Why DIY Do-It-Yourself Amateur Websites Are Bad For Your Business
Websites are essential to any business, and it can be tempting for many small business owners to build their own websites to save money. However, this can often lead to more problems than it’s worth, and can end up costing you more money in the long run.
It’s important to remember that a website is an investment, and should be treated as such. Small business owners who try to build their own websites often find that they don’t have the time or expertise to create a website that is truly effective. This can lead to a number of problems.
10 Reasons Why DIY Websites Fail
With so many content management systems (CMS), it can be easy to assume that those websites will fit your needs. Sometimes even experienced web developers will struggle using these sites. You have to understand your needs before picking a platform.
For example, Shopify and Squarespace are great options if you are looking for an eCommerce website because the system is built for that. But an inexperienced person might decide to host their website on Wix, Weebly, or WordPress, which requires multiple plugins and is generally unsuitable for an eCommerce website.
If you’re in the service industry or don’t have a physical store, your website is the first thing people see regarding your business. Building a website is so much more than a generic template. You must consider color, size, logos, and website navigation. If it is hard to navigate or the design is terrible, this could leave potential customers feeling like the business is unprofessional or even fake.
A business website isn’t just about having a digital presence. It’s also used as a marketing tool. You need to know what action you want a customer to take when looking at your website. Most DIY websites forget to tell their customer to contact them, sign up for their newsletter, or take another action that would start them down your lead funnel, eventually converting them to a customer.
Because most CMS platforms are free, it is easy to think this will be a cheaper option than hiring a professional designer or agency. However, if you don’t have the expertise, many mistakes can be made and they’re harder to fix. It could cost you business in the end. In other words, you get what you pay for.
Certain CMS platforms aren’t as secure as you might think. It will be up to you to make your platform secure, and if you don’t know basic cybersecurity practices, your website is at risk. This makes it easier for hackers to obtain sensitive data about the business, and puts your customers at risk.
A website isn’t a one-time set up and you’re done; you must constantly maintain it. Sometimes DIYers forget that information, blogs, and even designs needs to be updated. Adding web pages and blogs will help improve your rankings in Google and establish yourself as an authority figure in the industry. Designs also get outdated fairly quickly, so it’s important to refresh your look once every year or so.
SEO is important for business because it helps with ranking well on search engines such as Google. DIYers may not be knowledgeable about SEO or SEO tools. This will leave your website page less visible on search engines. A professional web developer will likely know the best strategies for SEO and how to implement them, which will pay off in the long run because the website will have a higher ranking, making your business a real option for people searching for your services.
The major components of building a web design are design, development, and troubleshooting. Many people who aren’t developers or who haven’t learned coding don’t know how to handle the troubleshooting aspect. A DIYer may run into bugs and glitches getting their website off the ground and nobody will be around to help them fix these issues. You will need support for the website, and CMS platforms don’t always have someone to call.
However, most mistakes are easy to fix—for a web developer. The tiniest mistake from an inexperienced person will cause the website to disappear or go down. This could cause the person to go in circles for days or weeks whereas a professional can get it done in minutes or hours.
It will take longer than a day to make a great business website. The time you spend on this could be the time you spend on the actual business. It would be better to hire someone and let them do what they’re good at so you’ll get the leads and business you’re looking for.
A mobile-friendly website is crucial in 2020. More people are using their phones to browse the internet than ever before. If your website isn’t responsive, you will lose out on potential customers. Google is also now penalizing websites that aren’t mobile-friendly, so this could affect your ranking in search results.
If you don’t have a website yet, or have already tried the DIY approach, it’s time to consider hiring a professional. Your customers will notice the difference. CI Web Group offers website services and marketing plans, so contact us today for a strategy session to learn how we can help you succeed.
