DIY vs Professional Websites
DIY websites vs professionally designed websites – which way should I go? I get this question a lot. Why should I invest in a professional website when I can do it myself? While DIY websites are okay and have come a long way, they are still very limited. In addition, professional website designers have years of experience that will give your business the right look. Remember you have between 10-20 seconds to keep a visitor on your site.
With the advent of software and hardware, everyone thinks they’re a “designer” however professional website designers understand color, layout, the use of white space, typography and much more. Below is some information to help you make an informed decision.
DIY & Professional Websites
The main benefit of DIY vs professional websites is that they are much more affordable. They can cost nothing at all (except for the hosting, unless you have a server to host it on) and that’s because some website builders offer free website creation. Of course, the free plans are best for designing and building very basic websites. In addition, since they’re free, you can expect them to come with limited features. You can, of course upgrade to a plan that allows you to build a more professional site for an annual fee.
Basic set-up is quick and easy especially if you have a simple DIY website design and you can finish it within a couple of hours. It also depends on what type of website builder you use. You get to make all the decisions on site design, You can decide what you want your homepage to look like, how many pages your site will have, you can also create your own site map, the font to use.
On the other hand, professional web designers create designs tailored to the purposes of your business. We consider the client’s mission, vision, and goals for the website. We also factor in the demographics of their client’s market and target audience.
From there, we figure out the best type, color, and size of the font to use on your site as well as determining the right background color, text placement, and imagery to use. We also factor in the best ways to make the website as navigable as possible. From there, we will figure out the best type, color, and size of the font to use on your site as well as determining the right background color, text placement, and imagery to use. We also factor in the best ways to make the website as navigable as possible. Our attention to detail is what makes professionally-designed websites a piece of art. This is also why business websites are best left in the hands of expert designers.
The biggest downside to getting a professional to design your site is the cost. Your small business site cost can range from $2,000 to $8,000 as of the writing of this blog. It’s even more expensive for e-commerce sites, with some sites costing up to $40,000! Before you start shaking your head though, think of how much you can lose if your site ends up looking sloppy. It’ll likely cost you far more than a couple of thousand bucks. Keep in mind that your business is a professional entity, so it’s vital to ensure it is credible and professional in all aspects. Since your site is the online identity of your business, then it also needs to be professional.
Conclusion: Making The Right Decision
As you can see, DIY websites are a great and affordable choice for those who can afford to invest time in improving their website. If, however, you need a website that looks amazing as soon as it goes live, it’s best you hire a professional designer.
What’s important is to keep your website’s end goals in mind when making the decision. If you want to keep it casual, such as for blogging, then a DIY website may cut it. If it’s for-profit generation, leave its design and creation to the pros.
