That is an excellent question, with the many easy “do-it-yourself” website builders out there that are so cheap and even free, so why should you choose an expensive professional?

Any business, big or small, that wishes to be competitive in the online or offline market MUST have a professional website. The internet has become the number one way that people search for a business or to find information on a business. And mobile is the leader, so your website  must not only be professional, but it must be mobile-friendly as well.

Any small business that does not have a professionally built website risks losing potential customers/clients and risks harming their reputation. Most consumers now evaluate products and companies  before they even decide to make a purchase or to hire for a service. So if your website does not appear professional and/or is not user-friendly or secure, that potential customer/client  will simply move on to the next business.

Many people do not realize the importance of professional web design, or how a poorly constructed site may cause damage to their business and/or reputation. Let alone how a poorly constructed website may never be found by the potential customers/clients looking for it.

Most DIY Website Builders Have Limited Abilities

Although DIY website builders seam easy to use to build a website, they are not really the best place to fully develop a professional business website. You are quite limited to what a website builder can handle. Which means certain features you want or need may not be available and there may be no way to add it.

Secondly, if something happens and you need to move your website, you won’t be able to. If you want to recreate the website using a different web builder you have to start from scratch. Most importantly though, website builders are known to have major SEO and content marketing limitations. All these limitations mean you could significantly increase your overall expenses in the long run as well as end up wasting your valuable time.

You Are an Expert in Your Business, They Are an Expert in Websites

You’re getting ready for a big meeting and realize you need a haircut, are you going to grab the scissors sitting on your desk and the nearest mirror or are you going to head to a trusted barber shop/salon? I think the answer to that is going to be a trusted barber shop/salon right. Of course it is, your stylist is an expert in hair, you aren’t. A website designer/developer is an expert in building websites and will make sure each and every one of the numerous things that go into a successful website will go into your website. 

A professional website designer/developer has developed and honed the necessary skills to create a successful website through years of learning. With that experience, a professional will know what is needed to make an impression on your target audience. They will be able to help you set up on-site content and images to maximize exposure and return on your investment. Every aspect of your site will be carefully thought out to ensure that you’re not losing visitors or money. You will not get that kind of high-quality work from a non-professional web designer or a limited DIY website builder.

They Know All of the Little Things That You May Not Know

Many of the details that go into a successful website are not commonly known and without the right experts to assist you, your website will not be successful. You may not realize it but improper images may not show up on every browser, image files that are too large may take too long to load  or may not even load properly when they attempt to browse the website. Improper document uploads can cause bugs and problems preventing your client/customer from downloading. Code in one browser may look very different in another browser.

All of these little things and so many more are critical to a successful website, but a professional knows these things and how to fix them or even prevent them in the first place. It is critical that your website reach as many potential clients/ customers as possible and in order to make this happen it’s important to make sure that your site loads smoothly on all browsers, computers, tablets and phones. A  professional will run the necessary tests to ensure that your website is working perfectly everywhere.

Another issue is that websites can get hacked, resulting in infections with viruses or malware. Software that runs your website needs updates to ensure that security risks are mitigated. And sometimes updates can break your site. But a professional can handle all of these issues for you and keep your website up and running at it’s best.

First Impressions are Critical to Your Website’s Success

There have been many studies done to show just how important first impressions are when it comes to a business website. According to a report by one of the country’s leading SEO companies;

It takes a mere 50 milliseconds for a website visitor to form an overall opinion of your website,

38% of visitors will leave if the layout of your site is unattractive,  unprofessional or amateurish looking,

85% of consumers will lookup a website to get the feel of a business before making a purchase decision, and

94% of consumer’s first impressions of websites are design related.

If your website is poorly designed and unattractive a large portion of visitors will leave within seconds with a bad first impression of your business. This means that having a website your business can be proud of is critical to your website success.

Changing Trends and Technology

Web design trends and technology are always changing. What worked last year, won’t necessarily work this year and most definitely what worked ten years ago for your website won’t be effective now. A professional is aware of and knowledgeable of the constantly changing trends and technologies and can guide you on what will be appropriate for you and your website. 

A Customized Websites is Unique to You and Your Brand/Business

There are many beautiful website templates available out there, and a template may even seem easy and quick since all you have to do is fill in the content, add a couple of images or features, and you’re ready to go. This is what all free/paid DIY website builders give you. The problem is, ask yourself how many other people have a similar or same website. A template means you won’t stand out from others and more than likely won’t fit with your branding.

It’s The Best Value For Both Your Time and Your Money

The biggest issue I see is that small business owners are more focused on the initial investment rather than looking at the whole picture. In addition to be being built properly from the start, every website also needs regular maintenance to  make sure is is performing optimally at all times. Even simple technical issues happen more often with a poorly designed website, and let’s not forget the big ones that can happen. Most people won’t even think twice about spending a sum of money on professionally printed marketing material, what they don’t realize is that your website is your BEST marketing tool and should receive the majority of your marketing budget to ensure you’re getting the best website you can.

ProgrammerJen can help you with a custom, unique, professional website for your small business, contact me now!