You need to have a website. There’s no other way to build a successful business in the modern era. But if you’re new to the world of entrepreneurship, you’re quickly going to realize that your website’s design, development, and maintenance are not easy decisions to make.
Do you hire a professional web designer to put together a layout for your website, paying thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege? Or do you try to put together a website on your own with an investment of time only?
DIY web design is certainly appealing, and for more reasons than just the low-cost basis – but most DIY web design projects inevitably fail.
Why is this the case, and can you prevent it?
Before we can understand the reason why so many DIY web projects fail, we need to understand “failure.” What does it mean for a website to fail?
There are several potential failure points. First, most people want their website to be functional, present their brand in a positive light, and ultimately persuade visitors to take action – like buying a product or filling out a form. Because of this, a website could conceivably fail in any number of ways, such as providing a horrible user experience and ruining the reputation of the brand, suffering catastrophic losses from a cyberattack, or just dealing with a permanently low conversion rate.
The simplest answer is because of inexperience.
There’s a lot to learn about effective web design and development, from the essential components of website operation to the latest trends in user experience. However, if you don’t understand these elements and you try to piece together a website from scratch, even the best web builder in the world isn’t going to help you surmount the obstacles you’ll face.
In other words, inexperience leads to a bad design, leading to bad results.
It’s no wonder why DIY web design is so appealing. As we’ve mentioned before, it’s much less expensive than designing a website from scratch with an agency.
These days, it’s also easy. There are dozens, or even hundreds of free website builders that promise the experience of designing an effective website in a matter of minutes. Thanks to WYSIWYG editors and helpful guides, even an amateur can get something up and running.
On top of that, DIY web design gives you much more transparency and control over the development of your website. If you’re new to the world of web design, or if you’ve had a bad experience with pro designers in the past, you might be skeptical about what happens on the backend – or you might just want more autonomy over the process.
DIY web design also tends to be a problem because of the sheer number of things that can go wrong.
For example:
It’s also worth noting that design isn’t everything. Even if you manage to put together a functional and beautiful website on your own, there’s no guarantee it’s going to be a success. You’ll still need to optimize the site for conversions, invest in marketing and advertising, and continue promoting the site as it grows. It’s certainly possible to DIY everything here – but it’s not easy.
For the most part, DIY web design projects are doomed to fail, in one way or another. The good news is that there are many potential solutions.
You could, for example, invest enough time and effort studying the fundamentals of web design and development to become an expert in your own right. But for most entrepreneurs looking to create a website from scratch, it’s easier to work with a professional agency.
Image Credit: Kaboompics; Pexels; Thank you!
Timothy Carter is the Chief Revenue Officer of the Seattle digital marketing agency SEO.co, DEV.co & PPC.co. He has spent more than 20 years in the world of SEO and digital marketing leading, building and scaling sales operations, helping companies increase revenue efficiency and drive growth from websites and sales teams. When he’s not working, Tim enjoys playing a few rounds of disc golf, running, and spending time with his wife and family on the beach — preferably in Hawaii with a cup of Kona coffee. Follow him on Twitter @TimothyCarter
