a guarantee, but well prepared, the risk is manageable.
Can I keep my domain and my email addresses?
Usually yes. Before cancelling, I check where your domain and your mailboxes are registered and, if needed, move them first – so no email gets lost. The domain can remain with your current provider and point to the new website, or move to another provider. Mailboxes usually run separately from the website and stay as they are, unless you want to move them too.
When is a website builder still the right choice?
For a quick test, an event or a project without a budget, a website builder is perfectly fine. At the latest once your website is supposed to bring in customers, process data, talk to other systems or grow, switching pays off. I'll tell you honestly if you don't need a custom website yet.
Project or problem?
Tell me about it.
Whether it’s a new project or IT that just needs to work again: a quick call or a few lines are enough. I’ll tell you honestly what I think – and what it takes.
Free and without obligation · reply usually within one working day
sascha@liesener.de