The website platform you build on matters more than most people realize until they try to leave it. A site built on Wix or Squarespace isn’t really yours — it’s a rented space on someone else’s platform, and switching later means starting over completely.
We build exclusively on WordPress, the platform behind more websites than any other, because it’s the one option that keeps your site genuinely yours.
Why platform choice is a bigger decision than it seems
Proprietary platforms like Wix and Squarespace make getting started easy, which is exactly the appeal — and exactly the trap. Your content, design, and SEO history are locked into that platform’s ecosystem. If you ever want to switch agencies, redesign significantly, or move hosting providers, a proprietary platform makes that difficult or impossible without rebuilding from scratch.
WordPress is open-source. Your site, your content, and your data aren’t tied to any single company’s continued existence or pricing decisions.
Is WordPress secure & professional?
WordPress has a reputation, not entirely undeserved, for security issues and plugin bloat — usually the result of cheap, unmanaged hosting and an unmaintained pile of plugins nobody’s updated in years. That reputation reflects poorly built WordPress sites, not the platform itself.
We build on managed GridPane hosting specifically to avoid that outcome: security and malware protection built into the hosting environment, regular backups, and a deliberately curated set of plugins rather than an accumulated mess. A well-built, well-hosted WordPress site doesn’t carry the risks people associate with a cheap $5-a-month hosting plan.
What we actually build
Custom WordPress development — not a generic theme with your logo swapped in — built for strong Core Web Vitals and fast page speed, with schema markup and SEO-structured coding from the start. Mobile-first, responsive design, since most of your traffic starts on a phone. And regular backups, so a bad plugin update or a hosting issue never means losing your site.
Why this matters for SEO specifically
Search engines evaluate technical factors — page speed, mobile usability, clean code structure — as part of how they rank a site, not just the content on it. A poorly built WordPress site can underperform a well-built one on identical content, purely because of the technical foundation underneath. That’s exactly what managed hosting and deliberate development are built to avoid.
Why Go With RunLocal?
We’re a Google Partner and BrightLocal certified, with 15 years of experience building WordPress websites for businesses across the Front Range. That’s not a platform choice made casually — it’s the foundation of every custom website design project we take on.
Frequently asked questions about WordPress website design
Why WordPress instead of Wix or Squarespace?
WordPress is open-source, which means your site and content are genuinely yours — not locked into a proprietary platform’s ecosystem, pricing, or continued existence.
Isn’t WordPress less secure than platforms like Wix or Squarespace?
Not when it’s properly hosted and maintained. Most WordPress security issues come from cheap, unmanaged hosting and outdated plugins — we build on managed GridPane hosting specifically to avoid that. When you go with RunLocal for your web design, you’re getting a secure, professional website.
What hosting do you use?
RunLocal uses managed GridPane hosting, which is the gold standard in the industry currently. Our hosting includes security, malware protection, and backups built into the hosting environment itself, not added as an afterthought.
Will my WordPress site be fast?
Yes — we build specifically for strong Core Web Vitals and fast page speed, since that affects both user experience and how search engines evaluate the site.
Can you convert my existing site to WordPress?
Yes, if you’re currently on a different platform and want to move to WordPress, that’s a project we handle regularly.
Do you use a lot of plugins that could slow down my site?
No. We use a deliberately curated set of plugins rather than accumulating them over time, which is usually what causes WordPress sites to slow down or become vulnerable.
Is WordPress a good fit for a small nonprofit or professional practice?
Yes — WordPress scales from a simple site to a complex one without requiring a platform change later, which matters for organizations that grow or add services over time.
Where to start
If you’re locked into a platform that doesn’t actually belong to you, or building a new site and want it built the right way from the start, that’s worth a direct conversation. RunLocal offers custom website design work, built on a platform that actually serves your business long-term.
