A website design can gain or break your brand’s identity. So, to create a visually appealing, feature-rich, and responsive website, some prefer DIY web design platforms, while others rely on professionals. But the question is: which one suits your business goals?
We’ve designed this article to break down the conflicts and offer you the best solution: The pros and cons of DIY web design vs. hiring a professional. Let’s get started!
What is DIY web design?
A website that is built with DIY website builders, such as WordPress, Wix, Shopify, etc is known as DIY web design. The most popular online website builder features are pre-set themes or drag-and-drop templates with customizable settings. You can choose paid or free versions based on your business size and budget.
Note: Using these tools requires no coding or design skills.
Want to build your own? But before that, let’s go through DIY web design builders’ pros and cons in the next section.
Pros of DIY web design
Online or DIY website builders work through your internet browser. Are you running a start-up or planning to start a business? Whatever your aim is, using a website builder, you can get multiple benefits such as:
Cost-effectiveness
Some website builders offer you free or low costs plans to build your site. But free versions have some templates and theme restrictions. If you go with premium ones, you explore several ways to build a professional, eye-catchy, fast, and mobile-friendly site.
Flexibility and control
DIY website builders offer creative design themes and customizable features (contact forms, image sliders, blogging tools, etc.) so you can change or alter them per your business demands. With no coding, designs, or redesigns knowledge, you can create your site without any hassle anytime and anywhere.
Easy to Set-up
The in-built drag-and-drop features and trendy themes help you to build your own site easily. Only you need to enter your text, upload relevant images, and add features where necessary. Ensure to focus on generating long-lasting sales with the brand authority rather than random launching.
Apart from the advantages, there are also many drawbacks to DIY web design. For more details, scroll down to the next section!
Cons of DIY web design
Every creation has its pros and drawbacks. Here we’ve listed some key limitations of using web builders below:
Time-consuming
If you use these website design tools for the first time, you need basic coding and design skills which requires lots of time. But as a business owner or entrepreneur, you have other tasks, such as making sales, looking after existing clients or customers, and so on. So, it’s better to invest more time and money which helps to boost your business growth.
Hidden-costs
A free or low costs template is an excellent option for sole entrepreneurs or small business owners. But for long time results and getting extensive design control, color scheme, or other customizable features, you need to choose a premium version. Sometimes, you need to pay separately to get additional features like adding widgets or apps.
Limited expertise and resources
Not every DIY web design platforms provide automatic backup services, advanced-level functionalities, and trendy designs. Then you face difficulties if there’s a security breach or you want to upgrade your site later.
Lack of professional touch
The drag-and-drop builder website speed is slower than a professionally built website. The page might not be responsive on your recommended devices or has a loading issue on your selective browser. Also, you might notice the tools have very limited SEO tools. You only get access to pre-fixed design templates and make changes that don’t provide real value to your visitors.
No technical support
The website-building platforms have the lacking of guidance or technical support. If you face any difficulties or security issues, you won’t get instant solutions and necessary advice. Also, you can’t get an idea about how to develop over time, integrate with online or offline marketing, and many others.
However, it’s time to acknowledge why you hire industry-expert website designers or agencies to boost your sales. But before that, let’s understand the meaning of professional web design.
What is professional web design?
Professional web design is all about planning and implementing site functional elements and layouts (i.e., colors, fonts, content, UI, etc.) on a website which expert-level web designers do. They deeply understand UI(user interface) and UX (user experience).
Web designers are not only familiar with programming languages (HTML, CSS, JS), but also they have expertise in design software like Adobe Photoshop. Also, to give an eye-catchy and positive user experience, they test the designed sites by constructing prototypes and wireframes.
Pros of hiring a professional
Website designers have the ability to analyse your customer base and competitor marketplace or align your business model with what you want to achieve. After that, they fulfill your business dreams in reality through the website.
Let’s explore more advantages of hiring a professional.
Professionalism
A professional web designer or agency has the latest web design trends and tools knowledge that will help you to compete with your competitors. They have no limitations compared to DIY web builders’ free templates and themes. Every CTA, link, layout block, contact form, and other setting is naturally designed, which leads visitors to a conversion.
Time-saving
Your task is to present your plan and business requirements. After that, you get your website fully functional and visually appealing within the estimated time. From creating personalized website elements based on your preferences to handover, they focus on every detail to avoid any pitfalls or mistakes.
Customisation
Ring a professional web designer or agency, you can keep your eCommerce or business site up to date with trendy and user-centric features. Based on your business needs, product demands, and customer requirements, they will customize your site.
Also, they use the right page design templates, colour schemes, tools, and other things to highlight your brand message perfectly. That means you don’t need to stick with the same layout and design.
High-quality design and functionality
Expert ones have a deep understanding of how to make things visually appealing and working experience with advanced tools. They only include the necessary functionalities for maintaining site speed. From site structure to user experience, they focus on every part to give your clients or consumers informative and engaging views.
Better SEO and online presence
You don’t need to worry about the rankings in the search engine result pages (SERPs) of your website. Professional ones have in-depth knowledge of SEO and make the structured site as per keywords. Also, the design sites load smoothly on both mobile and desktop devices, which helps to generate more visitors.
Technical support
Another and the most important advantage of hiring industry-expert web designers or agencies is you get 24/7 technical support whenever needed. If you want to redesign any page or want site-related information, just email or phone, and you’ll get solutions instantly. Most agencies have teams of developers, marketers, client support, and others to serve you the best results.
Cons of hiring a professional
Let’s breakdown some disadvantages of hiring a professional below:
Expensive
Hiring a professional agency or outsourcing from web design experts costs high because of their marketing and sales skills, along with SEO. If you have tight business revenues, you need to focus on their pricing plans before hiring.
Communication issues
A continuous communication process is required to build your dream site and fulfil your intention when you work with an agency. Generally, agencies have multiple teams and have several projects to deal with. Professional freelancers also have busy schedules. In that cases, miscommunication can happen.
Dependence on a third party
When you hire an agency or outsource, it means that they have access to your business site and do all the work for you. Their works reflect your reputation in your marketplace. You get positive feedback and earn revenue-generated traffic if they do an excellent job.
Less control over the design process
Another disadvantage of hiring a professional is the lack of control over your website design process. Suppose you face some issues or want to change a particular section or add a contact form; you either call the designer or can hire another for this task. In short, you need to rely on them for each and every change.
FAQs
Should you DIY your website?
You can DIY your website if you have enough time, budget, website safety knowledge, and other site-related tasks experience.
Is DIY web design suitable for all types of websites?
No. DIY web design is not suitable for ticket booking websites, eCommerce, and other sites. Sometimes, you can’t add any section or part to your sites as per your needs.
How much does it cost to hire a professional web designer?
The cost of hiring a professional web designer depends on several factors, such as project size, skill level, and website types (eCommerce, blog, business, or others). So, contacting your preferred agency before hiring or assigning a project is better.
Can I use DIY web design platforms for e-commerce websites?
Yes, you can do it by choosing premium or paid versions. But to develop an effective marketing strategy and increase customer awareness along with sales, a template-based online builder may only support you for a short time.
What skills do I need for DIY web design?
It’s better to have prior coding and design skills so that you can add or change as per your business requirements.
How important is a professional-looking website?
A professional-looking website help to build your business or brand authority, trust, organic traffic, improve customer service, and save time by offering user-friendly UI, powerful content & SEO.
Conclusion
After going through the pros and cons of DIY web design vs. hiring a professional, we hope you choose the best option to represent your business’s uniqueness and creativity. Also, pay attention to time, budget, and goal to nail out the ranking.
Author Bio
Ruzel Hasan is an experienced content writer. He writes for many well-known websites in various categories like digital marketing, e-commerce, product review, photography, post productions, and others. He has a wealth of experience in various writing styles, including blog posts, articles, and product descriptions. He is dedicated to delivering high-quality work and always strives to exceed expectations. Ruzel is a creative and results-driven professional who is dedicated to driving business growth through effective content marketing and writing.
