Thinking about building your own website? You’re certainly not alone—many business owners consider taking the DIY approach to save money. Let’s explore the benefits and drawbacks so you can decide what’s best for your situation.
Pros of DIY Website Building
- Cost-Effective for Simple Needs: If your website primarily acts as a digital business card rather than a lead-generation tool, building it yourself can be a good choice.
- Quick and Easy Setup: Platforms like Squarespace offer user-friendly, affordable options that let you get a decent-looking site online fast. They’re straightforward enough for beginners and can provide a functional online presence quickly.
Cons of DIY Website Building
- Hidden Complexity: A truly effective website involves much more than meets the eye—thoughtful user interface (UI), user experience (UX), SEO best practices, strategic metadata, and robust security. As a novice, it’s easy to overlook these critical components.
- Time-Consuming: Building a quality site takes significant time, and when you’re busy managing your business, it’s tough to find enough hours to dedicate to web development. Often, DIY sites end up delayed or incomplete.
- Lead Generation Limitations: Websites that effectively generate leads require careful, strategic design. This is a nuanced skill that’s challenging for beginners to master without experience.
- Professional Design Matters: Creating a website that authentically matches your brand and resonates with your target audience is not easy. Professional designers bring expertise and an eye for quality that DIY solutions typically can’t match.
- Device Optimization Challenges: DIY platforms can have limitations in mobile and tablet optimization. For example, Squarespace recently improved mobile optimization but still lacks built-in tablet support, often requiring custom CSS to achieve desired results.
Takeaway
Building your own website can be a suitable option for some businesses, especially if you’re willing to learn through resources like YouTube. For straightforward, basic sites, I recommend Squarespace as the most user-friendly DIY platform I’ve encountered.
However, for most businesses, investing in professional web design pays off substantially. At Mainstay Design, we craft websites focused on lead generation and driven by data. We believe that an effective website should not only look professional but also act as a powerful marketing asset for your business.
