In this globally connected world, any company that doesn’t have a website, or at least a Facebook page, is at a disadvantage. Websites provide a place for you to share information about your company and your products. They also act as a source of search engine information, which helps potential customers find you and learn about your business. Without these elements, your business may miss out on your #1 source of new customers.
Getting a website in place isn’t always the easiest thing. Should you pay someone to do a custom site for you? Should you figure out how to build a site yourself? The answer is dependent on a number of factors.
Most business owners would probably love a custom designed website
A custom website is designed exactly as you want it and the branding is 100% on point. You can integrate user management systems, product databases, and all sorts of other things. The options for the site are limited only by your imagination… and your budget. While a custom site has many advantages, if you are like most business owners, you won’t have the development skills needed to create a custom site on your own.
Hiring an agency, or at least a designer/developer has a lot of advantages. They are experts in designing the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) to make your site beautiful, intuitive, and functional. They are also able to provide direction on your content and how you can maximize it for the best search engine results. Sometimes they may even write that copy for you. However, the people who do this work are experts, and their skills won’t come cheap. Contracting someone to build a custom site is likely going to be expensive and it may cost more than a smaller business budget will allow.
Of course, the market has recognized the need for DIY websites
There are a number of tools out there that make it possible for you to design and build a website yourself. These tools often include everything from hosting the site, to design templates, to check out systems. Many of these packages have libraries of additional plug-ins (pieces of software that integrate with the website to provide additional functionality) to make the website functionality more robust. All of this comes with a cost, but it is significantly less money than a custom site will be. Additionally, the licensing is often dependent on the number of features, users, and support you require, so you do have some control over the expense.
As is always the case, there are pros and cons to this option (aside from cost). These sites (think Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, and WordPress) are effectively a group of pre-packaged page templates that provide the structure for your site. The number of templates (page types) available is extensive and many business owners will find what they need, up to and including user management systems, check outs, and product management databases. Using these templates requires some technical knowledge, but not nearly what is needed to develop a custom site. Once the templates are put in place, entering and updating the content for the site can be done fairly easily by users with a familiarity with computers and websites.
From the design aspect, there are an almost unlimited number of “Themes” available. These themes provide the foundation for the design of the site including color schemes, specific templates, etc.
The primary disadvantage is that templated sites are not as customizable as a built from scratch site
You also miss out on the expertise that an agency provides to help you optimize your UI/UX, SEO, and other aspects of building a successful site. The truth is, the internet is flooded with websites, and it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. Custom website design experts can help your business make a splash in the oversaturated digital space.
If your company is looking for help with
custom website design, schedule a
free initial consultation with Bit-Wizards to discuss your project needs.