Hire Web Developer vs. Do It Yourself?

In today’s day and age, a business cannot function without a website, no matter how big or small.

In all fairness, a website is one of the best ways to reach out to potential customers without using physical means. It gives your customers a chance to learn more about your brand. As such, a well designed website is a must for any business.

But, with dozens of website builders available online, many business owners wonder if hiring a professional web designer is worthwhile. After all, you might as well create your DIY website using a website builder, right?

It might make more sense in some cases while hiring a web developer in other cases is best. So, which one should you pick for your business and why? Please take a look at our detailed guide to make an informed choice.

When Should You Hire A Web Designer?

There is no right or wrong answer to the question, “Should you hire a web developer or use a website builder to do it yourself?” The answer depends on several factors you should consider, such as hiring a web designer, when making this decision. So, to make things easier for you, let us break it down into manageable sections.

First, let us discuss when it makes sense to hire a web designer to build a new website for your business.

1. If You Have The Budget For It

One of the first factors you must consider is whether you have the resources and budget to hire a web designer. Usually, the cost of building a custom website depends on the individual charges of a web designer. While you might come across some designers who offer budget services, verifying their skills and knowledge is imperative.

Building a new website will cost you; you should be prepared for it. Whether you want to get started with a digital business or a physical one, it is vital to have adequate resources to start it up.

Many business owners wish to learn how to build a new website. However, remember that this takes up your finances and time. So, do you have the time it takes to invest in gaining knowledge about domain development, hosting, and website building? If not, opting for a professionally designed website might make sense.

2. You Want A Professional-Looking Website

While you can try to pick up a few tips and tricks that will help you build a website through WordPress or Squarespace, it takes time and patience to make it look professional. These skills cannot be learned quickly, and most website builders take years to learn how to build a custom, professional website that can be used for marketing your online business.

There is no harm in having a website design that isn’t the most professional-looking on the internet. However, remember that an amateur website design can adversely affect your marketing strategy and drive customers away.

The most talented and experienced web designers are trained to build websites using excellent tools like WordPress and Squarespace. They usually understand how to use these tools to build a strategic custom website design that attracts the right customers to your online business.

Building a good web design is imperative, as this will attract potential customers and make them curious about your business. Despite the fact that you can use a website builder to create custom templates, it will not match the quality that professional web designers provide, which often comply with Google search guidelines.

3. Security And Privacy Factors

Most web developers use proprietary software to design your website. These resources may not be available when you want to build your own website using a website builder, making it vulnerable to hackers.

For small business owners especially, investing time to learn these technical matters and creating a secure website for your business can be extremely time-consuming.

Plus, web developers usually have the skills to build a secure website that isn’t at risk of being hacked. When you lack the technical know-how, if you don’t have much time, it is best to rely on a professional web designer and their team to help you build a secure website.

4. Strategic Website Development

Merely building a website using a website builder can cost you in many ways. While you can create a workable website using WordPress or other tools, a web developer will offer you a brand-new template for a business online.

You don’t want your website to look like other competitor websites customers will find online, right? A web developer has much experience and expertise in how your website should be designed for your customers and industry. Of course, you can use templates to build a website for your brand; however, these templates generally cannot be customised. So, you will end up with a basic website design with all the functionality but doesn’t have a personal touch.

When starting a business online, opting for an agency with a team of skilled website builders trained in web development is best. The skilled professionals in an agency can create an entirely new website that is in sync with your specific brand identity, thereby achieving a design that is unique and reflects your brand’s core values.

5. Purchasing A Domain

New business owners often forget they need to purchase a domain for their website. Inevitably, this will not be a cost-effective measure for every business. If you are a small business owner looking to build a website, opting for website hosting using a domain may not make sense.

However, if you employ a professional website developer, they will manage your site’s hosting, development, and domain-related aspects while ensuring it’s visually appealing. As such, you can rest assured that you will have a unique website appealing to the target audiences.

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When Should You Build A Website Yourself?

1. If You Have The Skills And Resources

While many business owners may think they require basic website-building skills to build one, there are plenty of other resources for website development. To begin with, you must have the technical know-how of how the internet works. You also need adequate time to invest in building the website and creating its looks and functionality.

Of course, you will come across several website hosting and building options on the internet that offer ready-made websites for sale; however, they won’t be as good as building one from scratch. These ready-made websites often lack the zest and personalisation to attract new customers.

It is also essential to have some SEO knowledge, as this is vital to create an online presence. Although you may use all the right tools and website builders, your website will not appear in the top search engine results without good SEO. So, you must incorporate SEO tactics into your website design from the start.

2. If You Need To Have An Online Presence Quickly

Don’t have the time to allow a website developer to set up a page for you? The only answer would be to use a website builder to create your digital presence for your brand.

Sure, it may not turn out as professional as one built by pros, but it should have all the functionality required for a starting page.

So, those looking for a starting digital page at the earliest can opt for a web hosting service that will guide them through building an SEO-optimised website for their business.

3. You Want To Learn About The Process

There are a lot of business owners out there who wish to be part of every process related to their business. These dynamic individuals are ready to invest their time, money, and skills into the website-building process, taking it up as a Do-It-Yourself project.

If you are one of these people, going through the DIY site-building process instead of hiring an agency or a developer may be the right step. This will give you a chance to learn more about the process, but it also brings the opportunity to build your online business presence from scratch.

This gives them an intense sense of satisfaction and gratification for most people.

4. The Website Is Not Too Complex

One of the primary things you should remember when building your website is to keep it easy to use in the beginning. The more complex you try to make, the more difficult it will be. Moreover, the results may not be as satisfying as expected, which can be disappointing.

For starters, choose a catchy domain name that is easy to remember. You can also experiment with various website builders till you find the right one. This DIY project can be quite exciting and an excellent learning opportunity.

5. If You Have Experience With WordPress

If you’re building a DIY website, a basic understanding and knowledge of WordPress is good. Without this, you will find yourself stuck and unable to build a workable page. Most WordPress websites use simple drag and drop options to create web pages, so they should not be too complicated to understand.

Basic knowledge of this tool is imperative to creating an excellent DIY business page.

6. If You Are Tech Savvy

The best part about drag-and-drop website builders is their simplicity. Most people would take approximately a few weeks to learn the process and start their website design.

However, you must know at least the basics of coding, how to use a Content Management System, and understand web development to build a DIY website. Those who do not consider themselves tech-savvy may find it challenging to build DIY websites with advanced functionality and should consider hiring a professional instead.

How To Find The Right Web Designer For Your Page

So, now you know the various factors before choosing to build a page on your own or hire a web developer. Have you made a decision yet? If you have decided to go with a designer, great! But now, you may be wondering the best way to choose the right one for your needs.

Well, here are some factors to consider when hiring a professional designer.

1. Experience Level

One of the crucial factors you should consider before hiring a professional designer is to verify their experience level. Ask to see their portfolio and templates so you have a better understanding of their work. Not just that, you can even ask them to create a sample web design before hiring them.

It is also important to check whether they have adequate skills and an understanding of WordPress and other Content Management Systems. You can choose to hire them by going through an agency or finding freelance designers online.

2. The Time Taken For A Project

This depends wholly on the time frame you want to see a working website built. It is always a good idea to ask the professional how long it typically takes to build a website.

However, make it a point to ask them specifically about the project you are hiring them for and how long it would take to be set up. This will give you a better understanding of their skill level, tech knowledge, and how long you’d need to wait for the website to be built.

3. Whether You Want A Customised Page

This is another essential factor to keep in mind when hiring a professional designer. If you want a customised page or landing page built for your business, ensure the individual has enough skill and knowledge to set it up.

Also, it is best to ask to see their previous projects so you can learn more about how they work.

4. Your Budget

Let’s not forget — every business should have an allocated budget for each process. Ideally, it would be best to look for an agency or a designer according to the budget you have set aside to build a digital presence.

Remember that in most cases, a web developer will register a domain name and purchase hosting for you, taking one major concern off your plate. However, this could cost you extra, so ensure that you discuss these charges beforehand to prevent a surprise.

5. Customer Reviews And Feedback

Most professional designers should have a strong online presence where they market their services to potential customers. Whether you are looking for a professional from online sources or an agency, try to look up their work online.

If you find them online, make it a point to go through their customer reviews and feedback. You can even speak directly to some customers to get genuine feedback about their work. This is a crucial step in finding the right designer for your business.

Who Will Design Your Website?

With that, we have finally reached the end of our comprehensive guide. We hope this helps you decide whether to build a website on your own or hire a web developer.

Whatever you decide, ensure that you weigh both pros and cons. Before we sign off, we have one last piece of advice: when building a DIY website, try and opt for a simple, unique, and attention-grabbing domain name for your business. Remember, you also need to factor in the usability and speed of the website, as this heavily impacts conversion rates.

It is best not to go for complex names that potential customers find hard to remember. Well, that’s all we have for you today. We wish you all the best with your online business. Let us know in the comments below what unique domain name ideas you have.

Also, would you instead hire a designer or opt for a DIY website? Don’t forget to share your choice!

Danny Mahoney

As the accomplished head of web design at sitecentre®, Danny boasts an impressive career of 20+ years in web design and digital marketing. He employs a highly effective approach, harnessing user-behaviour metrics to enhance UX/UI to fuel conversion rates. Danny’s unique skill set allows him to deliver award-winning websites to SMBs at an unrivalled pace while maintaining superior results. His unique skills and vast experience make Danny a powerhouse in the industry.

Find them on their website: sitecentre®.