Ready to Switch From WordPress?
Stop patching plugins, paying for premium themes, and chasing freelancers. Get a custom, AI-optimized React Smart Website you actually own — for a flat $300 build + $100/month. Sub-second load times. Zero plugins. Built by Columbus humans since 2002.
Choose your Business Website Design or Maintenance Package
Two ways to get online: a one-time website build, or an all-in-one growth package that keeps working every month.
New Website Design Business Special With Hosting - No Ongoing SEO - AEO - BLOGGING
Website design or re-design + hosting and maintenance. Includes initial SEO, AEO, and 4 blogs to launch — no ongoing SEO, AEO, or blogging after that.
- Up To 10 Pages
- You own your website
- Locked-in pricing
- FREE SSL
- FREE Basic SEO
- FREE Basic AEO (Get found on ChatGPT & more)
- FREE Accessibility
- Up to 100 Keywords
- Mobile Friendly
- FREE Social Media Connections
- FREE Google Analytics
- FREE Google Search Console
- FREE 24/7 Helpdesk Support
3 Pass Revision Process • Website up in as fast as 24 hours • No long contracts
Book Free ConsultationNew Website Design With Hosting Plus Ongoing SEO - AEO - BLOGGING
Website design or re-design plus ongoing SEO, AEO, and GEO, 4 blogs and 2 emails per month, and advertising strategy support — all managed for you month after month, hosting included.
- Up To 10 Pages
- You own your website
- Locked-in pricing
- Managed Hosting Included
- FREE SSL
- FREE Basic SEO
- FREE Basic AEO (Get found on ChatGPT & more)
- FREE Accessibility
- Up to 100 Keywords
- Mobile Friendly
- FREE Social Media Connections
- FREE Google Analytics
- FREE Google Search Console
- FREE 24/7 Helpdesk Support
- SEO Optimization
- AEO (AI Search)
- GEO (Local Search)
- 4 Blog Posts / Month
- Email & SMS Management
- Advertising Strategy
- Weekly SEO Audits
- Weekly AEO Audits
- Weekly Content Gap Audits
- Conversion Tracking
- Monthly Reporting
Locked-in pricing • You own your website • Real results that keep working
Book Free ConsultationReady to Switch From WordPress?
Tell us about your current WordPress site and we'll book your free migration audit. No obligation — just a 30-minute call to map your WordPress exit strategy.
Why Businesses Switch From WordPress
WordPress is a powerful open-source CMS — and for high-volume publishers with a dedicated DevOps team it still works. For most small and growing businesses in 2026, the plugin treadmill, security risk, and stacked subscriptions outweigh the flexibility.
Transparent Flat Pricing
Flat $300 build + $100/month — no premium theme licenses, no plugin renewals, no developer hourly bills. WordPress total cost quietly stacks to $200–$600/mo once hosting, plugins, and a freelancer are included.
AI-First Websites (AEO + SEO)
Every page is engineered for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Gemini — with hand-tuned JSON-LD on every page. WordPress relies on plugin-generated schema that is generic and limited.
No Plugins to Patch
No Wordfence alerts at 2 AM. No outdated plugin breaches. Security updates, backups, and uptime monitoring are managed by us, every day, included.
Modern React Stack
Custom React + Vite + edge hosting. Sub-second LCP, zero render-blocking plugins, no page builder bloat. WordPress sites we audit average 3–7s LCP on mobile.
Real Humans + Real Strategy
A named Columbus strategist, monthly reports, unlimited on-demand updates. No Upwork freelancers, no ticket queues, no "the plugin developer hasn't replied".
You Own Your Website
Modern React codebase, schema on every page, full code ownership. Take it anywhere — Netlify, Vercel, Cloudflare. The opposite of plugin lock-in.
WordPress vs The Real Social Company
A side-by-side look at a typical small-business WordPress stack vs a Smart Website from The Real Social Company.
| Feature | The Real Social Company | WordPress (typical SMB stack) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical all-in monthly cost | $100/mo (flat) | $200–$600+ (hosting + plugins + freelancer) |
| Setup fee | $300 one-time | Theme + plugin licenses + dev hours |
| Framework | Modern React + edge hosting | PHP + themes + 20–60 plugins |
| Mobile LCP (typical) | Under 1 second | 3–7 seconds |
| AEO (ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews) | Built into every page | Plugin-limited (Yoast/Rank Math) |
| Security patching | Included, managed daily | Your responsibility (or freelancer) |
| Plugin update breakage risk | Zero plugins, zero break risk | Constant — page builders, theme, core |
| SEO blogging | 4 blogs/month included | DIY or add-on |
| On-demand updates | Included monthly | Freelancer hourly |
| Local Columbus support | Columbus-based since 2002 | Forums / Stack Overflow |
Comparison based on publicly available pricing for managed WordPress hosting, premium themes, and common SMB plugins as of 2026. WordPress® is a registered trademark of the WordPress Foundation — used here for comparison only.
Your 3-Week Migration From WordPress
- 1
Discovery & Audit (Week 1)
We audit your current WordPress site — Core Web Vitals, plugin inventory, schema gaps, and ranking keywords — and map every URL for 301 redirects so no SEO equity is lost.
- 2
Custom Build & AEO (Week 2)
We design and build a custom React Smart Website with hand-tuned schema on every page (Organization, LocalBusiness, FAQPage, Service, BreadcrumbList), modern forms, and your CRM/analytics integrated.
- 3
Launch & Optimize (Week 3)
Cut over DNS, activate 301 redirects, monitor rankings and Core Web Vitals for 14 days, and publish the first AEO/SEO blog. Decommission the old WordPress host and plugins.
Switching From WordPress: Frequently Asked Questions
Why would a business switch from WordPress to The Real Social Company?+
WordPress is powerful and open-source — but for most small and growing businesses the real cost is hosting + premium theme + 10–30 plugins + a freelancer to patch it all. Businesses switch to The Real Social Company when they want a custom, AEO-optimized React website they own, transparent $100/month pricing, real Columbus-based strategists, monthly SEO blogging, and zero plugin patching.
Will I lose my SEO rankings if I switch from WordPress?+
No. We map every existing WordPress URL to a 301 redirect, preserve title tags, headings, and content hierarchy, and typically see ranking improvements within 30–60 days because of faster Core Web Vitals, hand-tuned JSON-LD schema, and our included monthly blogging.
How does pricing compare to a typical WordPress stack?+
Our Smart Website is a flat $300 build + $100/month — hosting, security, AEO, SEO, 4 blogs, schema, forms, and unlimited updates included. A typical SMB WordPress stack runs $200–$600/month once managed hosting, premium theme, Elementor/Divi, WP Rocket, Wordfence, backup plugin, SEO plugin, and a freelancer are added.
What happens to my existing WordPress content?+
We export every page, post, image, and form on your current WordPress site and rebuild them on the new React stack — usually with improved on-page SEO and AEO structure during the rebuild. Nothing is lost.
How long does migration from WordPress take?+
Most businesses launch a new Smart Website within 2–3 weeks. Week 1 audit + URL mapping, Week 2 custom React rebuild with full AEO/SEO and schema, Week 3 DNS cutover with 301 redirects and 30-day monitoring. WordPress stays live until cutover so there is zero downtime.
Do you optimize for AI search engines like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews?+
Yes — AEO is our core differentiator. Every page ships with hand-tuned Schema.org markup (Organization, LocalBusiness, FAQPage, Service, BreadcrumbList), semantic HTML, and content patterns proven to earn citations in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini and Google AI Mode answers — well beyond what Yoast or Rank Math auto-generate.
What about WooCommerce or a store?+
For most small stores we recommend moving the cart layer to Stripe-direct checkout or Shopify, while the marketing site moves to a Smart Website. This is faster, more secure, and cheaper than maintaining WooCommerce + a security stack. We will map the right path on the free migration call.
What is included in the $100/month?+
Hosting, SSL, daily backups, security patching, on-demand updates, monthly AEO optimization, monthly SEO optimization, 4 SEO blog posts per month, Google Analytics & Search Console, schema maintenance, Core Web Vitals monitoring, and a monthly performance report.
Do I still own my website if I switch?+
Yes. You own the modern React codebase, the domain, the content, and the analytics. We host and manage it under the Smart Website plan, but the asset is yours — and you can take the code anywhere.
Is there a long-term contract?+
No. Smart Website is month-to-month with 14 days notice to cancel. You own the website code and can take it with you — the opposite of WordPress plugin/theme lock-in.
WordPress Alternative Questions, Answered
Straight answers on cost, rankings, security, and migration time when you move off WordPress.
What is the best WordPress alternative in 2026?
The best WordPress alternative in 2026 is a custom AI-built React website served from an edge CDN. It loads in under one second, needs no plugins, cannot be hacked through outdated PHP, and ships with AEO, SEO, GEO, and accessibility built in from day one. For Columbus businesses, The Real Social Company builds these sites for $300 setup plus $100 per month, or $300 per month all-in with ongoing SEO, AEO, and blogging.
Should I switch from WordPress to a React website?
Switch if you are paying for plugin licenses, dealing with weekly updates, or losing leads to slow mobile load times. A React website removes the plugin tax, the maintenance tax, and the security tax. Most businesses that migrate see faster pages, higher Google rankings, and more citations in ChatGPT and Perplexity answers.
How much does it cost to move off WordPress?
Migrating off WordPress is $300 setup plus $100 per month for the Website Design plan, or $300 per month all-in for Website + Growth, which includes up to 10 pages, content migration, redirects, SSL, analytics, and 30 days of free hosting. There is no rebuild fee later because you own the code outright.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I leave WordPress?
No — not when the migration is done correctly. We map every existing URL to a 301 redirect, carry over titles, descriptions, and structured data, resubmit your sitemap, and monitor Search Console after launch. Most sites hold rankings through the switch and then improve as page speed and schema coverage go up.
Is a WordPress alternative more secure?
Yes. WordPress vulnerabilities almost always come from third-party plugins, themes, and outdated PHP. A static React site has no database to inject, no admin login to brute force, and no plugin surface to exploit. Security patches happen at the hosting layer, not on your to-do list.
Can I still edit my own content without WordPress?
Yes. We connect an easy content editor for blogs, services, and page copy, so you can publish without touching code. You get the editing convenience of WordPress without the plugin stack, update prompts, or performance penalty that comes with it.
What about WooCommerce, forms, and booking on a WordPress alternative?
Everything WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, and booking plugins do is handled natively. We wire in Stripe or Square for payments, custom multi-step forms with spam protection, and Calendly or built-in scheduling — all without a single plugin subscription.
How long does a WordPress migration take?
A standard 10-page migration takes about two to three weeks from kickoff to launch, including content transfer, redirect mapping, schema, and testing. Larger sites with e-commerce or membership areas typically take four to six weeks.
Still deciding? Book a free phone consultation or call 614-482-2126.
AI Websites vs WordPress, Wix & Squarespace — Common Questions
Real answers about speed, functionality, automations, and video on AI-powered React websites.
Why are AI-powered React websites faster than WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace?
AI-powered React websites are compiled into lightweight static assets and served from a global edge CDN, so pages load in under one second. WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace rely on server-side rendering, plugin stacks, and shared hosting that typically produce 4–8 second load times on mobile. Faster sites rank higher on Google, get cited more often by ChatGPT and Perplexity, and convert visitors into leads at a measurably higher rate.
What functionality can an AI website do that WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace cannot?
Our AI websites include custom booking flows, multi-step intake forms, lead-gated content, membership areas, calculators, and CRM-connected dashboards built directly into the codebase. WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace force you to bolt on paid plugins or third-party widgets for the same features, which slow the site down, break during updates, and often lock your data into another vendor.
Can you automate booking, forms, email, and CRM tasks on an AI website?
Yes. Every AI website we build can be wired directly to n8n, Zapier, Make, Supabase, Stripe, Square, Calendly, Google Sheets, Mailchimp, Brevo, and most CRMs. Form submissions, bookings, and payments can trigger automated email sequences, Slack alerts, CRM records, and internal workflows without you touching a plugin dashboard.
Can I put video on my AI website without slowing it down?
Yes. We host video on a CDN with adaptive streaming, lazy loading, and muted autoplay previews, so hero videos and product demos play instantly without hurting your PageSpeed score. On WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace, uploading video usually tanks load times or forces you to embed a third-party player that shows ads and tracks your visitors.
Do AI-powered websites still rank on Google and get cited by ChatGPT?
Yes — and they typically outperform legacy platforms. We build every AI website with server-rendered HTML, structured data (schema.org), FAQ and HowTo markup, entity-based copy, and speakable specifications, which are exactly what Google, ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Gemini use to surface answers. Most templated WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace sites ship without any of this.
Do I own the AI website you build for me?
Yes. You own the code, the domain, the content, and the CRM data. There is no lock-in, no proprietary page builder, and no monthly ransom to keep the site online. If you ever leave us, you keep everything.
How much maintenance does an AI-powered React website need compared to WordPress?
Almost none. There are no plugins to update, no theme conflicts, no PHP version upgrades, and no security patches for you to manage. We handle hosting, monitoring, and updates on our end, which eliminates the weekly maintenance tax that WordPress owners typically pay.
Ready to Own a Faster, Safer Website?
Free 30-minute migration call. We'll audit your current WordPress site, show you exactly what AEO + SEO gaps exist, and map the redirect plan — zero pressure.
Related: $100/mo Smart Website · React vs WordPress SEO · AI-Powered Website Design · Read the full 2026 guide