6 Reasons Not To Build Your Own Website
When you start a new business there are a lot of costs to think about, so it might be tempting to get your online journey started with a template website builder.
There are some good tools available, but also some very bad ones. In reality, even if you choose one of the good options, the time you will spend selecting designs, planning your navigation, and optimising your content to perform well in search engine result pages (SERPs) won’t be a good investment.
Here are six top reasons why a self-build site isn’t a good way to launch your business’s online presence:
1. Cost
Many template website builders say they are free or low-cost but there are often hidden costs in addition to the time you will need to spend building and maintaining your site.
Here are some things to look out for:
Sites that initially appear to be free, but in fact have monthly charges after a trial period
Free options that are only available if you accept advertising that promotes the website builder’s services
Sites that you can build for free but can’t be linked to your business website address without buying a hosting package
You might also discover other additional costs if, for example, you want to add plug-ins, apps, or extra features.
2. Your Branding
You only have one chance to create a first impression. Eight out of 10 shoppers use online research to choose their products, so that first impression is likely to be provided by your website. That’s why it must represent your brand well and look professional.
Designing a website that looks attractive and delivers a good user experience isn’t something that you can learn to do overnight. In most cases the templates you are offered on self-build sites leave you with little scope for customisation, so your site could look very similar to many others. You certainly won’t stand out from the crowd.
3. Site Performance
Websites that perform well in search engines need excellent content and must perform well technically. Self-build websites can have serious technical problems.
If your business can’t be discovered through online searches you will be almost invisible to your customers. While some self-build sites include tools to help your search engine results you will need to understand how search engine optimisation (SEO) works to use them effectively and it will be time-consuming.
There’s also the issue of speed. If web pages take more than three seconds to load, your visitor will lose interest and go somewhere else. The type of shared hosting common for self-build sites will often have slow page loading times, so even the people who have found your site might not wait to take a look. That will affect your site’s performance and search engines will penalise you for it too.
4. Ongoing Support
You might also be disappointed with the unhelpfulness of the customer helpline from a self-build provider. Often, website support isn’t included or will take place after waiting in a queue for an international call centre, using a messaging service or by working your way through frequently asked questions.
5. Your Time
Although some providers claim that your new website can be built in a day, that probably isn’t a good thing. An effective, easy-to-use site takes time and effort to produce. You will need to look at the design and plan your approach to SEO. If these aren’t areas of expertise for you, it could end up taking up a lot of your valuable time trying to figure it out.
6. Knowing What Works
You have probably heard a lot about changing web technology, new search engine algorithms, data protection, user experience, and conversion rate optimisation. What you need to know and do is changing all the time. You probably don’t have time to keep up to date with the latest advice and best practices and that will show in your website’s performance.
The Alternative
All of these things can be done for you with a small initial investment in an it’seeze website and an affordable monthly subscription. While your expert local consultant looks after your site’s structure, design and performance, you can focus on what you do best – running your business.
Get in touch today to find out just how easily and quickly your website can be launched by the team here at it'seeze Web Design Milton Keynes.
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