5 reasons why you shouldn’t DIY your website

You’ve all seen the adverts… We know you have. The one’s that offer sleek, minimalist, and modern website designs that anybody can create. Now we won’t mention any names because we aren’t that kind of digital agency, but what we will do is offer our advice as to what would be the best options for your organisation. We do what we do because we care about your organisation and the potential your business has for growth and to have a scalable future. In this week’s Insight, we will tackle the topic of why you shouldn’t try to do it yourself with web design, summed up neatly in five reasons.  

Reason 1:

Design Ownership 

You’ve got a preselected logo, you’ve got a predetermined colour way, you’ve even gone so far as to select your website design from the myriad of templates on offer. You’ve painstakingly put in all the hard yards to determine your brand’s look and feel offline, so to say, and you want to translate your organisation online too. We want to be able to tell you that a free website builder could potentially be an option, but that would be a disservice to you and to our customers.  

You see, the important thing to know is, that the ownership of the DIY website you want, will remain with the free website builder and not with you. Even if you purchase your domain from the provider, the design and structure of the site will be bound to the original platform and all its policies to boot. Whereas if you go the route of an independent framework on an independent server where your website is hosted, the options are endless, just depending on how skilled your choice of developers and designers are. You should have ownership over your own brand online, it is as simple as that.  

Reason 2:

Customisation 

We hope that we match your thought process that your end goal is to grow and expand your organization. How exactly that is done, is up to you and your digital partner. But what is key to remember, is that the choices that are made now, today, in this moment, can have a ripple effect on the future outcome.  

Choosing a free website builder platform to help you get your business off the ground may seem like the most suitable option now. For your organisation being in the position that it is in now. For your organisation being the size that it is now. Not necessarily for the future. What may seem like a cost-effective solution currently, may cost you more in long run.  

As your organsation grows, flexes it’s reach and expands, the technology you use should do the same. It should not be the thing that holds you back and hinders your growth. With a free website builder, it is true that there are a variety of options to choose from in terms of functionality and need. But as your organization progresses, you may soon find that your free template stops serving you as it should. You need more customisation out of your website and, perhaps a client management system, but your pathway to success is paved with plugins, stop gaps and sleepless nights.  

We are painting a rather grim picture here, but we speak from experience. Trust us. We’ve had to pick up the digital pieces of former free web templates and sweep them into something that clients can use effectively and efficiently. 

Reason 3:

Eye of the Designer 

Every person has some element of creativity within them. We see it, we believe in it, and we cheer it on. But, and here’s the kicker, not everyone can use their creativity in the most effective and eye-catching way. This may be the reason why some organisations rush out to use free templates to enhance and translate that creativity. We get it, and it is difficult to make that jump for your organization that is built on your blood, sweat and tears. But wouldn’t you rather your blood, sweat and tears be worth something much greater than just a template…  

Designers are studied and trained in what us, as humans, are most likely to respond to. Elements of design, while subtle to the untrained eye, can make a vast difference between a great website and the greatest website. The use of colour and imagery are precisely curated. The hierarchy and selection of typeface are made for purpose. It directs the user’s eye to what is most important, to send a message. A message about you and what you can do for your clients.  

This is not to say free templates are designed by heathens in a cave somewhere and or that there is no design consideration. Quite the opposite. Some templates seem as if they have fallen from the design gods themselves and are extremely satisfying to ogle at. But are they designed for you?   

Reason 4:

One-Stop Solution Shop 

Have you ever been in the situation where you cannot remember the pin to your credit card? Or typed in what you thought your password was, only to bear witness to a bold, red statement staring back at you saying, “incorrect password”.  

In our digital age, we are forever bombarded with endless options, passwords, adverts you name it. We live in this fast-tracked lane of having to remember everything, everyone, and everyone’s dog’s birthday. It hellish to say the least. So why would an organization opt for a free website builder, that potentially has so many additional plugins and apps to just run, that you’d feel like you’re in a maze? 

Wouldn’t life and business be simpler if you had one solution to all your digital needs? Something simple and easy that runs alongside you, not against you. We already have enough on our plates to be dealing with additional pains. Seek out a supplier that will meet your specific needs and more from website design, development, and marketing to support and training all under one roof.   

Reason 5:

Digital Partner 

This leads you to our final reason as to why you shouldn’t try to DIY your website and we think it’s quite an important one, if not the most important. Remember this when you’re filling in all your details on that free website builder…  

We want you to think of a relationship. Any relationship between two parties must start somewhere, usually involving a first meeting. It develops over time, as should any good thing, and trust is built up as the relationship takes its course. It’s a two-way street, not a one-way lane. It takes commitment, energy and most importantly communication to keep the ball rolling down the path.  

Can we assume that don’t you get the same experience when you’re filling out the details wizard on a free website builder’s site? It’s not personal, it’s taken the human element out of the process. We’ll be the first to say that tech cannot replace the need for human interaction. To learn more about each other, to learn from each other, to advise each other.  

We’ve spoken about how you have nurtured your organisation into what it is today through hard work and commitment. Those endless days of burning the midnight oil to get your business off the ground, carefully hiring the right team to take it forward, building on your goals.   

You should choose a business that will walk a journey with you. Partner with you through all your concerns and worries. A team that will be there as a confidant, a cheerleader and a team who wants to witness your success.