A behind-the-scenes look at my own unfiltered shenanigans from the marketing trenches. A real-life, no BS view of what it's really like to market a small business and ideas to make it all feel a whole lot easier!
I wasn’t going to write this newsletter.
It is not in my nature to call out other businesses.IBut an ad came across my feed this week that stopped me cold.
It was from a well-known website template company — one that is typically respected, creative, thoughtful — but the messaging in this ad?
Harmful. Misleading. And honestly, disappointing.
Not because they sell templates (templates are great! The can make life 100x easier). But because the ad positioned “custom websites” as:
- unaffordable unless you're a trust fund baby
- slow, outdated, or inaccessible
- supported only through expensive retainers
- impossible to edit without paying a developer
- a luxury that “real” small business owners shouldn’t even consider
And listen… I get marketing. I get positioning. I get highlighting product benefits.
But this? This crosses a line into fear-based messaging that actively discourages small business owners from pursuing a website that actually fits their business.
So let’s talk about what’s actually true.
They’re not selling websites. They’re selling templates.
Beautiful templates! Robust templates! But still templates.
Templates that THOUSANDS of other people also own.
Templates that still require design savvy, copywriting skills, organization, brand strategy, and hours of DIY time.
Their “custom website” comparison is not comparing the same thing.
They're pitting their $1,050–$1,850 template against a $50,000 enterprise-level, 100-page agency build.
That’s like comparing a Honda Civic to a private jet and calling it the same category.
Most small business owners don’t need 50 pages. They need 5–7 pages and thoughtful strategy.
And the real cost? More like $3,000–$6,000 for a professionally designed, fully custom, small-business-sized website.
Support? A real designer gives you more.
The ad implies that hiring a web designer means:
“ongoing retainers required”
…which is simply not true.
We teach you your website. We train you. We give you the keys and the manual. We offer maintenance plans that cost less per year than a nice weekend getaway.
You are never left on your own...you are empowered to know this asset you've invested in inside and out. But if you have a question, we are a phone call or an email away.
Timeline? Also not accurate.
According to the ad templates = live in days while a custom site = 6–12 months.
No. Just… no.
Again, an enterprise-level site? Sure.
Our signature Sunrise Package (including strategy, interview, ALL copywriting, custom design) also 3 weeks.
The reason templates take months is because the business owner is doing all the work themselves with little or no guidance.
Editing? Custom sites are easier.
The ad claims that you’ll “pay a designer for every change.”
That is the exact reason Meadowlark started in 2010— to end that kind of gatekeeping.
Every site we build includes:
- a full editing guide
- video training
- live support
- structure you can actually manage
Your website should be an asset, not a hostage situation. You paid for it, you should have full ownership of it.
Conversion strategy: templates can’t know your goals.
A template uses a cookie-cutter framework. It's a guess at best.
A custom site is built around YOUR goals, YOUR audience, YOUR needs, YOUR business model.
It’s the difference between buying a dress and having a dress tailored to your actual body.
And the “trust fund baby” comment? Unacceptable.
This line is where I stopped giving Tonic the benefit of the doubt.
Implying to small business owners that custom websites are so over the top expensive you have to be insanely wealthy?
It’s manipulative. It’s inaccurate. And it reinforces the harmful idea that marketing must be expensive to be effective.
It doesn’t. It truly doesn’t.
Custom websites are not a luxury item. They are a tool. An investment. A foundation.
And for many small businesses, they are more accessible than you’ve been led to believe.
So why am I telling you all this?
Because I care about you making informed decisions.
Because I want you to understand that a website is absolutely attainable — whether you DIY it, template it, or hire a professional.
And because the last thing I ever want is for a small business owner to feel ashamed, overwhelmed, or that any aspect of marketing is out of reach because of a poorly designed ad.
Your business deserves better.
YOU deserve better.
Okay. Rant over.
Sort of...because I’m still really fired up!
If you have questions about the best fit for your business - whether you choose to use Meadowlark for your website or marketing needs or not - I’m always here for an honest conversation.
As long as you find the right value for YOU, I am happy.
