WEB DESIGN: Do It Yourself or Use A Professional? reference image

When it comes to your website,design and development is a real big business decision. It can cost you both money and time. This is why free website builders like Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace have become popular. But are they the best decision for your business?

If you are running a business, it relies on income to survive. If the value of the products and services your business offers are not being portrayed or advertised, then they won’t sell. Products and services not selling, means no income for your business to survive on. This is why having a good, solid website is so important.

Years ago, there would be no question of hiring a pro to get the results you want, but with the recent rise of DIY website builders, it has become much easier for the non-techy to build a great website.

Setting Up A DIY Website

In setting up your own website, you have to consider many different things:

  • The overall design and content
  • What are you trying to communicate?
  • What's your main message?
  • What's your selling point?
  • What products/services do you have?
  • What are the benefits of those products/services?
  • Do you have testimonials/feedback from customers to migrate to the site?
  • How will you advertise your online presence?

These are but a few of the many details you have to think about when setting up a website and setting up a digital marketing strategy.

Now, if you’re just starting out your business and working with a small budget, the DIY option is going to be a very good option for you. There are tools out there that will let you build a drag and drop website using their own themes for free. Some of the themes can even look quite good!

Do a little bit of study and research, watch tutorial videos, and give it a go yourself! There’s nothing wrong with having a DIY website especially when you are just starting.

Hiring A Professional Web Designer

Your website is your number one marketing tool, and web professionals know the best ways to deliver your message to your target audience. You’ll be working with individuals who know the best practices and can advise you so that you’ll see increased traffic and conversions.

Conversions are where visitors to your site become a client/customer. For example, let's say you have 100 visitors to your site in one day, and 10 of them purchase a product or service, this is noted as 10 conversions. So, the more conversions, the better.

You’ll also get ongoing support and a point of contact. If something breaks on the site, you can call your web developer and let them handle it, while you get on with your business. Good web professionals will also help you analyze your traffic once your site is up and running. They can make suggestions on how to optimize your website and content to keep increasing the conversions.

Find a good quality web design agency and get them to give you a hand. Find a company that has experience and expertise with a proven record - not just a freelancer. You need someone that knows business and generates results for other businesses. Don’t just hire someone who only knows how to use a software program or how to make a website using an online tool. Pick an agency that's genuinely authentic and yet doesn't charge too expensively. You don't have to spend $10,000 just to get a good website. Here in New Zealand, we only charge from $600-$5,000 for a website.

All you need to do is be careful who you pick - get a few quotes, get some feedback, look at their reviews, what do their client’s websites look like, and what results are they giving. You just have to choose wisely!

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is, most websites are built with a commercial goal. The purpose of your website is to make money. Whether or not you should hire a website designer or use a website builder - it all comes down to risk and reward.

If you don’t have much money, aren’t making much money, or have an unproven concept andhaven’t proven it can actually make money, then you should go with the most affordable option available and not spend your money hiring a web design agency.

If you are making money, save your time and don’t wait for your potential business to go down by not having a professionally designed site. Hire a professional and let them handle it for you.

Overall, you need to consider your budget, your skill set when it comes to designing a website, the type of website that you need, and all other things that are important and can help you make the right decision for you.