Aside from the obvious, there are many reasons why you should never, ever, ever build your own website. Between the various WYSIWYG applications available on the marketplace that make it easy to create a website at a click of a button, you may be persuaded to believe your time and effort will give you the great return you expect. I am here to tell you that this is not always the case. Here are some important factors to keep in mind before making the next decision on your website.
You’ll Need to Know Code
While the WYSIWYG’s available on the marketplace make it look easy at a click of a button, you will quickly come to realise that certain customisations will not be made possible. Everyone wants their business to have a unique brand identity. Why be like everyone else in the first place? Coding requirements can range from an understanding of HTML and CSS to even more difficult languages like Java and C++. The markup language of HTML is just as important as its latter style sheets to create the design and functionality you wish to achieve.
Platform Requirements
So, you made it past step one. What is next? You need to host your website and find a platform that can handle your traffic load and processing speed. There is nothing like visiting your website to be met with a 503 or 504 Error. Choosing a quality company to host your site on requires time to research and may also require a knowledge-base for optimising certain functions of your website to make it suitable for visitors.
You Will Need Content
While you got the site design and key components down to make it live, you will also need content for your site. This is anything from images and text to videos and external links. Having well-written content is an important part of a good web design. Additionally, your website must be intuitive and easy to navigate. Broken links, poor spelling, grammar, or design can hinder visitors’ ability to receive your message adequately.
It Takes a Lot of Time to Build Yourself
Following the first three points, let us move on to the biggie here! We’ve established that it takes some experience and knowledge to get this far, but also consider the fact that it takes a lot of time. If a problem occurs, you must troubleshoot that too. If you hit a barrier, the time you spend researching is not always equal to learning if you do not know what you are looking for in the first place. Consider economising and hire a professional for your website.
Costs
In the end, hiring a professional may seem expensive at first but based on the amount of time spent on the initial design and setup, you will spend less on continual development in the future. Plus, having a website is not just considered an expense, but also an investment for your business that will drive customers, growth, and profit in the end. Do not short-change yourself now. You will only be short-changing yourself in the future.