Your Wix site looks fine until a state RFP requires WCAG compliance you can't prove
A custom website for a Lansing contractor, agency, or professional firm runs $20,000 to $90,000 over 2 to 5 months. You move past Wix and Squarespace when you need provable accessibility for state work, real integrations, or performance a template can't deliver. In a capitol town, a website that can't pass a WCAG review can cost you the contract.
Your Wix or Squarespace site does the job for a brochure, until you bid on State of Michigan work and the RFP asks for WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility you can actually demonstrate. Template builders generate markup you don't control, so when an evaluator runs an automated scan and finds contrast failures, missing labels, and keyboard traps, you have no clean way to fix them. The thing that looked professional now reads as a liability.
Beyond accessibility, the limits show up fast: you can't integrate the form into your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) the way you need, the page speed drags on the bloated template, and you're stuck inside the builder's idea of how a site should work. Squarespace and Wix are excellent for a simple presence and a poor fit the moment your site has to integrate, perform, and prove compliance to a government buyer.
Why the usual tools struggle in Lansing
- Template-generated markup fails the WCAG checks State of Michigan RFPs require
- You can't fully fix accessibility issues you don't control the code for
- Form and CRM integrations are limited to what the builder allows
- Page speed drags on a bloated template, hurting both users and search ranking
What a custom website build changes
A custom site gives you control of the markup, so accessibility is built in and provable, not patched after a failed scan. You integrate forms and data exactly how your operation needs, the site loads fast because nothing is bloated, and you can stand behind a WCAG conformance statement when a state evaluator asks. The site becomes an asset in a bid, not a risk.
- A state RFP requires accessibility your template site can't prove
- You need integrations the builder won't allow
- Page speed or markup quality is costing you users or rankings
- You need a simple brochure presence with no compliance requirement
- You have no integrations beyond a basic contact form
- Your budget and needs genuinely fit a template plan
- Provable WCAG accessibility you control and can document for state RFPs
- Clean, fast markup that helps both users and search visibility
- Form and CRM integrations built to your workflow, not the builder's limits
- A site you own and can extend rather than rent inside a template
- Performance and structure that hold up under an evaluator's automated scan
- Higher cost than a monthly Squarespace plan
- You need a host and someone to maintain it, where the builder handled both
- Content edits may need a CMS setup rather than a drag-and-drop editor
- Overkill for a genuinely simple one-page presence with no compliance need
The features that matter for Lansing
What we build under website in Lansing
The engagements Lansing teams bring us most often: responsive web design, landing page development, CMS development, Jamstack, SEO-optimized websites and website redesign.
Website pricing in Lansing: the real numbers
| Project scope | Typical cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Accessible marketing site with CMS | $20k to $40k | 2 to 3 months |
| Site with CRM and back-office integrations | $40k to $65k | 3 to 4 months |
| Complex site with custom functionality and WCAG documentation | $65k to $90k | 4 to 5 months |
From kickoff to launch: the schedule
Exactly what you get
A fast, accessible website whose code you control, with a documented WCAG conformance statement you can attach to a State of Michigan bid, and integrations into the systems you run. It connects to your custom CRM for lead capture, booking software if you take appointments, and a helpdesk system if your site funnels support requests.
How to choose a developer in Lansing
Ask for a WCAG conformance statement on a past project and watch whether they reach for an overlay widget, which is a tell that they don't do real accessibility. Ask who owns the markup and how forms integrate with your CRM. In a capitol town, a developer who can't speak fluently about accessibility is a developer who can cost you a contract.
- !They can't produce a WCAG conformance statement; ask how they'll prove accessibility for an RFP
- !They rely on an accessibility overlay widget; ask why that fails real audits
- !They build on a page builder you don't control; ask who owns the markup
- !No integration plan; ask how forms connect to your CRM
- !They ignore performance; ask for target load times and how they'll hit them
Teams investing in website in Lansing usually scope it next to hr, accounting, business intelligence dashboards, since these systems share data and budgets.
Rohan advises mid-market and enterprise teams on ERP, CRM and custom software, and has led delivery on dozens of business-software builds.
Writes for Digital Heroes, shipping business software for 2,000+ brands across 55+ countries since 2017.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't Wix or Squarespace work for state contract bids?
State of Michigan RFPs often require provable WCAG accessibility. Template builders generate markup you don't control, so when an evaluator's scan finds failures, you can't cleanly fix them.
How much does a custom website cost in Lansing?
$20,000 to $90,000. An accessible marketing site with a CMS starts near $20k; a complex site with integrations and full WCAG documentation runs to $90k.
Can you make our site WCAG compliant?
Yes, by building accessibility into the markup rather than bolting on an overlay. You get a conformance statement you can attach to a bid, not a widget that fails real audits.
Will a custom site rank better than a template?
Often, because clean, fast markup and proper structure help search visibility where bloated templates drag. Performance and accessibility both feed ranking.