In this blog I am going to briefly explain the pros and cons for both DIY websites Vs using professional web developers.
You have probably heard of website builders like Wix & Squarespace, which are used by hundreds of millions of users for a variety of reasons. Many use these online tools to write blogs, advertise their business or to sell online, but are these really the way forward?
Below are 3 key things you should consider when getting a new website built.
Design
If you decide to use an online web builder, you will immediately find yourself crowbarring your content into a restrictive template. You are generally
very limited with how you can make your website look and you are using pre-designed sections to build your website.
When you use a Web Design & Development agency you will have a custom
website design that is created based on your own spec. The designer will learn who you are targeting and will build a website that
entices users to read more about you and look into your product/service. You can work with the designer to ensure that the design is perfect
for you and exactly what you envisaged at the start of a project.
Development
To any normal user, a DIY website builder appears not to have any development/coding, however, this is not the case. Although you can't visibly see the code, it is always there. Every change you make to the site will trigger a response for the system to produce
code for a web browser to show the change on the website. We have seen numerous examples where business websites have ended up with 3,000+ lines of code when
300 lines would have been ample.
This slows down your website load speed drastically. Google sees this and will move you down the results page, as this is an obvious negative experience for your customer.
Many DIY website builders will use plugins that are developed by the generic developer community, which can leave your business vulnerable to attack, if these are unsecurely built. This is obviously another negative, as data could be exposed or your website could be changed/disabled within minutes.
Performance
The marketing and performance of your website will
be compromised if you opt for a DIY website. As mentioned above, loading speed is key which will negatively impact your adverts and optimisation - all huge cons when it comes to online website builders. Rarely will a DIY site will ever achieve acceptable
levels.
Most DIY software will include the software's own branding unless you pay a monthly fee. This can be negative for you as it's another monthly cost you will
need to pay or you will also lose precious screen space to their branding rather than your own. However, you do need your website to look professional...
Optimising your website is important and much more can be achieved when the website is professionally developed from scratch rather than using a generic template.
In summary, a DIY website is a good option for those who want to build their online presence initially and show people their new business. However, as your business grows you will see the need to have a custom website built to give your website its own personality and to enable you to properly market your business to get maximum customers onto your website.
Our in-house marketing team will ensure your website appears higher in Google search results which is the first step to getting the right people buying your product/service.
To update your website or if you have a new project in mind, we'd love to work with you. Please get in touch to see how we can help your business.
