Cheap. Easy. Instant. If building your own website seems too good to be true, that’s because it probably is. There are hundreds of website builders out there, and it can be tempting to view creating your own site as a quick-fix solution to getting online, but the reality of a self-build website is often far from ideal.
1. Cost
Whilst many templated website builders may advertise low-cost services, the fact is that this is rarely the case, not to mention that the time involved in maintaining your site all comes at an indirect cost to your business. A ‘free’ website may actually mean you start out on a free trial before becoming subject to steep monthly charges, or you’ll probably encounter hidden costs further down the line.
2. Appearance
In order for potential customers to see you as trustworthy, it’s important that your site looks professional and reflects your companies' values. Self-build sites often look amateurly designed, are difficult to navigate, and appear identical to the other thousands, if not millions, of websites online that are using the same generic template.
3. Performance
Self-build websites often contain serious design flaws that will end up hindering you in the long run. Simply put, they just don’t work. Likely to have very little Search Engine Optimisation, your site will basically leave your business virtually invisible to potential customers. Also, websites with shared hosting – which is the norm for DIY sites – are typically plagued by slow page loading times, causing potential customers to leave your website and making you lose money.
4. Support
Website support will not normally be included, meaning that when you inevitably experience a problem and need help, it’s going to cost you, whether that be with time or money. As well as this, the most common scenario you can expect to encounter when you come to seek help is being put through to a call centre.
5. Time
Whilst the thought of getting your site built in less than 24 hours has its appeal, the truth is a quality website takes time to create. It’s normally the first-place people go to learn about your business, and if it doesn’t look good or function how it should, it’s rendered useless. Creating an effective website is hard work and instead of exerting all your energy into building a website, your time is much better spent doing what you do best – running your business.
6. Experience
Building a successful website requires a wide range of skills, and realistically it’s impossible for you to become an expert at everything that’s involved. That’s why when it comes to your website – it pays to go to the professionals. Providing experience and insight, a web design company can offer you a professional design, expert guidance, face-to-face support, full control of your content, and above all else, a high-quality website that generates enough traffic, and ultimately income, to effectively pay for itself and more.
Contact us today and let us help your business to thrive online.