Web design and development has changed dramatically over the last few years. With so many different website building tools available, it can be hard to decide whether you should hire a web design agency or make your own DIY website.
A web design agency will have more experience with all of the intricate details that go into professional websites, they usually will seem like they cost more than say a website builder such as WIX but over time it is by far the most cost effective option. A DIY website can take hours to complete depending on how much customising you do, but if done right can offer a professional look and feel at a fraction of the cost. Many small businesses start off using WIX or Squarespace for example, but within a relatively short period of time realise that they cannot customise the website enough and often end up paying out time and time again to revamp.
– Pros: A web design agency will have more experience with all of the intricate details that go into professional websites. They handle everything from hosting to domain registration to email integration which is often not included in DIY website packages. They are also able to carry out customisation is needed and usually use platforms which, post-launch are often just as easy for the client to update but much more flexible.
It comes down to what matters most to you: quality or price?
– Cons: A web design agency will charge significantly more than a web builder company such as WIX, GoDaddy etc. Even if you do have the budget for an agency, it can still take a while to find one with your specific needs and requirements in mind.
Websites are becoming the backbone of many businesses, and they can be crucial to your business. A new business start-up is unimaginable without a presentable online presence. When you decide to have one built, many options lead you from idea through realisation, which can become overwhelming very quickly for most people who haven’t considered carrying out such a task before.
So you want to make a website? Well, whether or not it’s for business, blogging purposes or just as an interesting project, many platforms can help. In today’s digital world we live in the most popular types of websites vary from serving different functions:
The first question is probably—should you hire someone else to build your site or attempt to do it yourself? The next question you might be wondering is how much this actually cost anyway. Before proceeding with our discussion, let us touch on affordable solutions available through web design agencies.
The decision to either hire a web design agency or make your own website can be difficult. In this blog, we discuss the pros and cons of each, so you know what option is best for you!
What is a DIY website?
A DIY (short for “do-it-yourself”) website usually offers tools made based on free site-building templates without the participation of professional developers. This may include changing your header, logo, title and headings; photos or colour schemes to suit your preferences. You are also offered drag-and-drop features with no coding involved.
Some free options are available; Wix and Squarespace are popular ones. They both have drag and drop features, making them easy to create websites without any coding knowledge required.
Common issues with DIY website builders
The idea of creating a DIY site sounds very tempting – certainly less expensive compared to hiring a web design agency. “It’s free” — isn’t this the phrase everyone wants to hear? Indeed, these sites are free to create; there is no set-up fee, and nothing more than just some time in front of your screen will be necessary. However, it would appear that their benefits end here as well:
In addition, many builders have hidden costs involved, such as:
- Monthly fees
- Hosting fees
- Domain name fees
- and more
However, the most significant issue you may have from choosing to build a website yourself is the potential extra return on investment that a professional, well-performing website could bring if you decided to have a website designed and developed by an agency instead. Well-built, great looking sites speak volumes and promote your business as a professional brand. It also allows you to concentrate on what you do best in your business and allows you to leave the building to a professional who can actually save you time and money.
One question to always bear in mind is that if you do choose a web designer to build you a website. Make sure you ask for their credentials. Do they have experience in SEO for example? It’s no good having a lovely looking website if it is built with no consideration to SEO. Your ideal clients simply will not see it.
Here are the most common complaints about DIY website solutions:
- The website looks very similar to other sites across the web
- Lack of website extensibility with new features
- Free versions contain ads
- Lack of customisation options
- Lack of options for Search Engine Optimisation
- The website is not truly yours; you are merely renting it
- Issues with moving to another platform in the future
- Limitations in the free plans
Decided to hire a web developer? Benefits of a Web design agency vs DIY websites
One of the most important decisions you’ll make as a business owner is choosing who will be responsible for creating your company’s online presence. It may seem like an easy decision, but it should not just be about price – your website has to live up to every other facet of marketing and communication that informs potential customers about what makes them different from their competitors. This means hiring professionals with experience designing websites to achieve everything the business requires; this could be sharing information, making sales or getting sign-ups.
The following points should help explain what sets professional designers apart from individuals who attempt DIY websites on their own…
You get a bespoke website design to suit your needs
Professional web designers can create an impressive and professionally executed design for your site that will help you stand out from competitors. Avoid the limitations of free templates and builders! If you hire a professional team, your website will represent who you are and follow all the latest trends in web designs. The professionalism behind designing also tells customers and potential clients how serious we take our work with them to be – it says, “We won’t settle for anything less than amazing.”
Professional website designers can create the look of websites that make us remember their brand years later because they’re so memorable; avoid limited image choices on low-quality template sites or DIY attempts at building one yourself if possible! Hiring experts ensures not only top-notch functionality but
An increased level of user experience
Hiring a professional web designer will help you with the user experience of your website. With their expert knowledge, layouts and buttons are fully tailored to suit each visitor’s needs, which improves customer satisfaction rates tremendously. Professional designers conduct usability tests for every button or link so that users can access information on any device they use effortlessly and find what they need without hassle!
Ability to add any features you can think of
Choosing to work with a web design agency will give you the capability of customising your website in any way imaginable, from integrating it into your CRM for email marketing and customer service to sharing data from your site onto other mediums like mobile applications. The sky is the limit when using a web design agency that utilises the latest technology so that they can build you a website for optimum usability according to specific needs!
No limits on growth
If you are looking to grow your business, a DIY solution may limit you. You might find that the ceiling of its capacity limits you, and there are no options for migration — many customers have complained about the problem with transferring this kind of site to another platform. So it’s better to invest in an affordable web agency that can build scalable solutions together as your business grows!
Only the needed functionality
With most DIY website builders, you aren’t able to customise the code, and many have predefined features that may or may not be helpful for what you are trying to accomplish with your page. Web designers can precisely give you what suits your needs in terms of functionality because they know how to implement everything required to make your website work.
Mobile-responsive websites
As the number of people browsing from mobile devices increases, it is essential that your website displays correctly and with ease for all viewers. Professional designers are always looking out for ways to make sure visitors on a multitude of screens have access to your site’s content in an easy-to-access manner—and they’re not alone! In 2018, Google announced plans that would include prioritising mobile responsiveness as a ranking factor and penalised sites that hadn’t optimised their pages to ensure that they are responsive across all mobile devices.
Custom built websites ensures better SEO
The experts at our website design agency are trained to use the best practices of search engine optimisation, so your site is visible for potential customers. Our SEO specialists work closely with developers, consulting them on URL structure, meta tags and more!
How much does it cost to have a website built by experts?
When you need a web design company, we will be on hand to help answer any questions you may have.
We care about all customers and take your needs very seriously while offering top-notch quality services at an affordable price point for any business size.
Whether it is website development or simple site maintenance service like hosting management system implementation, we are always here to help!
The answer to this question, “how much does it cost to build a website?” largely depends on a few key factors. Here are the things on which your website costs are calculated:
- Type of website required
- complexity of website
- structure of website
- number of pages required
- specific or standard features
- timescale in which the website is needed
And so on.
To make your website a success, you need to invest in it. We can advise you on the cost-effective solution that suits your case. By using contributed or core modules/plugins where possible, and custom features for more complex projects when needed, we’ll be sure to find an affordable option for any budget!
We can offer you a cost-effective solution to suit your needs and adjust our work given the limitations of budget and resources. We will be able to help you with all sorts of website design and development projects, from smaller sites like blogs or information pages up to large eCommerce stores that require an extensive range of functionality.