Pros & Cons of Building Your Own Website
As an SMB entering the digital world, you are probably wanting to try to save as much money as possible. We all want to do that! Everywhere – when performing auto repairs, renovating our homes, etc., so it makes sense that you might want to do that with your website. However, is that really the way to go? Here are a few pitfalls to building your own site that you need to take into consideration:
It Can Be Very Time Consuming.
To be able to build your own website, you are going to need to take time … time out of your regular life, time out of your business life - to learn the skills necessary to build a website that looks great and functions properly. This can take a lot of time, as it isn’t something that you can learn overnight or even in just a couple of days. It’s similar to trying to do your accounting (yes, ugh!). It’s something that can be very confusing and time consuming and you can’t learn how to do it overnight. So, if you really sit down and think about it, wouldn’t it be better to spend that time focusing on your business and making money rather than trying to learn skills that you don’t really need?
It Could Look Unprofessional (and that might be an understatement).
When you try a do-it-yourself project, sometimes it may not turn out the way it looks in your mind. This is very common with DIY projects, such as an old dresser that you wanted to repurpose. How about those great wood pallet projects? You have the best of intentions at heart and a fantastic vision, but you may lack the skills necessary to fulfill that vision. This can (and usually does) happen with your website: text and photos may not line up, pages are inconsistent, do not have a map or a form on your contact page - everything is just disorganized. It just doesn’t look professional; it’s unattractive.
It Might Not Function Properly.
Another issue that you may run into is that your website may not work correctly, after you have put all the work into it. When you have been doing something for years, you develop certain techniques to work through problems that you come across. For example, let’s say you were going to try to re-build your engine in your car. You probably have never done it before and have no clue how to do it. More than likely, you’ll miss a piece or two during the process, not have the proper or necessary tools, then you are on the phone with the mechanic! Well, the same can be true for web design.
In Conclusion.
While the choice is yours in the end, it is important that you understand the pros and cons of building your own website. Yes, you might save money by doing it yourself, but how much are you costing your business with a poorly designed website? If you would like WebDetail to assist you with the designing of your website, contact us today to further discuss your plans and goals.
