Before You Design Your Own Website Ask Yourself These Three Questions

If you haven't yet decided whether or not to design your own website, let me help you weigh out this important decision.

Below are four questions, I recommend all business owners like you should consider before designing your own site.

Although I am a web designer writing this article, I am going to give you unbiased questions that will help you weigh the pros and cons.

Because every business has different circumstances I truly believe that in some cases it's better to do–it–yourself and in other situations it may be best to hire a professional website designer.

All I will do is inform you about the four big factors that will help you make that decision on your own.

It's Time To Ask Yourself:

Do I have the time to devote to building a website?

As a business owner you usually "wear many hats" or handle a lot of responsibilities. So, your time is very valuable.

Consider whether you can set aside time in your schedule right now to successfully take on learning a new skill, and creating a design.

Also, after your website is built, you have to dedicate some of your time towards maintain it.

If you have a fast growing business... you may see that you have to dedicate more time to managing your customers more than a website.

On the other hand... you may want to do a website yourself if you have a lot of time on your hands while the business is in it's slow season or just getting started.

Is it worth my time or is my time more valuable?

Next, if you see that your schedule allows for you to design your own website, you need to evaluate whether it's worth your time.

Calculate the cost of using your time to create a website, compared to paying someone else to do it.

For example, if you have a service based business and charge a customer $100/hour and a web designer would charge you $50/hour... you would have $50 more in your pocket, if you allowed someone else to do the website for you.

In the example above, it's actually less expensive to pay a website designer to create your site, while you handle other important business tasks that can make you money.

So, make sure you calculate the cost!

Do I want a simple or dynamic website design?

Some web design features require way more coding or photo manipulation to achieve a certain look.

If you envision a simple website... then you probably can design your own website using a builder.

If you want a dynamic website with things like a cool photo or video gallery, blog, shopping cart, etc... you might need to hire someone to do it.

There are website builders that boast nice websites in the examples sites. Yet be aware that some require a little knowledge of HTML, CSS, and/or Javascript to make more dynamic sites like the ones you see in the ads and commercials.

What is my budget?

How much money can you invest in your website at the moment? No matter what route you choose, a website done the right way will cost money.

If you're short on funds, your best option may be to design your own website or, find an inexpensive web designer who does work on the beginner level.

If you have a bigger budget, then you are not limited to doing the website on your own. You can opt to hire a professional freelance designer or use an agency.

Did You Know?

You may be able to save up to 40%–50% off a custom website if you have a local web designer create it for you. Find out if you reside in a city or county that offers a local e–commerce grant by searching terms like e–commerce grant, business website grant with the name of your city or county.

Have you made a decision?

As you can see, the choice as to whether to design your own website or hire someone to do it all boils down to:

The amount of time you can devote to learning and building
How valuable your time is
The level of skill your website will require
Your budget

After you have considered the questions above, make your choice based on YOUR circumstances and what will be best for your business.

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