Barrelmaker: Small Batch Code & Creative

Let’s Make Web Builders Like Squarespace Work For You

Website builders can be powerful tools when we intentionally harness their strengths. We help you make thoughtful decisions, avoid unnecessary complexity, and get the most out of platforms like Squarespace and Wix without struggling against how they work.

Let’s Talk About Your Project

Let’s talk about what you’re trying to accomplish

Whatever stage your project is at, we’ll help you take the next step

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We will try to respond to your message within 24 hours.

What Is A Website Builder Service?

Website builders are a collection of platforms that allow non-technical users to build their own websites, usually within a friendly drag-and-drop interface. Squarespace and Wix are two of the most well-known website builder services on the market today, but there are many others and they share many of the same benefits and pain points. This may also includes landing page builders like Instapage.

Website builders most often rely on pre-designed collections of page elements that work together to act as a template. These are generally one-size-fits-all solutions. Template previews often present a very polished vision of what a template is capable of, but it is typically up to the user to fit their vision into what components are available and the layout options the platform allows for.

Despite being marketed to non-technical users, a deep understanding of how websites work is a significant advantage when working with these services, or knowing when it is time to stop trying to make one do something it isn’t designed for. This is where we can help you make sense of what you are currently working with, or advise you on how to use these services to your greatest benefit.

If you are curious about whether a website builder is the right tool for your project, we would love to have a conversation about it.

Thoughtful Support for Website Builders

We focus on clarity, stability, and good decisions — not forcing builders to behave like custom platforms or piling on complexity that makes your site harder to manage.

Working Within the Platform’s Strengths

We design and structure your site to align with how your website builder actually works. That means fewer workarounds, fewer surprises, and a site that’s easier to update over time.

Maximize Functionality At Every Subscription Level

Within the limits of the platform, we explore every option to implement necessary functionality before recommending a higher tier subscription plan.

Clear, Maintainable Page Structures

We help organize pages, sections, and content so your site stays understandable — both for your visitors and for the people responsible for updating it. This often means simplifying layouts rather than over-designing them.

Practical Design Refinements

We refine layout, typography, spacing, and color choices to improve clarity and consistency without fighting the platform’s design system. The goal is a site that looks intentional, not over-customized.

Content and Messaging Cleanup

We help refine content so it works with your site’s structure instead of against it. Clear headlines, sensible page hierarchy, and focused messaging often make a bigger difference than visual changes alone.

Performance and Usability Improvements

Within the limits of the platform, we help improve SEO, load times, mobile behavior, and usability — focusing on the changes that have the most impact without introducing fragile hacks.

Guidance on What Not to Do

Sometimes the most valuable help is knowing when not to add a feature, plugin, or customization. If a request would introduce instability, maintenance headaches, or long-term friction, we’ll explain why and recommend a better path.

Honest Assessment of Platform Fit

If your needs are starting to exceed what a website builder can reasonably support, we’ll tell you — and help you think through next steps without pressure. That might mean simplifying your goals, adjusting expectations, or planning a future move to a different setup.

How We Work with Website Builders

  1. Understand Where You’re Starting

    We begin with a conversation about your current situation — whether you’re working with an existing site, a partially built draft, or starting fresh. This helps us understand your goals, constraints, and how the platform fits into your plans.

  2. Clarify Priorities and Boundaries

    Website builders offer a lot of flexibility, but they also have limits. We identify what matters most for your site and define what’s realistic within the platform so effort is spent where it actually helps.

  3. Build or Refine with Intent

    From there, we either refine what already exists or help you build the site in a structured, intentional way. Layouts, content, and design decisions are made with maintainability in mind — not quick fixes that create headaches later.

  4. Review and Adjust Thoughtfully

    Once the site starts to take shape, we review progress together and make adjustments as needed. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s clarity, stability, and forward momentum.

  5. Launch and Handover

    Before launch, we walk through the site together, making sure everything works as expected — pages, forms, integrations, and design. Your feedback is central to this stage. Once everything is ready, we launch the site and confirm that everything is still working as expected.

  6. Ongoing Support (Optional)

    We are happy to provide ongoing maintenance and support if you’d like, from content management to design updates or new service integrations.

  7. Prepare for What Comes Next

    Sometimes a website builder is a long-term solution. Other times it’s a working prototype of a larger vision. We help you understand your options so you can plan future improvements — or a move to a different setup — on your own timeline.

A Few Things You Might Be Wondering

Every project is a little different, but these answers should help clarify if a Wordpress site is right for your needs.

No — and we won’t pretend it is. Builders are great for many situations, but they’re not ideal for every business or every stage of growth. We’ll help you decide whether it’s the right tool now, even if that changes later.
Yes. Some clients are starting from scratch, while others have an unpublished or partially built site that never quite came together. We can help you build a site from the ground up or step in to help finish and refine something already in progress.
Not at this time. Custom templates for web builders can be very complex and exceed the cost of custom site development while sacrificing the design and performance benefits. While they have their time and place, we believe our clients’ needs are better served by other solutions.
Not always — and we’ll be upfront about that. Website builders are designed to support a specific range of use cases. If a request would require fragile workarounds or create long-term maintenance issues, we’ll explain the tradeoffs and recommend a better approach.
Because flexibility often comes with complexity or functional trade-offs. Builders make building a website look easy, but they either impose limitations or hide options in confusing menu systems. Part of our role is helping you simplify decisions so the platform feels manageable again.
Yes. We can refine layout, typography, spacing, and content to improve clarity and consistency — working within the builder’s design system rather than fighting against it.
Often — but not always in the way people expect. Some issues are structural or platform-related rather than mistakes. We’ll explain what’s realistically fixable, what can be improved with design and content changes, and where the platform itself sets limits. Our goal is progress, not fighting the tool.
No — and that’s a good thing. Builders are designed with guardrails. Those guardrails are what make them approachable, but they also limit flexibility. If a request would require fragile workarounds or create ongoing maintenance problems, we’ll explain the tradeoffs and suggest better options.
That’s the goal. We structure pages and content so updates are predictable and safe, without worrying about accidentally breaking layouts or styles. If something should not be edited casually, we’ll make that clear.
Up front, yes — over time, not always. Builders have lower initial costs, but time spent working around limitations adds up, and higher levels of functionality typically require increased monthly/annual subscription costs. We help you get the most value out of the platform without overspending effort where it doesn’t pay off.
That happens — and it’s okay. If your site starts to outgrow the platform, we’ll help you understand when it makes sense to simplify, adjust expectations, or plan a move to a more flexible setup. There’s no pressure to migrate before it’s actually necessary.
When it starts costing you time or limiting your goals. If updates feel harder than they should, performance becomes an issue, or the platform is blocking necessary features, it may be time to consider a different setup. We can help you decide when and if that move is worthwhile — without pressure.
Yes, at a foundational level. We help ensure your site structure, content hierarchy, and basic analytics setup support clarity and discoverability. For deeper marketing or optimization needs, we can help you plan next steps or coordinate with specialists.
Yes — or we can work with what you already have. We’re comfortable handling technical details like domains, DNS, and platform setup. If you prefer to manage those yourself, that’s fine too.
That’s completely fine. Support can be handled on an as-needed basis. We’ll always be clear about scope and cost before any additional work begins.
We start with a conversation. No pressure — just a chance to talk through what you have, what you need, and whether web builder support is the right approach.
Let’s Talk About How A Website Builder Fits Your Goals
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