Why You Should Not Build Your Own Website and When You Should?

Nowadays, website builders have been overgrowing; making lots of beginners give it a shot and start their own websites with bare hands.
And when you think of it, with all these easy to use tools; why would you bother to hire a web designer or a web developer?

Should I build my own website or pay someone to do it?

The answer to this question can be split into two parts:

• The stage your business is at.
• The reasons for hiring a professional.

Yes, there are times when you won't need a web designer or a web developer; and others when you MUST have one.

Let's begin the story…

1. You have good content, service or product.
2. You need to market yourself through the internet.
3. You decided to create a website where people can find you and know about your business.
4. You search the web and find lots and lots of people talking about “how easy you can create a website with website builders for free!”.
5. You decided to start your own website and build it yourself.

Please stop here and listen to our little advice!

It's easy to build "A" website using website builders. But "A" website is Not suitable for all cases.

At which stage is your business?

Your options depend on your business stage. While your business expands, your needs grow. At some point, your website design isn't the millstone of your business, but sometimes it can break your business down.

Ask yourself, am I okay now with a Good Enough website?

A “good enough” website can be okay in some cases, such as:

• You are just a startup.
• You are not sure about your business yet.
• Your income isn’t enough to afford to pay a professional.
• You need more time to analyze customers’ needs, study your competitors and promote your products.

In short, if you are a newbie in the business world, It's okay to start with a simple handmade website that will give you the initial push. However, would you be satisfied with a good enough website in the future?

You have three combinations of Money & Time. You may have: 

Time but tight Budget

We suggest you spend time learning WordPress and give it a shot, and you can always ask for professional help when you need.

• WordPress is expandable. You can start with a simple template and customize it later.
• You own your data. 
• You pay according to your budget and needs. 

A good Budget but No time

We recommend you hire someone. Don't choose to create a Fast Free website with NO Future. If you can pay, take the right way (that’s a good rhythm).  

Both of them

You are free to choose. You may take some time learning, and have a part-time/freelancer expert, who would help you with details that need experience. S/He will be there for critical issues and s/he can upgrade your website when the time comes.

Why would you need a professional in the future?

You will do great, and your business will stand out (we wish you do). Then that's the right time to reconsider your old DIY website. We don’t know if it will be too late then, but you may consider these points from now:

You all look the same

“You all look the same to me!”

That’s not about Archive's 3rd Album; It’s the inner voice of the customer you hear now. When you use one of the templates that everybody else uses, you become JUST THE SAME. Your website visitors won’t find your business Persona.

That's the problem of Customization on DIY websites. While your business is growing, you will need to look unique and professional. You want to stand out and tell the world I'm here.

You will need a standout design rather than your old simple website design. A look which is YOURS, not to mention that DIY Websites will give you a pain in the neck if you decided to go for customization and you will still be limited.

You are limited

Nothing is free in the business world. The options given to you at little to no cost are, of course, a hidden cost. When you need to add more features to your websites such as plug-ins, analytics, e-commerce or anything that would make you money, you got to pay.

The problem here is that sometimes you may pay more than you would do for an original website; especially in the long run. Moreover, you are stuck with them, why? Check the next point.

You are stuck

DIY websites make it pretty difficult for you to transfer your website elsewhere or even delete your website.

“Your data is hosted on our servers and can not be transferred elsewhere. It is not possible to export or embed files, pages or sites to another external destination or host.”

from one of these websites’ help center!

Why and how? Well, each user of software tools has run into this sentence: "I accept the terms.” Most of them (if not all) accepted what they didn't read.

Remember Uncle Ben's quote?  

It’s not only about the design

If you don’t want your website to be just a pretty face, you should be aware of the backend issues, SEO and other technical issues. If not, you will need an expert to help, or your site will be a cool design with no traffic. 

Your website is Not Safe

Once you add more features to your website, you will be prey to crashes and hackers. In short, you're in danger. You will need help with maintenance and security. Things behind the scenes can't quickly be discovered by non-professional.

Again remember Uncle Ben’s quote.

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As time passes, you are attracting more and more traffic, and you find out that this irritating thing is facing your visitors. These free website builders put hundreds of websites on the same server. That makes your website slow and gives your customers hell.

You are the product

Even if you don’t want to expand and you are okay with your simple website. You should know that you are being used as an advertisement tool for their product. 

"This site was created using website_builder_name. Create your own for free."

This type of advertisements is common!

Wrap up

Sooner or later, you'll have to pay. Deciding when and to whom will you pay are the critical points.

When

If you are a startup with a tight budget and still uncertain that your business will shine, postpone hiring a web designer and save your money until you are on solid footing.

To Whom 

• To an expert?
  You will have peace of mind and save your time.
• To free websites?
  You may have troubles when your business expands.
• Neither of them?
  You will need time, continuous monitoring and a real learning process. 

At some point, you will need to set free from the free website builder.

Finally,

This article is not against building your own website nor with it. Whether it is with DIY website builders, WordPress, or a professional; It all depends on your needs and resources.

Whichever way you choose, make sure you gain enough knowledge about it. Understand the lifecycle of the website. Have an idea about how things work on search engines so you can get things done correctly. 

Even if you take the wrong path, don’t regret it. Cause like Cynthia Lewis said:  “Getting lost teaches you how to read a map”.