💸 Why Building a Simple Startup Website Is Harder (and More Expensive) Than Ever.

Launching a startup used to be scrappy, lean, and affordable. You could buy a domain, get cheap hosting, and throw together a WordPress site or HTML page with some elbow grease and a bit of Googling. But in 2025, the landscape has changed dramatically. Today’s site builders promise drag-and-drop ease, but they’ve evolved into closed ecosystems designed to milk as much money as possible from beginners, while offering less flexibility and more frustration.

Let’s break down exactly how this is happening—and how you can regain control.

🧱 Problem 1: Website Builders Are Paywalls in Disguise:

Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, and even WordPress.com claim to help small business owners and creators “build a brand” with no coding. But once you actually try to do anything more than display text and pictures, the limitations kick in.

• Need custom code? Pay extra.

• Want to sell more than a few products? Upgrade.

• Try to connect an API like eBay? Good luck—even premium plans won’t help you.

• Social media schedulers included? Only in name—buttons are grayed out, tools are broken, or features are locked behind vague pricing tiers.

At every corner, the tools you should get as a paying customer are locked down, forcing you to either pay more or give up.

🔌 A Real Example: Displaying Your Own eBay Listings:

Let’s say you’re a small eBay seller who just wants to display your store listings on your personal business website. It sounds simple: eBay provides an API, and website builders claim they support “custom integrations.” But in practice?

• You can’t use backend code easily without upgrading to a “developer” tier.

• There’s no official plugin from eBay, so you’re left hacking together third-party scripts.

• Even after doing all that, their systems often block or break your connection because they aren’t truly open to external APIs.

This should be a one-click feature. Instead, it’s an expensive rabbit hole of dead ends.

🧠 What They Don’t Want You to Know: You Can Build It Yourself:

Here’s the truth: All of these features—social scheduling, live eBay listings, custom forms, even e-commerce—can be done for free or at low cost if you bypass the big builders. Here’s how:

Option 1: Build Your Site with GitHub Pages + HTML/JS

• 100% free hosting

• Use your own code or templates

• Connect any API, no restrictions

• Add Google Analytics, PayPal buttons, YouTube embeds, etc.

Option 2: Use a Static Site Generator

• Tools like 11ty, Hugo, or Jekyll let you build beautiful, fast sites for free.

• Host them on Netlify or Vercel—again, free.

• Add APIs like eBay via serverless functions (which can also be free on most tiers).

Option 3: Schedule Social Posts Yourself

Instead of relying on overpriced tools, here’s a quick DIY method:

• Create your content ahead of time

• Use free schedulers like Buffer (free up to 3 channels) or IFTTT + Google Calendar triggers

• Or schedule posts natively inside Facebook Business Suite, Twitter/X, and LinkedIn without paying a dime

💡 Why This Matters for Startups:

The startup myth is that tools are more powerful than ever—but that’s only true if you know how to code or bypass the gatekeepers. These platforms are counting on the average user being confused, stuck, or too busy to learn alternatives. So they lock down features, upsell endlessly, and hope you’ll just give up and pay.

But you don’t have to. With a bit of effort and guidance, you can build smarter, own your tools, and keep more of your money.