We live in an era where everybody believes they can do anything. And it’s not such a bad thing, because this often helps some people save a lot of money. With YouTube tutorials at hand, we can learn everything from how to do a fishtail braid to build our own house. Somewhere there, you can also discover hundreds of videos and tutorials about how to build your own website.
While some don’t think twice before hiring a professional web designer for their business’ website, others, who usually have a limited budget, prefer to do this themselves. But is this a good idea for their business?
Let’s check out the pros and cons that come from building your own website (without having proper training and experience in the field, of course):
1. Save money
This is basically the decision factor for many people. Building your own website is almost free, if you don’t count your time or the money you invest for buying the domain. So, we can understand your bold decision of becoming a web designer for a while.
2. Learn something new
Never let a day go by without learning something new! This kind of DIY mission will have plenty interesting things to teach you. Be prepared for tons of research and tests before actually going online. Building your own website implies learning a thing or two about HTML, CSS, Javascript, Photoshop, InDesign.
3. Enjoy flexibility
You know best how you would want your website to look like. By mastering the skills mentioned above, you will be able to bring your vision to life without having to try to explain your preferences to anybody. And you can make changes as many times as you want. For Free!
Now, let’s take a look at the cons that come with building your own website, which consequently become the pros for hiring a web designer:
It is time consuming
Designing your own website might save you money at the beginning, but it will cost you a fortune in time. Just think how much time you will spend doing research, watching tutorials and trying to put everything together. Wouldn’t you rather invest this time in your business and let professional web designers do what they know best? It will take them a lot less time to have your website up and running, and bringing customers to your business.
It may look unprofessional
Unless you’re an expert in website design, your customers will probably figure out that your website is “homemade”. Since your website is basically the online business card of your business and acts just like a shop window, it’s best to look flawless and, above all, professional. It will add credibility to your business.
It may not be unique
Since many business owners use free templates for their websites when they decide to venture themselves in the world of web design, chances are that your website will look just like the website of your competition. Always be unique and original if you want to be successful!
It may not work
Well, this is more of a certainty than a probability, but we wanted to be nice. Even the best web designers may encounter code problems and other obstacles in making a website run flawlessly. Imagine how hard this can be for a novice! And if there is one thing users hate most is broken links, pages and buttons.
What do you think? Is it worth loosing months of research and experimenting, and delaying launching your website online to save money?
by NJE Design