Should You DIY Your Website or Hire a Web Designer?
The answer to the question “Should You DIY Your Website or Hire a Web Designer?” is not as simple as you might think. Here’s the reason why: there is no right or wrong answer! This is because depending on where you are in your business journey the answer to this question may differ.
Today we decided to share our honest opinion about whether you should save some money and DIY your website, or invest some money in your business and hire a professional web designer.
Let’s find out when you should DIY and when you should hire a professional web designer…
Should You DIY Your Website or Hire a Web Designer?
YOU SHOULD DIY YOUR WEBSITE WHEN…
We only recommend DIY-ing your website if you’re a new business owner that meets the following criteria:
YOUR BUSINESS WILL CHANGE IN THE SHORT-TERM
You just started your business, everything is as new as it gets! And as much as we like to admit we think we have everything figured out and under control but that’s just not the reality. You may have an idea about who is your ideal client is and what is your target audience but your business is not yet settled and changes are likely to happen.
So, if you choose to DIY your website at this stage, you will have the knowledge to easily change it and update it whenever you need to.
YOU ARE WILLING TO SPEND THE TIME
If you’re not willing to spend the money you need to be willing to spend the time. We’re not going to lie to you, choosing to DIY your website can be time-consuming.
But on the bright side, you will be learning a completely new skill that can become handy in the future. With this skill set, you can update your website on your own without having to pay someone to do it for you.
YOU NEED TO SAVE MONEY
Let’s be realistic, you just started your business and you’re probably scared about what the future holds. So, you probably want to save as much money as you can before you can actually start to earn money from your business.
Getting a custom website design is a lot different from DIY-ing but it can also cost you a decent amount of money. As a new business owner, you don’t need everything to be perfect, you just need it to be functional.
If you don’t have the budget to hire a web designer, don’t worry because DIY-ing your website doesn’t mean you can’t look professional! You can DIY your website and still have a beautiful, and professional-looking website. If you need help DIY-ing your site, check out our Squarespace Template Store. These professionally designed Squarespace templates come with everything you need to set up your website step by step, and they are a great option if you want to save money and time.
YOU SHOULD HIRE A WEB DESIGNER WHEN…
We recommend hiring a web designer if you’re a business owner that meets the following criteria:
YOUR BUSINESS WILL NOT CHANGE THAT MUCH
Because you’ve been running it for a while, you’re probably an established business owner that knows exactly who is your ideal client and your target audience.Your branding and message are well defined and consistent across channels, which means that it’s unlikely that changes will happen in the short term in your business.
At this stage investing in a custom website design is probably the right choice for you, since your business is established, growing at a steady pace, and changes aren’t as necessary as they once were.
YOUR TIME IS BEST INVESTED IN GROWING THE BUSINESS
You’re no longer a one-person show, and it no longer makes sense to invest your time doing tasks that can be easily outsourced. You’re at a stage of your business that your time has become more valuable and it’s best spent somewhere else.
It no longer makes sense having a DIY website can is probably costing you money and time. If you are getting a consistent stream of clients on a regular basis, that’s a sign that maybe your website is eligible for a professional upgrade.
WHEN YOU HAVE A SUFFICIENT BUDGET
Hiring a professional web designer pays off in the long run but can also be expensive! A custom website design can cost you from $1000 to $10 000, but when you are in that stage of your business that is crucial to invest that money then you should definitely do it!
If you’re considering hiring a professional web designer to design you a completely customizable website take a look at our post Problems and Solutions When Hiring a Web Design Agency. This post has everything you should consider before hiring a web design agency. We always advise you to do your research first, check out the web designer’s portfolio, testimonials and get to know them first by scheduling a totally free consultation call.
Final Thoughts
We hope all the information we shared helped you decide if you should DIY your website or simply hire a professional web designer. If you already decided that you want to work with us schedule a totally free consultation call, we'd love to help you!