[detritus]

Sure, I get that - it's probably just me, but I'd expect a site I'd commissioned to be built 'for me' and become 'my property', not merely a fulfillment service that locks me in to two external suppliers.

I just find it odd, is all.

[jajern]

You're on HN though. When I used to do websites I would give options with tiered prices. Something on SquareSpace (or similar) would be a cheaper option but I would let them know why. A custom, scratch built site would be 3-4x more money so they would usually go with the cheaper option. Very few clients truly cared about the website. They just knew they needed one and didn't really care about the method used to achieve it.

[detritus]

Your last point is very true! it's been a few years since I was a full-time web designer, but I always had my own range of starting templates from which I'd work from - the equivalent these days of which would be the likes of Bootstrap or something. THAT I can get my head around.

Perhaps I should poke my head back into the space then, help to pay for the occasional holiday here and there!