So, you've finally decided to shift the focus of your marketing efforts towards the internet and create a relevant web presence for your business. The next step would be to develop a web design that accurately reflects your brand identity and can effectively promote your products or services.
But then you face a dilemma - should you take on the task of designing your business website or hire a professional web designer?
There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. You'll come up with the best investment decision once you properly gauge the available options.
The most obvious advantage of designing your website on your own is the money you'll save. Professional web design services can be quite costly, especially for small businesses operating on a tight budget. If you have a basic understanding of web design principles, you can create a decent website on your own.
Many free and paid templates are available online that can be easily customised to fit your specific needs. All you need is a good content management system (CMS) and some time to learn how to use it.
Moreover, if you design the website yourself, you'll have complete control over the process and can make sure that the end product reflects your vision for the business. You can also make changes and update the content as frequently as needed without incurring additional costs
The downside of DIY web design is that it takes a lot of time and effort to create a professional-looking website - time and effort that could be better spent on other aspects of running your business. You also run the risk of making mistakes that could cost you more in the long run if you're not familiar with web design principles
And unless you're already proficient in coding, you'll likely need to learn some basics to be able to create a functional website. This can take even more time out of your schedule.
Some web design elements can't be learned or mastered in a heartbeat, i.e., typography, layout, and colour schemes. This is where professional web designers have the upper hand.
The most obvious advantage of hiring a web designer is that you'll end up with a high-quality website. Professional designers come equipped with the experience and expertise to create a well-designed website that's both aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly.
They likewise have access to the latest tools and technologies, which means they can create a website that's good-looking and responsive and optimised for search engines. If you're hoping for your website to rank high on Google, you'll need to make sure it's designed using the latest web standards.
Another perk of working with a professional is that you won't have to learn how to design and code your website. You'll focus on running your business while the web designer takes care of everything else
And if you ever need to make changes or update your website, all you need to do is get in touch with your web designer, and they'll take care of it for you.
Of course, there are also some disadvantages to hiring a professional web designer. The most obvious one is the cost - professional services can be quite expensive, especially for small businesses
You'll also need to invest some time communicating your vision for the website and working with the designer to ensure they understand your needs.
But if you want a high-quality website that reflects your brand and helps you achieve your business goals, hiring a professional web designer is the way to go.
Another factor in deciding whether to do it yourself or hire a pro is the content you'll need for your website. If you already have all the content ready to go, then designing the website around that content will be much easier than starting from scratch.
But if you don't have any content or only have a few pieces, you will need to factor in the time it will take to create that content. If you decide to write it yourself, that will take even more time out of your schedule.
And if you're not a strong writer, it might be worth hiring a professional copywriter to create the content. This will ensure that your website has high-quality content optimised for both users and search engines.
Adelaide Web Design Could Fail If Done Wrong
Building a website yourself is not easy. It requires time, effort and a lot of patience. If you're not careful, you could end up with a website that looks amateurish and isn't optimised for search engines.
For the most part, those who've tried doing it themselves felt it was a doable challenge initially. However, as the project progressed, they ran into problems that could've been easily avoided if they'd just hired a professional from the start.
Some of the most common mistakes include:
The Bottom Line
Be that as it may, hiring a professional for web design still depends on your needs and preferences. If you have the time, patience and skill to do it yourself, go for it.
But if you want a high-quality website optimised for search engines and converts visitors into customers, then hiring a professional makes the most sense.