Why Do-It-Yourself Websites Aren’t The Best Idea

As a small business owner looking to create a presence on the web through a website and/or social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), it may be a tempting to try to do it yourself. After all, companies like Intuit boast the ability for small business owners to create their own website in virtually “no time.” Just pick your images and add your own text, right? How hard can that be?

If the adage “time is money” is right (and I have no reason to think it’s not), going about creating your own website without using a website design professional is not the best idea. Here’s why:

1. The project will quickly get relegated “to the back burner.” As a small business owner, your concentration has always been on running your business. Finding time to build a website will be hard to come by. Assigning this task on an outside party will give it the attention it deserves. The sooner your website is up and running, the more exposure you will ultimately have.
2. Not everyone knows how to design. Much in the same way you wouldn’t build a porch if you know nothing about construction, being able to design using proper scale, proportion, color, contrast, and source code is not an ability we are all inherently blessed with. A website you create yourself could look very “amateurish.”
3. Your website will not be unique. Online website design service like Inuit and Vistaprint are based on pre-designed templates. This feature is often touted as a benefit, but can make your website look ordinary and “cookie-cutter.”
4. Website designers have other graphic design talents (or at least have relationships with other graphic designers) that can make your website part of a larger marketing strategy – matching business cards, letterhead, and other materials with your website.
5. Customization. Good luck trying to create specialized animations, contact forms, and media integration (sound and video) on your own.
6. Search Engine Optimization. If you don’t know what this is, it is best to hire a website designer.

Website designers keep their fingers on the pulse of what is new and exciting in design technology. You will get a better product and ultimately better exposure by hiring an experience website designer instead of trying to do it all yourself.