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The Pros & Cons of Building a DIY Website

There’s one question that’s been around since the first website builder was created. Should you build your own website or hire a professional to do it for you?

This question has been asked time and time again by SMBs across the world. Every business needs a website, but knowing whether you should build it yourself or hire someone to do it for you is a whole other matter entirely.

The truth is that there’s no one right answer, and whether or not building your own website is right for you will depend on a long list of factors. Today, I hope to clear up the issue for you just a little bit.

Should you build your own website or not?

Pro: You’ll save more money

The number one reason small businesses choose to build their own websites is to save money. The truth is that most small businesses don’t have an endless budget for a website, and while building a great website is incredibly important, it’s not more important than paying your employees or covering your bills.

Let’s face it, hiring a professional to build a website can potentially be very expensive. There are websites out there that cost millions of dollars to build, and the more custom the website, the bigger the bill. Building your own website is almost always cheaper than paying a professional to do it for you.

That being said, there are a lot of design options out there that are actually affordable. And, part of what makes the Websites 360® website builder so unique is that we offer our design services a la cart, which allows you to get help with what you need at a much more affordable rate.

Con: It takes time

To use the word “busy” to describe most small business owners is akin to using the word “warm” to describe the surface temperature of the sun. It just doesn’t do the situation justice. Most business owners have a million things going on every single day, and taking time out of their schedule to build a website may not be high on the priority list.

Don’t get me wrong, with the right website builder, building your own website doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment. But, your website is important, and the last thing you want is to rush through it because there are other things on your to-do list. If you do rush through it, the result will be obvious.

If time is the most important thing to you, the very best way to save it is to hire someone else to build your website for you. This way, you can spend your time running your business, as well as having a life outside of that business, and your website will still look great in the end.

Pro: You’ll have all of the creative control

You may have no clue what kind of website you want to build for your business. Or, you may have a very clear image of what your website should look like. But, even if you do, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to put that image into words.

There’s an undeniable communication barrier that exists between many website designers and their clients. For starters, a lot of people don’t have a clear idea of what they’re looking for in the first place, and many times, the ones who do don’t know how to communicate their needs. Of course, a good designer will know how to ask the right questions to determine what you’re looking for, but at the end of the day, you’re still relying on their creativity to design your website.

Creativity is an incredibly personal thing, and your idea of what looks great may not be a designer’s. Like I said, the best designers know how to turn your ideas into results, but in terms of creative control, a DIY website is your best option.

Con: You may be lacking in design skills or knowledge

Website templates are a great place to start designing your website. Picking the right design template (on the right website builder) gives you a quick and easy way to get a beautiful website that looks professional and works effectively. But, most businesses don’t want to settle for leaving the design template they choose as is, and in order to get the most out of a template, you’ll need a little know-how.

The best website builders make it easy to customize the template you choose and make it what you want it to be. However, if you’re brand new to building a website and aren’t familiar with what’s effective and what’s not in terms of website design, you may need a little help making it what you want it to be.

On the other hand, when you work with the right designer, the sky’s the limit in terms of what they can do for you and how they design your website. They’ll have the know-how to get the job done right, and they’ll also be able to tell you what’s effective and what’s not when it comes to conversions, site speed, and organic rankings.

Get the best of both worlds with Websites 360®

There are pros and cons to building your own website, and there are also pros and cons to hiring a web designer, but what if you didn’t have to settle for either one? With Websites 360®, you can start building a website using one of our beautiful design templates, and you can also get the professional help you need when you need it.

Our website templates are everything you need in a great business website. They’re designed to load quickly, rank organically in the search results, and maintain full functionality and visual appeal on any device they’re viewed on. And, with our talented team of designers on your side, you can make our templates anything you want them to be.

Are you ready to start building your own website with Websites 360? Start by picking your template today?

Originally published on 3/13/20