The verdict in three sentences
A 9-person architecture studio paying about USD 35 a month on Squarespace and getting 2 project inquiries per month does not have a subscription problem but a speed and presentation problem. A custom migration at EUR 6,000 to 9,500 (about USD 6,500 to 10,300), delivered in 7 weeks, moves 80 projects and 1,200 images to AVIF and saves roughly 1.8 s of load time. The main risk, losing search rankings, is managed with a complete 301 redirect plan.
Why a site builder caps an architecture studio
An architect's site lives on its images. On hosted builders, galleries load heavy visuals, project pages share the same structure and control over SEO markup is limited. The prospect, a homeowner planning a contemporary house or a developer looking for a team for a mid-rise project, judges the studio in 30 seconds on mobile.
| Metric | Current builder site | Target custom site |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | about USD 35 | EUR 45 to 90 (hosting + maintenance) |
| Mobile load time | 3.9 s | 2.1 s |
| Average project page weight | 6.5 MB | 1.4 MB |
| Image format | Unoptimised JPEG | AVIF + WebP fallback |
| Indexed project pages | 34 of 80 | 80 of 80 |
| Project inquiries per month | 2 | 6 to 8 estimated |
| SEO tag control | Partial | Full |
The 1.8 s gain is not cosmetic: on mobile, each extra second of loading clearly raises bounce rate, and project pages are precisely the ones that convince.
The migration budget: EUR 6,000 to 9,500
| Item | Low range | High range |
|---|---|---|
| SEO audit and URL inventory | EUR 500 | EUR 800 |
| Art direction and mockups | EUR 1,400 | EUR 2,200 |
| Development and project CMS | EUR 2,300 | EUR 3,600 |
| Migration of 80 projects and 1,200 images to AVIF | EUR 900 | EUR 1,500 |
| 301 redirect plan and monitoring | EUR 400 | EUR 600 |
| Optimised project write-ups | EUR 500 | EUR 800 |
| Total | EUR 6,000 | EUR 9,500 |
The high range includes filters by typology (residential, commercial, renovation, public buildings), an interactive map of completed work, project sheets with floor area, construction budget and completion year, and an inquiry form that qualifies project type and budget.
Preserving SEO: the 301 redirect method
Site builders generate URLs such as /projects/lakeside-house or /copy-of-projects-3. Every indexed URL must point to its new address. Without this work, the studio loses in a few weeks the equity built over years.
| Step | Action | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Export all indexed URLs and backlinks | Week 1 |
| 2 | Old URL to new URL mapping table | Week 2 |
| 3 | Carry over titles, descriptions and alt text | Weeks 3 to 5 |
| 4 | Server-level 301 setup | Week 7 |
| 5 | DNS switch and sitemap submission | Week 7 |
| 6 | Monitor 404 errors and rankings | Weeks 8 to 12 |
With this method, the traffic dip is usually limited to 5 to 10% for 2 to 4 weeks, followed by growth driven by speed and the 46 newly indexed project pages.
Mini case study
Julien, a partner at a 9-person architecture studio, estimates that a custom house project brings EUR 28,000 in average fees and that one in 5 inquiries goes ahead.
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- With the builder: 2 inquiries per month, about 4.8 signed projects per year.
- With the custom site: 6 inquiries per month, about 14.4 projects per year.
- Gap: 9.6 projects x EUR 28,000 = EUR 268,800 of potential extra fees per year, as an order of magnitude.
- Real cost: EUR 8,200 migration + EUR 60 per month instead of about EUR 35, i.e. EUR 300 extra per year.
Even if the studio only reaches 4 inquiries per month, a single extra project repays the investment three times over.
FAQ
Can the builder content be imported automatically?
Partly: text and images export, but project structure must be rebuilt. For 80 projects, allow about 3 days of migration and optimisation.
Is AVIF supported by all browsers?
It is read by more than 93% of browsers in 2026. A WebP version is served automatically to the rest, with no action on your side.
Can we add new projects ourselves?
Yes, through a CMS with a project template. Adding a project with 15 photos takes about 20 minutes, and images are compressed on upload.
What about the domain we bought through the builder?
It transfers to an independent registrar in 5 to 7 days. We prepare the transfer from week 5 so go-live is not delayed.
How much is maintenance after migration?
Between EUR 45 and 90 per month depending on level: hosting, backups, updates, performance monitoring and small edits.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current site address and number of projects: we will audit your URLs and price a migration at EUR 6,000 to 9,500 in 7 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
