What's actually wrong with WordPress?

Nothing inherently — it runs much of the web. But page-builder sites (Divi, Elementor) carry weight that shows up on mobile, and the model often means renting premium plugins and quote-gated scope. For most small-business sites, a hand-coded build is faster, cheaper to keep healthy, and fully owned.

I already have a WordPress site — is moving a nightmare?

No. We migrate your content, set up redirects so you keep your SEO, and hand you a faster site you own. Most local rebuilds launch in 3–4 weeks.

Category comparison

Neely Solutions vs a local WordPress agency

The established local agencies have real experience and existing client books, usually built on WordPress with a page builder like Divi or Elementor. That's maintainable but heavier — and the model leans on quote-gated pricing and ongoing plugin upkeep rather than a lean, owned, performance-first build.

Page-builderDubuque area68mobile

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At a glance

The short version

Mobile PageSpeed

Neely Solutions

90 / 100

A local WordPress agency

68 / 100

Pricing

Neely Solutions

Published from $1,200

A local WordPress agency

Typically quote-only, with ongoing plugin/theme maintenance baked into a care plan.

Build

Neely Solutions

Hand-coded Next.js

A local WordPress agency

Varies

You own the site

Neely Solutions

Yes — code & content

A local WordPress agency

Builder / plugin dependent

Speed, measured

The same test, side by side

Google PageSpeed Insights scores the experience real visitors get. Higher is faster.

Mobile PageSpeed

0–100

Neely Solutions90

A local WordPress agency68

Desktop PageSpeed

0–100

Neely Solutions100

A local WordPress agency74

90+ good50–89 needs workunder 50 poor

The local WordPress / Divi / Elementor sites we measured cluster in the high-60s to mid-70s on mobile — workable, but page-builder weight shows. Neely scores 90.

Source: Google PageSpeed Insights (Lighthouse), measured June 2026.

Time to load (mobile)

1.5× slower

Neely Solutions3.3s

A local WordPress agency5s

Largest Contentful Paint — how long until the main content actually appears on a phone. Visitors leave long before a slow page finishes.

Side by side

Capability for capability

Green is a clear strength; amber flags a gap. We mark their genuine strengths too.

Capability

Neely Solutions

A local WordPress agency

Build & stack
Hand-coded Next.js, performance-first
WordPress + Divi / Elementor
Build & stack
Neely Solutions
Hand-coded Next.js, performance-first
A local WordPress agency
WordPress + Divi / Elementor
Mobile PageSpeed
90 mobile · 100 desktop
~68–76 mobile (measured)
Mobile PageSpeed
Neely Solutions
90 mobile · 100 desktop
A local WordPress agency
~68–76 mobile (measured)
Pricing
Published packages from $1,200
Quote-only
Pricing
Neely Solutions
Published packages from $1,200
A local WordPress agency
Quote-only
Maintenance
Care plans on a lean codebase
Ongoing plugin/theme upkeep
Maintenance
Neely Solutions
Care plans on a lean codebase
A local WordPress agency
Ongoing plugin/theme upkeep
Get found (SEO)
Location + industry SEO built in
Plugin-based; varies
Get found (SEO)
Neely Solutions
Location + industry SEO built in
A local WordPress agency
Plugin-based; varies
Scope
Sites, CMS, Shopify, AI, ops systems
WordPress-centric
Scope
Neely Solutions
Sites, CMS, Shopify, AI, ops systems
A local WordPress agency
WordPress-centric
You own the site
You own the code & content
Theme + plugin dependent
You own the site
Neely Solutions
You own the code & content
A local WordPress agency
Theme + plugin dependent

The build, scored

How we stack up, at a glance

Speed is the measured score; the rest is our honest read from the research. The further out, the stronger.

Speed is the measured PageSpeed score; the other axes are our assessment from public research. Detailed, even-handed notes are in the table above.

The honest take

Where each of us fits

Where we win

Hand-coded performance build vs. page-builder weight — 90 mobile / 100 desktop
Published pricing from $1,200 instead of quote-only
You own a clean codebase, not a stack of premium plugins to renew
Same care-plan continuity, on a faster foundation
Modern scope: Shopify, CMS, and AI automation, not just brochure WordPress

Where A local WordPress agency is strong

Years of local experience and an existing client base
Familiar WordPress editing many teams already know
Full-service menus (SEO, care plans, branding)

Choose A local WordPress agency if: Teams that specifically want WordPress (e.g., an in-house editor already trained on it) and value a long local track record over a leaner, faster custom build.

Switching is easy

What moving to us looks like

No lost rankings, no lock-in, no babysitting. Here's the whole move.

Step 1
We map & migrate
We pull your existing content, pages, and assets and set up 301 redirects, so the rankings and links you've already earned carry straight over.
Step 2
We rebuild, you review
A fast, modern build on your content. You review it on a private staging link and we refine it together before anything goes live.
Step 3
Launch in ~3 weeks — you own it
We flip it live with no downtime and hand over the code and content. No builder lock-in, no plugin lease, nothing to babysit.

Common questions