DIY Website design has never been easier, right? Save money by building your own! You could spend those savings on something else, so why wouldn’t you?
I’ve been a website designer for over 10 years, and I can tell you why….. The money you save building your own website, you’ll probably lose in customer traffic.
Customers = sales. Less sales = less profit.
Saving money on your website design won’t save you money in the long run!
That’s because websites are no longer the static pages they used to be. They are organic, breathing sales tools with the power to make your business flourish by drawing in the customers who want what you’re offering.
As I’ll explain in this article, building a site that attracts visitor traffic is not something you can do on your own. Don’t fire up WordPress until you’ve had a chance to see what you’re really signing up for!
1. You must have SEO in place for success
Anyone can put some blogs on a page, but ranking first page on a Google search, and maximising visitor traffic, is strictly for the professionals.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) basically means constructing the site in such a way (by using keywords in the text, meta descriptions, semantic URLs, optimising load speed, and a list of other components far too long to mention here!) that Google and other search engines will find, rank and display your site high up in the search results.
Search engines don’t make this practice any easier by continuously evolving their algorithms, which means what worked today may not work tomorrow.
An SEO expert keeps on top of the changes and can keep your SEO flowing organically.
2. Advertising relies on quality SEO
Anyone can put some blogs on a page, but ranking first page on a Google search, and maximising visitor traffic, is strictly for the professionals.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) basically means constructing the site in such a way (by using keywords in the text, meta descriptions, semantic URLs, optimising load speed, and a list of other components far too long to mention here!) that Google and other search engines will find, rank and display your site high up in the search results.
Search engines don’t make this practice any easier by continuously evolving their algorithms, which means what worked today may not work tomorrow. An SEO expert keeps on top of the changes and can keep your SEO flowing organically.
3. Spend time on your business, not your site
It might seem easy to fire up SquareSpace or WIX and throw some images and text into a website design template, but I’ll bet my bottom dollar you’ll end up spending hour upon hour getting it right (and maybe not even then – many a client has come to me with a bungled site and bloodshot eyes after weeks of frustration!).
Trust me, fixing a site is far more costly in time and money than just getting the foundation right the first time.
Templates can be limiting, changing them is complex, and you may not end up with the website design you were envisaging.
And again, SEO is just so critical, and you won’t get it with WYSIWIG (what you see is what you get) website builders. They’re like a tapestry: pretty on one side, a big old jumbled mess on the other. Search engines won’t bother with a site like that, and you’ll lose the traffic that convert into customers. Simple as that.
4. Experts know how to create intuitive interfaces
Another problem that arises with DIY website designers is the customer experience. Professional website designers like myself have spent years learning how to create an intuitive website design that makes it simple for customers to find the information they want and contact you or make a purchase.
People have short attention spans these days; you only have a few seconds to grab them, or they’ll click away to the next site.
5. Third party input is priceless
When you know your business inside out, it can be easy to overlook features and information that your customer needs in order to be able to understand your product or service. Having a website designer who essentially sees your site the way a customer would will help you create a ‘sales funnel’ that keeps visitors engaged.
Consider the long-term ramifications of taking a shortcut now.
If you’re weighing up the expense of engaging a professional website designer, consider the cost long-term. Increase your online presence by using an experienced web designer with proficient SEO and SEM skills to design a website that’s customised to your business, and that attracts your profile of potential customer.