Building your own website has never been easier thanks to advancements in technology and new tools that simplify the entire process. Today, creating a website can be as simple as clicking a few options and then choosing what colors you want. It doesn’t require coding knowledge and anyone can do it with ease.
But just because you can do it yourself, does it mean that you should?
Good web design is more important than ever today. People want their websites to rank highly on search engines such as Google and they also want to create a great experience for anyone that visits their pages. If the user enjoys using your website and finds it easy to navigate, then they’re more likely to return in the future for more content. Unfortunately, if you don’t have much design experience then it can be difficult to create a good experience for your users.
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/Px3iBXV-4TU (CC0)
The basic steps to build a website yourself
Let’s start by explaining how someone would build a website themselves.
1. Putting together a concept
A universal step regardless if you’re building your website alone or not is putting together a concept. Your website should have a purpose and it needs to give something to your audience. If your website doesn’t have a solid purpose then it’s just going to get difficult planning future features and content.
2. Choosing a website builder that suits your needs
Next, you’ll want to choose a website builder. There are plenty of great options at different price ranges. However, it can often be overwhelming to compare all of the different choices available. This can be a time-consuming step if you’re looking to maximize the value you get from your website builder. Once you’ve chosen a suitable website builder, you’ll need to pick a plan that fits your needs and budget.
3. Pick the right domain name and register it
Then you’ll need to pick a domain name. Choosing a domain name can be a huge decision because it has to be easy to memorize and type if you want your audience to visit. It should ideally be your brand’s name, but there are times where you can use interesting extensions like .me and .to to create a unique domain.
4. Find a template that you like and make custom edits
Most website builders have plenty of different templates to choose from. This serves as a great start to your project and you can make small changes so it feels more like your own creation. If you don’t make any kind of changes, then your website may feel really similar to other websites on the internet. This can make your audience feel like you’re being lazy and it usually won’t provide a great experience unless your content can make up for it.
5. Upload or create your own content to host on your website
Next, you’ll want to create your own content or upload existing content you have onto your website. Content generally means anything that your audience will be reading, watching, or listening to. Depending on the website builder or the systems that you’re using, it could involve using a service such as WordPress to manage your content. Some website builders will have their own content management system (CMS), but others will use existing solutions that you might be familiar with. This step can take a while because learning how to use all of the different tools and features of your CMS will require some practice.
6. Preview your website before publishing it
Before you make your website live, you’ll probably want to preview it and try using it. Take note of any issues such as navigation problems, broken links, or even spelling errors. Then once you’re happy, publish your website then you’ll be able to visit it.
As you can see, building your website isn’t the most difficult thing to do. Anyone that has access to the internet can build a website in just a few minutes if they wanted to. But this still begs the question; just because you can do it, should you? To answer this question, we need to understand some of the pros and cons of building a website yourself and also some of the reasons why people choose to do it themselves in the first place.
The pros and cons of building your own website
Pros
- You’ll probably save a bit of money by building your own website.
- You can get instant results because of how flexible website builders are.
- You can work at your own pace instead of having to communicate with someone else.
- You know everything about your business, so you can explain things in greater detail.
- It helps to train your design and website-building skills for the future.
The DIY approach is focused on saving money and delivering instant results. Since you’re in control of the website at all times, you’ll be able to see the changes made in real-time and you can work on it as much as you want. It’s also a good way to train your skills if you decide to build another website in the future.
Cons
- Great web design takes a long time to master, hence why hiring a pro can be a lot more beneficial if you’re aiming to create a fantastic website.
- Making your own website takes a lot of time which can directly translate into money.
- You might be prone to adding a bit too much information to your website instead of trying to simplify things so that your audience can understand it.
- It might be overwhelming to decide between all of the different website builders and features that they offer.
- The final product isn’t going to look as good as something that a professional has made.
Expertise is the main thing that you’re going to be missing when you decide to build your own website. Web design is a creative art and there are a lot of small tricks that you can utilize if you want to create something that your audience will fall in love with. You also don’t have access to various tools and content libraries to help make your website a little more professional.
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/tZc3vjPCk-Q (CC0)
Why you shouldn’t build your own website in 2021
Building your own website is a lot more accessible than it used to be, but that doesn’t mean you should do it alone. The professional advice and assistance from a web design specialist can help you stand out from the competition, and it’s worth the additional cost in the long run if you’re looking to make a fantastic website that people want to return to.
Online businesses are everywhere these days because it doesn’t take long to create a website, turn it into a store, and then start monetizing it. However, if you want to stand out from the competition and make your website a lot easier to use, then you’ll need to go above and beyond what other companies are doing for their website. By investing more resources into your website, you’ll get a much better end result that is tailored to your business’s needs and contains content that is extremely relevant to your target audience.
So to conclude, here are the top reasons why you shouldn’t build your own website in 2021:
- Competition among online businesses is fierce. By working with a professional, you can stand out from the crowd and draw more people to your website.
- First impressions are important. A professional can help design your website so that it’s easy to navigate and contains a lot of great content, making it a fantastic experience for any user that visits.
- Delegating the task of building a website to a professional means you have more time to focus on other aspects of your business.
- Website designers often have links with marketing companies and services, meaning you can also grow your brand across multiple different channels.
- Professionals will provide a comprehensive service that includes everything from initial website consultation and concepts to updating your website with more content and features in the future.
Let us take care of your website needs
Investing in your brand’s website is incredibly important if you want to build an online business. People often underestimate just how critical a good website can be, especially when they see how simple it can be to build your own website. The potential for mistakes is high and you don’t want to give your audience the wrong impression when they first visit your website.
If you want to invest in your brand, then hiring a professional web design and marketing team is one of the best choices that you could make. Contact Two Dot Marketing today to learn more about our bespoke web design and marketing services. Book your free consultation to see how we can help your business grow.
