Thinking about building a DIY website for your business? Think again.
You know that in order for your business to be successful, you MUST have a website. But then you’re left with the question: Do I hire a professional or do it myself? Though building your own website can be tempting and sounds easy enough, it’s not the right choice for anyone who wants their business to be taken seriously.
5 reasons you need to hire a professional:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Just because platforms like Wix and Wordpress make it easy for you to create a website that’s functional, that doesn’t mean it’s actually working for your business. In order for your website to generate leads the way you expect it to, it must be optimized so that it shows up in Google searches. If it doesn’t appear in a search, your website may as well not exist. Unless you have web design and marketing training, you won’t be able to get the most out of your site. Additionally, though DIYing your site may seem cheaper, the opportunities you may miss because it doesn’t show up on search engines will cost you far more than hiring a professional would. If you build your website yourself and your competitors hire a professional, it’s probable that potential customers will choose the site that looks more professional and offers them a more seamless experience.
Design
Built-in templates seem attractive when you’re scrolling through dozens of one-click themes, but they can make your website look commonplace to users. Your potential clients are likely internet savvy, and have seen that template before. They’ll be able to spot your stock template from a mile away, and it could deter them from choosing to do business with you. If it looks like you don’t put time and effort into your own business’s site, why would someone believe you’ll put time and effort into whatever product or service you’re offering?
Analytics
When you have a new website, you want to know that it’s effective! You should be checking on how people are finding your site, what content they’re viewing most and how much time they’re spending there. Often, DIY website tools don’t have ways for you to keep track of these analytics, or the tools they have are inaccurate. Choosing a professional web designer means you get the numbers you’re looking for, they’ll be far more accurate and your web designer may offer services to help you optimize those statistics.
Ads
One benefit to having a professional build your website is that you can sell space to other businesses as advertisements. However, if you’re creating your own site, it’s likely that whatever platform you use will not allow third-party ads, and will probably advertise for itself on your site. When you DIY your website, you run the risk of not being able to control what advertisements users see.
Security
Finally, DIY-ing your website does not offer as much security as a professionally designed site can. Security is important, especially if users are sharing sensitive information like credit card numbers or addresses on your website. You also need to provide a secure connection for your users. If someone can’t access all the content on your website without it crashing, they likely won’t stay very long and will choose to do business with one of your competitors instead.
At the end of the day, you need your website so your business can survive in the virtual world we live in. Hiring a professional is an investment you cannot skip if you hope to be chosen over your competitors and continue to grow your business. It’s not worth your time to DIY a website that won’t even do what you need it to do. If you’re a small business or solopreneur in need of a website, check out our services or schedule a call to get a professional site within weeks, not months.