Why Pay For Web Design
The first question I’m often asked nowadays is: why pay for web design when there are many popular domain name sellers nowadays offering DIY sites for free? Let’s look at the different options, and give you some food for thought when deciding which is best for you.
What do free DIY websites offer, apart of course from being ‘free’? Well, they can be quick to set up and may be worthwhile as a first step. However, if you don’t have good design skills they can look far from professional. Let me explain…
Usually you will have only a small selection of very basic templates to base your design on. Crucially there will only be limited customisation allowed, so even if you have the skills you may still struggle.
Importantly, although it’s ‘your’ site, it will very likely host adverts fed from elsewhere, and have the hosting company’s name prominently displayed too.
Is there anything good about them?
Yes certainly. A free DIY website will allow you to get your information ‘out there’ on the internet very quickly. It may not look great, but if you just want somewhere to ‘dump’ say a selection of photos of your new house extension, or even your artwork, then this will do the job.
Some customisation will probably be available. That is you may be able to change the font to one of a limited selection. Perhaps also the colour of the background, even the text. You’ll be able to add images, although maybe only in a very few specified locations. And you can enter your contact details.
Do keep in mind that your free site is unlikely to be secured (this is referred to as SSL and is shown by the little padlock that appears before the website address in a browser). This means that anyone using your site may be at risk particularly if entering their own details anywhere, like a contact form.
Is there a middle ground?
Yes there is. You can pay for your DIY site to be hosted so that advertising and certain limitations on design are removed; nowadays SSL security will usually be included in the price too.
If you feel you can confidently design the layout and create and enter all the content yourself, then this could be your best option. You will have more flexibility, and more tools available than with a free site. However, don’t be under any illusions that this is an “easy option”.
Again it can allow you to get your information onto the internet and available for ‘the world’ to see fairly quickly, but designing a site properly – to look good, to be easy to navigate, and to be found by search engines – takes time and effort. A LOT of time and effort, especially if you’re learning as you go.
If you’re thinking of taking this option, then why not book some one-to-one tutorial time with me, and I can teach you some of the basics that you might struggle with.
So why pay for someone to design your website?
If your site is for your business, remember that your website is your shop window. This is true whether you offer products for sale, or provide a service, either locally or more widely. Nowadays, your customers’ first contact is often through your website. And if it looks amateurish that may dictate how your customer views your business. Plus, if it’s too hard to navigate, they may just look elsewhere.
When you pay to have a website designed for you the result will be better in many ways. You will get a site that attractively showcases your business in a style that fits. You’ll get a site that visitors can navigate easily and logically. And you’ll have a site with a better chance of being found by more visitors using search engines (like Google).
Whether you think this option is for you, or you’d like some one-to-one training on how to build a site yourself, get in touch via the enquiry form and we can have a chat and talk it through.
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