So you’ve decided to create a website for your business, great! But now you’re trying to decide if you should create that website yourself or if you should get professional help.
Whichever way you choose, you should have good reasons for your selection. Before deciding what you’ll go with, you’ll want to weigh the pros and cons. And that’s exactly what we’ll help you do!
In this post, we’ll go over everything you need to consider and assist you to arrive at a decision that will benefit your business in the long run.
This article will help you decide which method best suits you and the website you want to build. This will include reviewing all the pros and cons of both methods, with that said let’s get into it.
Create a website: Attempt To Do It Yourself (DIY)
Building a DIY website is super easy if you have a basic understanding of website technology. It gets a little complicated if you have no experience whatsoever with it. It gets a little complicated but that doesn’t make it impossible. Website builder software like WordPress, Squarespace, and WIX make the job much easier.
There are a few main topics to look at when it comes to building a DIY website, and these are:
- Budget
- Time
- Complexity
- Security
- Design
Budget
Building a DIY website is the most cost-effective way to build a website. This is because you spend way less money than you’d spend if you hired a professional to do it for you. The only costs you pay for when building a DIY website are Web hosting ($36 to $120 per year) and the Domain name ($10 to $15 per year).
DIY websites are perfect for getting you up and running without having to spend a lot of money.
Time
Building a DIY website is more time consuming than people put it out to be. Most tutorial videos that teach web building make it seem like it only takes a day or less to create a website. Building a proper working website within a day is possible, if you have a basic understanding of web tech.
Using web builder software will take you a lot of time and effort If you’re a beginner with no experience. That’s not good if you have a busy schedule and other things to do. But if you don’t have a busy schedule then take as much time as you need to learn and create a good website.
You’ll also need to spend enough time learning the basics of how to use web builder software. How to get hosting and a domain name, and which companies offer the best of everything.
Complexity
The number of customizations and pages your website has will determine its complexity. The more the customization and pages, the higher it’s complexity and difficulty to create.
If you’re looking to create a DIY website with a lot of customizations and pages you’ll need to learn HTML or CSS coding. This is because web builder platforms only have so many tools they can offer. Learning how to code will put you in a better suited position to build a complex website. i.e if you learn how to code you’ll be able to write your own code and use it to create plugins. You can then use those plugins to give your website all the customizations you want.
You won’t need to learn how to code if you want to create a simple website like an e-commerce or a landing page. So all the tools you will need like plugins, will all be in the web builder software you use.
Security
Security is very important when creating a DIY website. You want to make sure all your information and progress is safe from attacks from hackers or bugs.
You won’t have to worry about security when building a DIY website on a closed source web builder platform. Closed source software protects you from attacks without you having to do a single thing. An example of a closed source web builder platform is Squarespace.
Unlike closed source softwares. You’re vulnerable to attacks on open source software if you don’t have your own security. You need to install security plugins and update them regularly to keep your website protected.
Design
Design refers to the theme of your website. All web builder platforms have a default theme you start with. You’ll need to change that default theme and pick one that best suits your website and style. WordPress has many free themes you can browse through and pick from, but it also has premium themes you can pay for.
You’d want to consider spending a few bucks on a quality theme to add a unique look to your website. Make sure to preview the theme before you buy it. This will help you know if it suits all mobile, tablet and laptop devices, but most importantly, your style!
Hire A Professional
Hiring a professional to create a website for you is often the best choice to make if you have a business. This is because your website is a major marketing tool and you need it to be it’s best from the very beginning. A professional can use their experience to keep your website attractive and competitive. [ LINK ]
There are a few main topics to look at when it comes to Hiring a professional to build a website for you, and these are:
- Budget
- Time
- Complexity
- Security
- Design
Budget
Having your website built by a professional isn’t as cost-effective as doing it yourself (DIY). The increased likelihood of success it offers outweighs the initial cost. The costs you incur depend on what type of website you want to have built for you. i.e. A custom landing page can cost anywhere from $75 to $3,000, or more.
A good mobile-friendly website that has all the features a small business requires, will cost anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 or more. If your website requires complex functions and features the price could start at $7,500 or more.
Your website development will determine if you’ll need monthly maintenance. Basic maintenance packages start around $50 or more per month. This will all depend on what kind of website you have made for you.
Quality websites aren’t cheap but that’s for a reason, they look amazing once finished. It’s the best investment you could ever make when choosing to create a website.
Time
Hiring a professional to build a website for you is perfect if you’re a busy person. If you have no time to spare building a DIY website, this method is perfect for you.
Professionals understand web technology which makes creating websites for them an easy task. You save a lot of time and don’t get stressed out building a DIY website. They give you an effective and efficient website in no time as a bonus.
Complexity
When you hire a professional to create your website for you, they will create a custom website that suits your style and meets your every need to achieve your goals. Having your own custom website reflects your brand in the most attractive way possible.
Professionals also know how to code, this gives your websites a big benefit. They can write a bunch of code that they can use to improve your website and it’s design.
You’ll have an expert with years of experience, creative ideas, and an understanding of web technology. They’ll take you through their tried and proven processes to create a unique site for you. Technically, they handle all the designs and tech while you focus on your business.
Security
A website is never complete. It needs constant updating and maintenance to stay relevant. Pros update code and take other necessary measures to ensure that your website is secure.
WordPress is an open source web builder platform and is globally used by thousands of people. This makes it a target for hackers because there are a thousand websites made on it. Professionals can write code and create custom plugins that protect your website. These plugins may even be better than any ordinary free plugins that WordPress has to offer.
Design
A pro will create a well-thought out and planned digital strategy. The information you provide about what type of website you want will determine how it looks. Having a good looking website gives you a foundation for long term success.
A Pro will keep your business goals in mind and will design the perfect website for your target audience. They may even set up search engine optimization for you. This will increase your search results ranking and also have the potential to attract more people to join your audience.
If lead generation is important to you, then you’ll be interested in conversion focused web design, something an expert can deliver.
PROS & CONS: Attempt To Do It Yourself (DIY) vs. Hire A Professional
Knowing the pros and cons of both these methods will help you decide which method best suits you and the type of website you want to build.
Attempt To Do It Yourself (DIY)
PROS:
- Creating a DIY website is cost-effective. If you’re not a busy person with a busy schedule and have more time than money then this method is the best for you.
- With little to no knowledge about web technology, you can still create a website. You can use web builder platforms to create a simple and decent looking website within a week or less.
- You can make changes to your website any time you want after you launch it.
CONS:
- Visitors will have a bad first time experience if your website isn’t good. This can affect your website in the long run. Those people who have a bad first time experience with your site won’t go on it again. They might even encourage others not to do the same.
- It’s incredibly time consuming. You can spend about 3-6 hours or more learning how to get something done on your website. What you’re learning how to do would take a professional about 5-10 minutes to get done.
- You might get overwhelmed with everything you have to get done with your website. You may end up procrastinating, days will turn into weeks, weeks into months and so on.. – At that rate you might not finish your website or worse, not get started at all.
Hire A Professional
PROS:
- Time preserving. There’s no need to spend days, weeks or even months learning web tech required to build and operate a website.
- You’ll get a modern, professional website you’re proud of. One that accurately represents your company and brand.
- Visitors will have a great first experience. This may encourage them to tell others about your website.
- Professionals can help you maintain your website once it’s launched.
- They can recommend ideas to you. Ideas that help your website grow and ideas that can help you dodge pitfalls.
CONS:
- Hiring a Professional to build a website for you will cost more money than attempting to do it yourself (DIY).
- If you don’t understand web language, you’ll be dependent on them even after the website launches.
- Not everyone who claims to be a professional web developer is a pro. You might hire someone who makes you a good-looking website, but doesn’t make it easy for visitors to navigate. Isn’t optimized for searches and isn’t aligned with your brand.
CONCLUSION
With this information, you’ll be able to choose which method best suits you and the type of website you want to build.
