Small Business Website Design! Should You Do it Yourself?
As a web designer/developer I am only too aware that over the years my job has seemed less and less relevant due to the rise in many online hosting and website builders offering small business website design services. These days you can build your own business website so why do you need to hire a developer? The short answer is you don’t! You can do it yourself but it still takes time and maybe this is time that could be better off spent elsewhere in your business?
As a small business owner however, you may want to consider building your own website. This is a very personal decision. But there are some questions to ask yourself before you decide on building your own website.
Do you need a web designer?
There are only so many ways you can layout your website so why not just pick a template and be done with it? And that’s true to a point, however; if you want your site to stand out from the crowd you might need a more tailored look.
A designer can help you with the finer details. Everything from planning out how your site will function for your users to the type of font you choose, the colours and how they work together to communicate your branding, sourcing good quality images, your company logo, custom graphics and favicon (The little icon in your browser tab) and more. It’s details like these that provide that pro look and help your website stand out from the competition.
Why might hiring a developer be beneficial?
Say you have found a website builder you are happy with and you’ve found a template you like the look of. But what if you do need something a little extra that isn’t a custom option in your template of choice?
Well hiring a professional developer means you will be able to go a little beyond the template standard capability and start adding custom content and widgets where before you weren't able. Maybe you want a chat box, external media content or customised font? Or maybe you need to embed a third party service and you are not sure where to start, or if it's even possible! A developer can help with all of that.
So in conclusion! So long as you have the time to spare there maybe a template and a DIY approach will fit your needs. But if you are after a more tailored look or added features then hiring a professional is the way to go. I mean, there is nothing stopping you fitting your own kitchen or bathroom but most people still opt to hire a professional in order to get the best result. Same applies here. For more info on what's involved in a small business website design project read the Macaroni Media post "How to design and build a website".
