DIY Websites, Yay or Nay?

What kind of website are you looking to create? Are you looking to launch a full-fledged business and don’t know where to get started? Maybe you’ve started creating a website or putting some things together but you’re not really sure if you want to continue doing it yourself. DIY websites (Do It Yourself website) can seem like a great idea, but there are plenty of things you should know before you decide to follow that path. Once you know the deets about DIY websites and fully understand how it can help and hurt your business, you’ll be able to make the best decision.

Understanding The Truth About DIY Websites

We see so many posts and pictures and blogs and so much more telling us that DIY anything is great. They say that we should all be trying to create our own books, games, pottery, whatever you want. But is DIY always good? Well, when it comes down to it, the answer is probably going to be no. If you want to create your own artwork that’s great, but if you’re looking to launch a successful business you need a website that’s going to help you and doing it yourself just doesn’t seem to cut it for most.

The Downside of DIY Websites

Have you ever tried to put together a website? It’s actually a complicated process. [check out: 4 Must Haves To Include On Your Homepage] Sure, there are services that help make it simpler, but they still use systems that definitely require some time to learn. It’s not all just point and click or click and drag. Rather, you’re going to have to spend some time learning how each feature works or even where each feature is located. On top of that, if you want to do any of the more advanced stuff you’re going to need a high level understanding of coding (see the next point).

It’s Not Always As Inexpensive As It Seems

If you’ve looked at different websites and systems that allow you to create your own website you’ve probably calculated the cost of the website domain and the yearly fee to keep your website running. You may even have added in the value of your time (aren’t you ahead of the game?). But did you account for the software that you might need to get things done? Imaging software, editing software, design software and a whole lot more can be really expensive and where a professional will already have these things, chances are you don’t. But you might need them.

It’s Far More Limiting Than You Think

You may think that you’re limited only by your imagination, but the truth is DIY websites are quite limiting. Yes website builders give you many templates to choose from with customization options; but not the full freedom to create exactly what you want. They have layout rules, limits and more. On the other hand, DIY websites software that let you do your own thing is limited by your understanding of coding. Therefore you are still NOT going have free rein unless you’re a coding master.

You’ve probably heard this saying before, right? Well, it’s definitely true when it comes to your website. When you’re paying only for the privilege of creating your own website you’re probably not paying much, right? It seems like a great idea. But then you start looking at the limitations and the time that you’re going to spend then it seems like less of a great idea. When you hire someone else to do it for you what you’re paying for is their expertise in a lot of things, including what your audience is looking for.

You Won’t Rank

Did you know that a lot of those websites you use to help you create your website actually invalidate Google rankings? That’s because of the way they’re designed and formatted. Instead of seeing all the content that you’ve created, Google actually sees only the JavaScript that the page uses to create the final rendering. That means you don’t get the credit for everything you’ve done and you won’t rank on the search engines. [check out: The Benefit of Being on the First Page of Google] That’s definitely going to hurt your chances when it comes to getting your business off the ground. Now, this doesn’t always happen, but enough that it’s something to be concerned about.

Where DIY Websites Excels

You Already Know Coding

If you already know coding then DIY websites might be the way to go for you. After all, you’re already on track for more of the customization and features. You already have a heads up on other DIYers, which is going to help you when it comes to your new website. You’ll be able to do some of the more advanced stuff that most people can’t and that means you’re going to have a better looking website than otherwise. Of course, coding takes a lot of time to learn so you must have spent the time and effort on this process (or you’re a pro yourself).

Cut Down the Costs

If you’re looking to save some money when you’re launching that new business then creating your own website is a good way to go. It allows you to save and put that money somewhere else, like a storefront or products or staff. This can be important for those who are trying to launch a brand new company on a very tight budget. There’s always a lot of different pieces involved and sometimes a website just isn’t one of the things you can splurge on. It means you’ll need to either up your coding game or you’ll have to sacrifice a little on style for a short while.

Okay, if we’re going to be perfectly honest it is possible that you could learn all the coding and some other information needed to create an effective website (or even an amazing one). If you have an good amount of time you could pick up books from your local bookstore or even from the library and study them. You could learn everything that a professional learns through books and courses. But it’s going to take you a whole lot of time (just like it took them). If you have the time then, by all means, go for it. If not … well, you might want to avoid this option.

Understanding the Basics of Hiring a Pro

When it comes to putting your business together you want to make sure you have someone who knows what they’re doing taking care of things. You may want to get a professional that can take whatever it is that you want and turn it into reality. [check out:Web Consultant vs. Web Developer] After all, when it comes to hiring the pros there are all kinds of benefits that you’ll see. (Though, if we’re being honest there are a couple things that you may want to watch out for when you hire a professional as well.)

The Pros of Hiring the Pros

The Sky’s the Limit

When you hire a pro that whole idea of being limited ‘only by your imagination’ is actually accurate. The pros know how to do all of those things that you may not really understand yourself. They have the coding expertise that it takes to create the most advanced design for your website. A real pro can put all of your ideas into action. Whether you want something super artistic and creative or extremely serious but bold, you’re going to have no problem getting the look you want when you decide to hire a pro. And that’s definitely going to be a benefit for you. You can have the website of your dreams.

When you have the skills of a pro at your disposal you’re able to actually compete with the big leagues. Think about it, those top companies aren’t sitting around creating their websites themselves (unless they have a website developer on staff). They’ve hired a professional to do it and the only way your website is going to compete with them is if you do the same. Do you think your website could ever be on par with one of those top dogs if you try to mash it all together on your own? Probably not, right? But a pro can get it done for you. And what do you think a potential client is going to think when they come across your website compared to a larger company? With a pro to do the job they most likely will not even notice that you’re not one of the top dogs. But if you do it yourself … that’s another story.

Get Your Visitors Interested

This plays off what we just talked about. You want to make sure that not only are potential customers getting to your website, but also that they are staying there. You want to make sure that they are going to turn into conversions and customers and that’s only going to happen if you know what they’re really looking for. The professionals know that because they’ve already done the research. They already have the training to make sure that your website appeals to your target audience. They know how to turn a simple web visit into a conversion. Most non-professional don’t even consider this when they are building their DIY websites.

Do you know all of the pages that should be included in your website the moment it goes live? A web designer does. If you try to create DIY websites you’re not going to have all their inside information. We already mentioned how that influences turning clicks into conversions, but it also relates to getting your clients the things that they expect in a broader sense, like an FAQ page (which can keep you from answering the same question over and over again), or information ‘About You’ (which makes the client feel more of a relationship toward you and what you do.

Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day … Or Was It?

There are some professionals that you can work with who will actually get your website from zero to sixty in just a single day (would you be able to you do that on your own with DIY websites?). Now, that’s going to take a lot of hard work and effort from you and from the designer that you choose, but if you’re both willing to put in the time of a whole lot of back and forth (and probably pay a bit more) you can actually get a website, at least the bare bones of the features, up and going in just a single day, and then keep building on more.

Make Things Automatic

If you have the right type of contract with a designer you can actually set it up so they upgrade or even update your website automatically. That means if a better way of doing something comes along they’ll activate the upgrade to make sure your website is operating at top levels. If your business has something new going on and you notify them they’ll make sure to let your clients know by putting it into the website. Of course, this is going to require you to have a certain type of contract, but it’s definitely going to be a bonus to having someone else in charge.

The Problem With Hiring a Pro

The Cost

Yep, the number one problem with hiring a pro is the cost involved. You have to pay for the services of someone who knows what they’re doing, after all. Depending on just who you hire, this could go from a five hundred dollars to five thousand dollars, though it generally includes the creation and upkeep of your website. Still, if you don’t have a lot of money in the budget it can be difficult to afford a professional to take care of everything for you.

Lack of Immediacy

If you work with a professional there’s always the chance that they can’t get to changes or updates on your website immediately. Of course, if you have a contract that specifies the work they’ll do and when then they’ll get it done. If you don’t, however, you’ll have to get in touch with them to make the changes that you need on your website. That means you could have a little time between when you want to make the change and when it actually gets made. Of course, your designer can set up a system where you have some level of control in the website and can update or add things. Note: this something that needs to be discussed with your designer prior to development.

Finding a Pro

There are professional website designers just about everywhere, right? You’ve probably seen websites or ads that advertise them. But finding one that’s going to get the job done for you can be a bit of a hassle. You generally have to balance out what you’re willing to spend with the level of quality that you want. It’s an important but delicate balance. Plus, you want to find someone who has experience, happy clients and a whole lot more. All of this is important to getting the website that you want and making sure that it’s always going to look (and perform) like you expect. It can take a bit of effort to find that person, but the result will be better than DIY websites.

If you create DIY websites the only relationship you need with the developer is one you have with yourself … pretty simple right? But when working with a professional you need to be able to keep that relationship strong and healthy throughout the process. A good relationship will mean options of special consideration and other perks. Even if you decide to move on, that good relationship should ensure an easy transition. On the other hand, if the relationship goes south, your efforts to transfer to another designer could become complicated.

Expressing Yourself Clearly

If you’re not the type of person that can express what they like and dislike or what they really want clearly then you may have a little trouble with hiring a professional. It can already be difficult get the designer to understand what exactly what you want. Not being able to clearly explain can make things a whole lot more tangled. That could mean the website doesn’t turn out the way you want or it could mean that it takes longer to get there.

Building Your Business From the Ground Up

You want to create a business that’s strong and that will someday take over the market, right? Okay, maybe you’re just looking for a website that will help you turn your little basement hobby into a real business and you’re not concerned about world domination (yet). But no matter what your ultimate plans are for your business you want to succeed and getting online is really the only way to do that in the 21^st century.

Your business deserves the chance to grow. It deserves the chance to get out there and to be known to the world. Without a website, however, without a quality website, it’s just not going to make it. So don’t be cheap with your business. Pay a little more now to make sure your business makes it and achieve what you want most for it. There are some that can find make it work with DIY websites but for those who are serious about success, a professional website is the best!