Front Step Sites

Front Step Sites vs Wix for a small business website

Updated September 26, 2026

Should you use Wix or have Front Step Sites handle your small business website? The decision starts with how you want to spend your time: working on the pages yourself or sending someone the changes you need. Price matters, but so do the jobs your website must handle and who will keep its information accurate after launch.

Compare the published prices with the work involved

As of September 2026, Wix Light is $17/month billed yearly ($204/year). Front Step Sites is $99 a year with the domain included and no setup fee. Use those figures as a starting point, then check the current purchase terms before choosing.

Front Step Sites also offers the Grow plan at $29/month or $290/year. Grow includes unlimited changes the same business day and Google reviews shown on the site. The $99 plan includes two change requests a month, made within two business days.

Those prices describe different ways of handling the work. If you build your site yourself, your budget also needs room for your own time. If you request changes from someone else, you need to supply clear instructions and review the result. Neither option removes your responsibility to confirm that the services, prices, and hours are right.

Choose Wix if you want to work on the site yourself

Wix is a reasonable option if you enjoy adjusting pages and want direct involvement in the build. Its website template catalog provides starting points you can review for the kind of site you want. A starting design still needs your business information, photos, and decisions about what belongs on each page.

DIY can fit a shop owner who already sets aside time for marketing and likes trying different layouts. It can also fit a business with an employee who knows the website and has a clear responsibility to maintain it.

Before deciding, try the work you expect to do. Draft a service description, choose a few real photos, and sketch the contact page. If that process interests you, building may be a good use of your time. If it keeps falling behind estimates and customer calls, read done-for-you versus building it yourself before committing.

Choose Front Step Sites if you want to request changes

Front Step Sites fits an owner who would rather describe a change than spend time making the edit. Customers ask for changes by writing in their account. New pages, blog posts, and local SEO setup are included.

Think about your normal month. A lawn care business might need a spring cleanup page and a change to its service area. A repair shop might need to remove a discontinued service and update holiday hours. The relevant question is how often those requests happen and how quickly you need them completed.

The $99 plan allows two change requests a month, made within two business days. Grow allows unlimited changes the same business day. Match the plan to your actual pace instead of assuming every business needs the same amount of updating. Neither turnaround should be confused with a promise that a website will produce a particular number of calls.

Write down your required customer actions first

A local service website may simply need to explain the work, show the area served, and help someone call for an estimate. Another business may need a more involved booking or sales process. Describe that process before comparing providers.

For example, "customers can contact us" is vague. "A homeowner sends photos of the damaged fence, gives the property address, and asks for an estimate" describes a real task you can discuss and test.

Bring a short list of requirements:

  • What the customer must be able to do.
  • What information you need from that customer.
  • Who receives and handles the inquiry.
  • What happens after hours.
  • Any existing service the website must work with.

Ask both options about your specific requirements. Do not assume a feature is included because another business has something similar. Our guide to questions to ask before hiring a website provider helps turn broad promises into concrete answers.

Plan for updates after the first version is live

The launch is only the beginning of keeping a useful site. Hours change, photos become dated, and customers ask questions you did not think to answer. Choose an approach you can sustain when the business gets busy.

If you use Wix yourself, name the person responsible for updates and give that person time to do them. Do not leave ownership of the task at "someone in the office." Decide who checks the page after editing, including how it reads on a phone.

If you send requests, include the page, the exact replacement text, and the date the change matters. For a seasonal service, send the request early enough for the stated turnaround. Confirm what is included in a request if you have several unrelated edits.

Keep your own copy of approved wording and original photos. That makes corrections easier regardless of the platform. The guide to how often to update your website gives you a sensible maintenance routine.

Understand domain ownership and the exit process

A domain is the address customers use to find you. The website itself is a separate thing, so ask what happens to each if you leave. A domain transfer does not automatically move every page or feature to another platform.

With Front Step Sites, the domain is registered in the customer's own name. Customers can leave any time and take their domain, with no transfer fee. Those statements concern domain ownership and departure; ask separately about the materials and website arrangements needed for your next provider.

For either option, keep access details where your business can recover them and understand the cancellation process before buying. Ask what you can download, what would need rebuilding, and how to keep the old site working during a move. Our guide to leaving a designer and keeping your domain and site separates those questions.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wix a bad choice for a local business?

No, Wix can fit an owner who wants to build and maintain the website directly. The important question is whether you have the time and interest to keep it useful. A platform cannot decide your service details or keep your business information accurate without your input.

Does Front Step Sites include a domain?

Yes, the $99 annual plan includes the domain and has no setup fee. The domain is registered in your own name. You can leave any time and take the domain without a transfer fee.

Which option will rank higher on Google?

You cannot decide that from the provider name or subscription price. Choose clear service information and a website you can keep accurate, then assess actual inquiries and search performance over time. Do not buy either option on the assumption that the purchase guarantees rankings or leads.

Can I compare only the lowest advertised price?

Use price as one part of the decision, alongside your required features and the time needed to maintain the site. Ask how changes, ownership, and leaving work before signing up. A low price is useful when the arrangement also fits how you run the business.

The short version

Choose Wix if you want to build and edit your website yourself and can make time for it. Choose a done-for-you arrangement if clear requests fit your working day better than page editing. Confirm your required customer tasks, ongoing changes, and exit terms before deciding. If requesting changes suits you, Front Step Sites starts at $99 a year with the domain included and no setup fee.

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