Every business needs a website. Nowadays, if your business doesn’t have a website, it’s almost like it doesn’t even exist at all. But building a website isn’t the same as starting a Facebook page. Even if you’re a dedicated DIY-er, a website is something even the most capable small business owners often need help with. Should you take on the challenge and design your own website, or should you hire a professional? Ask yourself these questions before you decide.
Do You Have Experience?

One of the most important things to consider is how much experience you have with designing websites. If you’ve never designed a website before, do you really want your professional site to be your first attempt? First tries are unrefined, and by the time you try again you’ll have learned a lot. Don’t make your website be your guinea pig. If you do have experience, however, you might be able to design your own website depending on the amount and quality of your experience. If you’ve made minor edits or used a template, you probably shouldn’t. If you’ve built an entire website from scratch, you might have the experience it takes.
Do You Know What Websites Need?

Even if you’re good at creating graphics, coming up with color schemes, writing copy, and writing code, it doesn’t mean you have all the skills required to design your own website. One of the most important things about your website is usability. Your website needs to be easy for visitors to use and navigate. It needs to include all the elements that people will look for and expect to find. If you don’t have knowledge of the substance that any basic website needs to have, you may not want to design your own website and risk leaving out any important elements.
Do You Have the Time?

Designing a website isn’t a quick and easy process. It takes time; the more detailed and polished your website is, the more time it will take. Web designers spend hours on their clients’ websites, and they’re usually able to get them done significantly quicker than the client could on their own. If you don’t have hours of free time to devote to your website, you may need one of those designers to help you. In addition, websites require regular updating and monitoring. You may need to devote a few hours every week to maintaining your website, so keep that in mind.
Do You Know How to Write Code?

Websites are created with their own languages, namely HTML and CSS. If you are unfamiliar with writing code, or don’t have more than a very basic knowledge, designing your own website will be very challenging. You’ll need to spend a lot of time learning code before you can even begin on the site itself. If you are well-versed in code, you may be able to design your own website with a lot less difficulty. In addition, search engine optimization (SEO) needs to be implemented into your code, so you should be knowledgeable about SEO as it pertains to website design and code, too.

This valuable marketing article was prepared for you by Travis Lee of SEOMAP – the keyword strategy experts.