Why can’t I create a business website myself?
As a business owner, you’ve probably asked yourself this before— and it’s a good question. Some business owners enjoy the challenge of designing their website themselves, but most are happy to let a professional handle the task.
While there are risks attached. A person who has and takes the time to do their research can create a business website. There are DIY tutorials and webinars that you can watch that walk people through it.
The Advantages to creating your business website yourself
Let’s start with the advantages of taking on the web design project yourself. Nothing gets lost in translation… It can be difficult for some people to convey the picture and concept that they have in their heads.
If you know what you want and how to create it then you can get exactly what you want. Instead of what you’re given. This can be a big selling point for those that are more website design savvy.
Budget concerns weigh in on the decision to create a business website yourself. Instead of paying for a website designer. You’re able to keep the cost and expenses in-house and put it towards other aspects of the business like marketing.
If your business is not relying on your website for sales it can be an incentive to put together a basic website that is more informational. Informational websites are strictly there to show an online presence and answer frequently asked questions.
This can be accomplished with a templated site or CMS platform that cuts down on the need to do anything more than customize it to your branding. It will be more a matter of which content management system you select and their template options. You can find out more about content management systems by clicking here.
The Disadvantage to attempting to create a business website yourself
A website is representing your business 24/7. Speaking on your behalf with potential leads, customers, and competitors. People you may never get a chance to speak with yourself.
The money that you bypass investing. Can end up being a fraction of what it costs you with the first impression that you make with a poorly crafted and designed website. In addition to marketing expenses in rebranding and trying to change perceptions after the first impression.
Here are some statistics to keep in mind when trying to weigh the options.
- 57% of internet users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website on mobile (SocPub)
- 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive (Adobe)
- 94% of first impressions relate to your sites web design (webfx)
- 75% of website credibility comes from design (Stanford)
- 89% of consumers shop with a competitor after a poor user experience (webfx)
- 66% of people prefer to look at a beautifully designed website if given 15 minutes to consume content (webfx)
- 94% of people say web design is the reason they mistrust a website.
Here’s why. Your website is an extension of your business. It’s the first impression your customers will see, and it’s the first place they’ll turn to when they want to learn more about you or your products and services. So it’s no surprise that you care deeply about how it looks and how it performs. If you decide to build a website yourself, you’re faced with the challenge of making decisions you aren’t necessarily qualified to make.
Website design is a lot of things, but it’s not just a matter of knowing how to use a few tools. You’re responsible for making decisions about the appearance of your site, how it will be laid out, how it will perform, how it will be updated, and so on.
If you don’t know how to make these decisions, you’re bound to make some mistakes. And these mistakes will cost you money. For example, you might choose a theme for your website that is pretty but doesn’t function well on mobile devices.
You might use a platform that’s too expensive or too difficult to use. Or you might decide to host your site in a way that doesn’t support your business goals.
If you are creating a website that collects personal information. Are you prepared to address the privacy issues and concerns? If asked to remove their stored information are you able to maintain being GDPR compliant?
Do you know how to protect your customer’s personal information like contact and credit cards? If not that is a potential lawsuit waiting to happen. Hackers are always looking for someone that leaves a back door open. One that they can access to not only hold you buy your customers hostage.
This isn’t a scare tactic. These are things that occur when you don’t take the proper precautions.
Conclusion to why can’t I create a business website myself
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post about Why can’t I create a website myself? How long does it take to complete a website design? As you can see, creating a website can be a very complex and time-consuming process.
While many people think they can design their own, in most cases you would be much better served by working with a professional design team that can help you make the most of your website and keep it up to date with new content to ensure that it is relevant to your target market and continues to drive new customers to your site.
Your website is your best salesperson. Skimping and cutting corners can cost you on the user experience, business expenses, as well as overall brand reputation.
The question to ask is if it is worth the risk? Do you have the know-how to provide the same quality user experience for your customers a professional would by creating it for you?
