DIY vs. Hiring a Professional: What’s Best for Your Website?

For businesses looking to create a website, the options can be somewhat overwhelming. You probably understand that you need a website to be competitive, but how much time and resources do you need to invest in it? In other words, can you take the do-it-yourself (DIY) route, or is it better to hire a professional?

What is DIY Website Design?

“Do it Yourself” website design means that you handle every aspect of creating your business’s website on your own. If you don’t already have a domain, you’ll have to locate an appropriate one and register it. You will also have to set up your company’s email accounts and website security. 

When it comes to building a DIY website, there’s a lot involved, even with the more user-friendly platforms. First, you must choose the most appropriate platform to build your website. Then, you will need to create it using engaging copy, open-source or original images, simple navigation, and proper SEO techniques. Finally, you’ll want to thoroughly test the site to ensure everything works as it should.

What is Professional Website Design?

Professional website design involves hiring an experienced web design company to do everything for you. They’ll assess your wants and needs and create a customized solution designed to achieve the best possible results. 

A professional web designer will work with you to understand and shape your brand strategy and then transform it into a truly unique website design that connects with your ideal customers. They handle all the technical aspects of building your website from scratch, crafting engaging content, creating a robust SEO strategy, and testing and monitoring your site for optimum performance. 

DIY vs. Hiring a Professional — The Pros and Cons of Each

If you’re torn between building your own website and hiring a professional, here are the pros and cons of each. 

DIY Website Design — The Pros

• Save Money — The number one reason businesses choose this option is to save some cash. If your website is simple and you are on a tight budget, this might work. In the long run, however, you aren’t likely to save much because a basic site won’t rank well. 
• Learn a Lot — You’ll certainly learn something new if you decide to take the DIY route. Depending on the method you choose, you might learn some basic coding and how to manipulate graphics. 
• Set Your Pace — When you’re doing the designing and creating, you get to establish your timeline. As you begin to see progress or have a complete website, you can make any changes or edits as needed. 

DIY Website Design — The Cons

• Time-Consuming — Running a business requires a lot of work. If you don’t have significant spare time to invest in building a functional and engaging website, it’s time to consider whether that time would be better spent focusing on your business. 
• Unoriginal Design — Many DIY projects tend to look alike when you use free templates. If your site isn’t unique, it won’t perform the way you want. 
• Non-Functional Site — Website coding can be tricky, even with DIY platforms. If the code isn’t correct, your site either won’t function properly or communicate with the search engines.
• Unprofessional Aspects — Unfortunately, many DIY marketing projects come off looking unprofessional. If you aren’t well-versed in branding, color theory, or graphics, it’s easy to get this wrong. 

Professional Website Design — The Pros

• Expertise — Professional website designers have the knowledge and skills required to create a high-quality website that meets your specific goals and needs. 
• Professional Appearance — A professionally designed website can provide your business with the best first impression for potential customers to increase your overall results. 
• Improved Functionality — A professional website designer can build a site that is easy to navigate and use, which improves the overall user experience. 
• Ongoing Support — Most website designers offer ongoing support and maintenance to ensure you get the most value out of your investment. 

Professional Website Design — The Cons

• Cost — There’s no getting around the fact that it will cost more to build a professional website than a DIY one. However, your return on investment (ROI) is an important consideration. 
• Time Investment — Even when you hire a professional, you must still set aside time to provide input and feedback. Because the process is involved, it also requires some patience as your site goes through several development stages. 
• Loss of Control — If you don’t hire the right design professional, you may lose control over the design process. Continuous and open communication with your team is vital to a successful project. 

Why It Usually Makes Sense to Hire a Professional

While DIY web design might be a workable option for small businesses on a tight budget, hiring a professional web design company usually makes sense for most. This is because your website is often the first contact you have with potential new customers. It’s critical that you make the best impression possible and do everything you can to achieve high search engine rankings, make a connection with your visitors, and convert those site visitors to new clients. 

While you may be able to achieve some of that with a DIY site, there’s no way to beat the results you’ll get with a professionally designed and built website. You know your business can’t survive without customers, and customers can’t find you without a proper digital marketing strategy. 

Your website will be the foundation of all your future marketing efforts, so it’s important to get it right from the start. If you don’t, you’ll simply be re-visiting this exercise in a short period and spending resources that you could have dedicated to a professional site on the front end. 

Get the Results You Need With Professional Website Design

As you can see, it makes sense to invest in professional website design. At Too Darn Loud Digital Marketing, we are passionate about using our creative and technical design skills to drive growth for our clients. When you work with us, you get a customized solution design to produce the best possible results. 

We want your business to take advantage of all the available benefits of having a top-quality website. With more customers than ever using digital resources to research, find, and choose local businesses, a robust digital marketing strategy is the key to your business’s success. 

Call us today at (800) 649-1764 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation and website evaluation. We want to learn more about your needs and goals and will outline your options for creating an amazing website.