So it’s time to get a new or updated website. The first thing you ask yourself is whether you want to do it yourself or hire a professional to design the website for you. There are pros and cons to each, with your budget and design goals being the critical factors in your final decision.
When to Use DIY Website Builders:
There have been an increasing number of online, print, and television advertisements for free, do-it-yourself website builders: GoDaddy, Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, etc. These website builders all operate under the same framework: sign up for their services anytime you want, pick a template, and start organizing and entering content to your website. For small businesses or individuals working with an extremely low budget, a website builder would be an ideal option to save money right from the get-go. There are a set amount of templates you can choose from, and at least you have a website for your clients to go to.
But is there a catch? There usually always is. In this case, if you choose to go with DIY website builders, you’re stuck with a limited number of templates (some are quite pretty though), so the chances of someone else’s website having the same look and feel increases significantly as more and more people sign up for these website builders. There is a similar issue with customization…there are only so many things you can customize on the page, and if you have a specific design or feel in mind, it’s hard to satisfy that design goal in your head. On top of this, the DIY website builders usually include advertisements on your websites (for their benefit, not yours) unless you pay for a premium package billed on a monthly or annual basis.
We then move on to the most important issue: support. Although each website builder has ongoing maintenance for their templates, they still won’t provide the support and guidance a professional website designer would. In addition, you would have to build your website on your own time. At this point, you should be asking yourself…”Should I be creating a website that doesn’t meet my standards or what I want? Is it worth my time and trouble?”
So when would you use DIY website builder? Usually when you have a very low budget and don’t mind having a generic website with a limited number of customizable features.
When to Hire a Professional Web Designer:
If you’re looking for a website that is customized to your needs, it is without a doubt more beneficial to hire a professional web designer. Why? Because web professionals know how to reach your target audience and design a unique website that suits your personality and your brand. In the world of marketing, your website is one of your strongest tools to promote your business and maintaining a strong online presence is an important part of the ever-evolving digital world. With our continuing dependence on technology and mobile devices, having a powerful, elegantly-designed website is an integral part of maintaining your company profile and image. This level of customization cannot be achieved by a DIY website builder.
Most website builders have their own interface where you can manage and edit your content. Professional web designers can choose from a variety of content management systems (such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, etc) and build your website from scratch or work off a template. The more time and effort spent into the design and implementation of the new website design, the more costly the design project. The end product will still allow you to manage content yourself, but the functionalities and features of a professionally-designed website are far superior to those of the website builders.
With a professional web designer, you not only get a website that’s built to represent your unique brand and business, but also the satisfaction of getting search engine optimization and security implemented into your website. Web professionals also provide continuing support and guidance throughout the design process and sometimes even after.
The best part is that once that website is made…it’s yours! Since the design is unique, you can use that theme as a basis for any future website redesign projects or graphics work. Yes, a professional web designer does require a financial investment, but it will be well worth it due to the stronger online presence you and/or your company will gain.
So when should you consider hiring a web professional for your next website design project? If you have specific requirements and features for a website and want a unique site that symbolizes your personality and brand. Websites can range from thousands to tens of thousands depending on the designer, the level of customization, and the complexity of features required. However, if you do have a budget to work with, definitely contact a web professional first. Several at that. Explore the competition and see which designer will give you the most bang for your buck. There’s no substitute for the personal attention that a professional web designer can give you.
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