Custom builds vs. Wix and Squarespace. Measured.
Everyone says their websites are fast. So we ran Google's own Lighthouse test — same tool, same mobile settings, same day — on our custom builds and on live Wix and Squarespace template demos. Here is exactly what came back, including the number we are not thrilled about.
The scorecard
Google PageSpeed Insights, mobile strategy, measured 18 September 2026. Scores are out of 100.
| Site | Performance | Accessibility | Best practices | SEO | First screen | Dead taps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Johnson Hauling & Turf LocalLift custom build Custom | 83 | 93 | 100 | 100 | 3.7 s | 0 ms |
localliftstudio.com LocalLift custom build (our own site) Custom | 75 | 97 | 100 | 100 | 3.7 s | 260 ms |
Wix template Live Wix template demo | 62 | 84 | 96 | 100 | 4.8 s | 390 ms |
Squarespace template Live Squarespace template demo | 60 | 90 | 100 | 92 | 12.3 s | 140 ms |
"First screen" is Largest Contentful Paint — how long before a visitor sees real content. "Dead taps" is Total Blocking Time — how long the page ignores touches while scripts run. Lower is better for both. Layout shift stayed under 0.04 on every site tested.
What the numbers actually mean for your phone calls
The template's first screen took 12.3 seconds
Largest Contentful Paint is how long a visitor stares at nothing. The Squarespace demo took 12.3 seconds on a simulated phone; the custom client build took 3.7.
Zero blocking time on the custom client site
Total Blocking Time measures taps that do nothing because scripts are busy. The Wix template sat at 390 ms of dead taps. The Johnson Hauling build: 0 ms.
Accessibility and SEO come standard, not as add-ons
Both templates lost points on accessibility or SEO basics. Custom builds scored 100 on SEO and best practices because those checks are part of the build, not a plugin.
Our own site scored 75. Here's why we published it.
This page you're reading is heavy on purpose — animation, a live scanner, interactive cards. That costs performance points, and we'd rather show the real 75 than a screenshot from a good day. The client site we built, where every point translates into an estimate request, scores 83 with zero blocking time. That's the trade-off we make deliberately: the site that has to earn calls gets optimised hardest.
Either way, both beat the template demos — and the templates were empty. Add a real photo gallery, a booking widget and a chat bubble to that Wix page and the score drops further.
Want your own site scored?
Run the free instant check on the homepage, or request a recorded 5-minute walkthrough of what's slowing you down.