Do-it-yourself web builders beware! If creating a website for your business on your own seems like it is too good to be true, that is because it is. With countless self-build options out there, it can be tempting to view a DIY website as a quick-fix solution to getting your business online. But, the reality is, creating your own website is often far from ideal.
Here are a just a few reasons why DIY websites aren’t worth your time, especially if you are trying to generate leads and promote your business online.
First Impressions Count
Having a professional, well-designed website speaks volumes. It’s crucial that the style and look of your business’s site conveys a sense of credibility and trustworthiness to your potential customers. But, unless you are a skilled web developer, achieving these goals can be extremely difficult and time consuming.
While there are many DIY website builders that have tools that allow you to drag and drop pictures and text, it is important to keep in mind that fiddling with these modules can be tricky. Further, the modules offered may not be best suited for your business’s needs and brand.
At the end of the day, building a successful, professional-looking website takes time and requires a vast set of skills. That’s why, which it comes to creating your website (your most important marketing tool), it pays to leave it to the experts.
Search Engine Optimization
Over the past few decades, search engines, like Google and Bing, have developed automatic algorithms that are used to rank websites and provide their users with content that is relevant to what they searched for. Essentially, search engines deploy “bots” to crawl webpages and check for different indicators that determine whether a site is of any value.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the art of making sure those bots like what they find on a particular website. As the internet and search engines continue to evolve, so do the rules and trends surrounding SEO. So how does this affect a DIY web builder? Unfortunately, most DIY websites do not offer SEO services, meaning you are in charge of making sure that your site is optimized, searchable, and up-to-date with current SEO trends.
Just like web development, employing effective SEO from the ground up is a full-time job that takes time and skill. Why waste time implementing SEO by yourself, when you can get a website that is optimized and already has an established ranking?
Your Time (And Money) in the Long Run
While many DIY websites are advertised as easy-to-build and inexpensive, they may end up costing your substantially more time and money down the road. You already know that building a quality website and incorporating effective SEO takes time, but what about keeping up with site upgrades, backups, and security measures?
Unsurprisingly, the amount of assistance that you can expect to receive when you decide to build is your own website if often zero. Since this technical and security support isn’t typically included with DIY websites, this means that when you inevitably experience a problem with your site, it will cost you, or at the very least, take up a lot of your time.
Creating and maintaining a quality website that looks professional, preforms well, and is ranked high in search engines is hard work. Instead of exerting all of your time and energy into a running a DIY site that isn’t guaranteed to generate leads, you should be spending time doing what you do best—running your business.