DIY Web Design vs. Pro Web Designer
In the internet age, it’s almost paramount for any business to have some sort of an online presence, whether that be on social media or the internet.
Companies are putting a lot effort and money into digital marketing for this reason. That’s why even the small businesses are investing to get their own social media accounts and websites.
If you’re one of those who want a website up and running, you may be wondering how to save on costs. Having a pro web designer to do the task seems to be pricey, so doing it yourself must have crossed your mind.
A lot of people also thought of this, so here’s a guide to help you decide.
How Does DIY Web Design Work?
Anyone can design their website nowadays thanks to a multitude of online tools and resources. Online website builders usually have simple tools and involve drag and dropping website elements. There are also templates that people can use to publish a website with minimal editing.
Let’s review the advantages and disadvantages of designing your website.
Pros of DIY-ing
Some online website builders are free of charge. Some sites even offer free templates, which is great if you don’t have a lot of budget for the creation of your website.
They also have rather simple instructions that are easy for anyone to follow, even those without any experience in creating a website. It doesn’t require you to have coding or designing knowledge to start building a site. If you know a little bit of HTML, you can also edit some themes or pre-made websites.
If you’re willing to spend a dime, most website builders also include hosting and registration of the domain in their monthly packages. You won’t have to worry about anything on that front, and you’ll be able to use all their tools for your website.
Cons of DIY-ing
Although you can do whatever you want, the tools you have to restrict the moves you can make. You can only do whatever the builder allows you to, and you won’t be able to bring your imagined website to life with the limited resources.
Using templates is easy, but have you thought about how many others are using the same template as you? It’s not too farfetched to think that a competitor might be using the same one on their website.
When a potential customer visits both of your websites, your business will look like just another run-of-the-mill company that doesn’t have any outstanding qualities that set them above the others. After all, your website, which reflects your company, is only a copy.
What Does a Web Designer Do?
Instead of doing the work yourself, why not let someone do it for you? Of course, don’t let anyone else do it. You’ll need someone who can do it even better than you and one who can bring your vision to life – a professional web designer.
The catch is that you’ll have to pay a fee for a custom website, but take a look at its advantages and disadvantages to see if it’s right for you.
Pros of Hiring a Web Designer
A professional web designer has undergone training and proper education to learn how to create a website. Instead of using tools and templates, they can make anything from scratch. This is the ideal option when you want a site that’s unique and one that reflects the core of your company.
In addition to creating a professional website that looks appealing, a web designer also knows the best practices of web design, including SEO techniques. They know that a site has to be responsive, easy to navigate, and fast to load. Unlike builders and tools that only let you alter the facade of the website, a web designer makes sure that your site functions well below the surface.
Cons of Hiring a Web Designer
You’ll have to shell out money to hire a web designer. It’s not going to be cheap, either, as a designer with a lot of experience and a great portfolio will charge a fee proportional to their talents.
This may not be ideal for those with a small starting capital. However, if a website is going to be a huge part of your business (if you’re a blogger or you accept online reservations, for example), it’s imperative that you have a great-looking and functional website.
Other Things to Consider
If you’re still not sure whether to hire a professional or to do it yourself, consider your answers to the following questions to ask when designing a website.
How Important is the Website to Your Business?
The importance of a website outweighs the other factors. As we’ve said above, your website must look decent and must work smoothly if it’s an integral part of your business – like an eCommerce company, for instance.
Your customers should be able to find what they’re looking for easily. This means that the navigation must be smooth, there should be categories, it must have a polished check-out process, and the items should load quickly.
Most importantly, you must have a secure platform as well because you’ll be receiving a lot of customer information. It’s up to you to keep them safe.
Even bloggers need a professional website as well. Because their visitors will be reading a lot on their site, the font, background, design elements, and the overall look should work together to make reading pleasant.
Is your website going to be a central part of your business, as in the examples above? If yes, you will need more than a DIY website builder.
How Current is Your Knowledge?
Although you won’t need any intensive education on how to make a website builder work, you must at least have the skills to put together a cohesive website that not only takes into account the personality of your business but that of your customer as well.
Do you know how to make the website appeal to your target consumers? Take a look at Nickelodeon’s website, for example, then at Wells Fargo. They have completely different designs, which work nicely for both companies.
You must also know the current trends in web design to keep up with the times. Of course, if you choose to do the DIY route, you’ll also have to update it regularly.
If all these sound like something you could do, then that’s great! Maybe doing it yourself isn’t a bad idea after all, but if you’d rather focus on learning about your industry, leave it to the professional.
Have You Estimated the Opportunity Costs?
Sure, a website builder is cheaper, especially if it’s free – but have you determined the opportunity cost of choosing to DIY?
Let’s calculate first how much you’ll be spending when you don’t hire a professional web designer.
- The monthly fee
- The hours you put into it
- The revenue you’ll lose
If you choose to get a monthly plan on a website builder, note that you’ll have to pay that forever, unless you pull out your website from their servers (which will cost you, as well).
The hours you spend learning and creating a website will also factor into the costs. If you have an employee make it instead and it took them 100 hours to build a subpar website, their hourly salary factors into the costs, too.
Then, think of the lost revenue. Will your visitors choose another business instead if they can’t navigate your website seamlessly? Perhaps, a poorly made website might even cause your business to lose a million-dollar contract.
Now, compare the costs of hiring a pro web designer. Do you still think that going the DIY route is the cheaper option?
What’s Your Budget?
The most limiting factor might be your budget. However, it shouldn’t be the deciding factor.
We get that those who have a limited budget would rather use their money for something perceived to be more valuable for the business. That’s the correct way in some cases, as not everyone needs a professional website.
In such instances, it might be better to go with a website builder instead.
Still, if every other factor points you in the direction of hiring a web designer, you shouldn’t let your budget get in the way. Think of it as an investment that can grow your business.
Accordingly, assess the other factors above then ask yourself how much you’re willing to spend on a website.
Is having a good website that important? Will it cost your company more not to hire a web designer in the long run? Do you not have the time nor the skills to create a good-looking website?
If you answered yes to the questions above, you’d have to create a budget for a professional.
Looking for a Pro Web Designer?
Don’t worry; we’ll make your ideas come true. For a pro web designer, don’t hesitate to contact us now. Let’s discuss what you want for your website, and we’ll deliver.
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