{"id":673,"slug":"smb-5k-vs-20k-build-decision-framework","title":"$5K WordPress refresh vs $20K custom build — performance alone does not justify the $15K delta","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["tech-stack","conversion-rate","pricing-models"],"reference_body":"**Decision framework for KW SMB clients deciding between a $5K WordPress refresh and a $20K custom build.**\n\n**Stage 1 — do this regardless of which path:**\n\n- Measure first. PageSpeed Insights / CrUX for top 5 pages. If already passing all three CWV thresholds on mobile (LCP <2.5s, INP <200ms, CLS <0.1), **performance is not your highest-ROI investment.** Spend on content, conversion design, GBP work instead.\n- Define your business KPI: form submissions, booked appointments, orders, calls.\n- Estimate upside. Using Deloitte's ~0.1s → ~1% conversion (calibrated down for non-retail), an SMB doing $150K/year online would gain ~$1,500/year per 100ms shaved.\n\n**Choose the $5K WordPress refresh if:**\n\n- Current site clears or is close to clearing CWV thresholds.\n- Traffic under ~10,000 unique visitors/month.\n- Business is professional services, local commerce, or lead-gen — not a complex catalog or proprietary booking flow.\n- Modern theme (Kadence, GeneratePress, Blocksy) + quality managed host (Kinsta, WP Engine, Cloudways) + image optimization + plugin discipline + CDN can hit targets.\n- **Budget split:** ~$1.5K theme + setup, ~$1K hosting/CDN year 1, ~$1.5K image/perf/plugin audit, ~$1K content + conversion design.\n\n**Choose the $20K custom build if:**\n\n- Measured INP issues a WordPress site can't solve (React-heavy interactive tools, complex configurators, real-time dashboards).\n- Transactional flow (multi-step booking, custom commerce, B2B quote builder) where the conversion path is the product.\n- Integration requirements (CRM, ERP, custom POS, B2B portals) exceed WP plugins' reliability.\n- >$500K/year online — at that scale a 5-10% conversion lift is worth tens of thousands per year.\n\n**Benchmarks that would change the recommendation:**\n\n- Mobile LCP >4s after a $5K refresh attempt → consider custom build or change hosts.\n- INP >500ms because of theme/plugin JS bloat → custom build becomes defensible.\n- >$1M/year online → the $20K delta is rounding error; do the custom build properly.\n- Selling to enterprise B2B buyers (KW tech corridor, Communitech-adjacent) → site polish has signaling value beyond pure performance.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"ten-year-cost-model-rebuild-vs-foundation","title":"Reference framework: 10-year cost model — rebuild-every-3-years vs foundation-first (Canadian SMB, CAD)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"deloitte-google-milliseconds-millions-2020","title":"Deloitte/Google \"Milliseconds Make Millions\" (2020): 0.1s improvement → 8.4% retail conversion lift, 10.1% travel","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-performance-revenue-evidence","title":"Research brief: Website Performance & Revenue — defensible evidence for KW small-business owners (piece 17)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-22T21:24:18.377Z","updated_at":"2026-05-22T21:24:18.377Z"}