With all the DIY website programs out there, it’s easy to think building a website isn’t hard.
Just choose a template, drag and drop some images, write a little content, and voila… a website is born. And, actually that’s true. With tools like Weebly, Wix, and WordPress, etc., it really isn’t hard.
Problem is, there’s a big problem with that choice. Building your own website, or getting someone to do it who isn’t a professional, is similar to going through the drive-thru vs. eating a home-cooked, healthy meal. There just is no comparison. Going through the drive-thru is quick when you’re short on time, but it’s benefits are very few and far between. Absolutely no long-term value, only short term “feel good” (and that’s to be argued). Same goes with a quick solution for a website.
Below are a few of the reasons why building your own site really just isn’t the best solution.
Reason #1: The creation of a quality website is art.
I’m guessing if you were going to get married, you wouldn’t have Uncle Joe do the photography if Uncle Joe doesn’t have experience. It’s too important of an event to leave it in the hands of an amateur. Same is true for your website. Professionalism is worth a thousand words. Your website is far too important to the success of your business to not invest in a professional.
Reason #2: Technical support and security.
What happens if your site shuts down? When you have dead links? Who do you call? And, did you know your website can give your customer a virus? Hackers love to insert viruses which could affect anyone who checks out your website. It just doesn’t make sense for you to spend your time learning and trying to fix the problem. You have much better things to do as a CEO.
Reason #3: Your time in the long run.
Usually the main reason people decide to create their own site is because of the low cost. Sure, you might be able to use a template and create your site, but you’d (more than likely) be lacking the creative skills necessary in design, copywriting, programming, and image/video selection to develop a site that is geared toward your target audience. It’s just not in everyone’s skill set. The majority of the time, people will create their own site, then be unsatisfied with it and end up hiring a professional designer. Save the time and money up front by just doing it right the first time.
Reason #4: Getting found.
The whole purpose of a website is so that when someone looks for the type of service you offer, you can be found right at the top of the list. There is way more that goes into “being found” than anyone who isn’t a professional web developer realizes. You have to make sure that the search engines can find you and when they do find you that they like what they see. There is a complicated science for getting ranked high on Google. If you’re not going to rank high on Google, what’s the purpose of having a website?
Reason #5: You’ll lose valuable business credibility.
In this day and age, a website is one of the first and foremost impressions you can make on a potential client. If you don’t think an unprofessional website is hurting you, you’d do well to think again. You get 5 seconds to make a good impression. Read that again and count to 5. That’s it. That’s all you get. Miss the mark in those 5 seconds and you’ve just been passed over for the competition down the street.
Reason #6: Technology is always changing.
What worked last year, most likely is already out of date. We see this with the 10 year social media evolution of MySpace to Facebook to Snapchat. What once was only understood and used by the tech savvy college kids, is now mainstreamed to 65 year olds. How quickly what was once “the thing” is fading away. Now, if you ask the majority of kids and young adults, Facebook just “isn’t cool” anymore.
Reason #7: Peace of mind.
When you do something that you don’t have experience doing, you never know if it is done correctly. That’s not a good feeling. When it comes to your website, you can’t afford this uncertainty. Hiring a professional affords you the ability to trust them to guide the process. How much is your peace of mind worth?
Like McDonald’s says, “You deserve a break today.” But I think you’d agree the kind of break you need is probably not a quarter pounder and fries. Quicker definitely doesn’t mean better. Consider making the right choice as an investment into your future.
You want to stand out from your competition? Find a professional to build your website. We have talked with far too many people who have built their own site, only to have them ask us to tear that down and build them one that actually works for them.
Just because you can build your own website, doesn’t mean you should.
If this is something you need help with, we’d love to have an exploratory call with you. No pressure, just listening and guidance. Click here to schedule.