Congrats: you’ve decided to take the plunge and build a brand new website from scratch. Maybe you’ve outgrown the capabilities of your existing site, you’ve realized a Facebook business page just isn’t enough. Either way, establishing a beautiful and functional site is a key part of any entrepreneur’s business strategy, and that means you’ll have to get it done right.
If you’re a small or medium sized business, you’ve probably got some budget constraints when it comes to web development. Like many business owners, you’re trying to decide whether to partner with a web development agency, or try to pull a site together on your own.
So let’s talk this through. Here are some of the pros and cons of the DIY website-building approach, as well as partnering with an agency.
Pros and Cons of Building Your Own Site
Pros:
- Could be the cheapest route
Cons:
- No ongoing IT support
- You’ll rely on a template, so your site won’t be unique
- You’ll have to pay for extra apps and integrations
There are plenty of site editors out there that are geared to business owners who have no or limited coding knowledge, just like you. So you may find that it’s pretty intuitive to drag and drop different site elements until you land on a look that you’re happy with. You’ll tap publish and pat yourself on the back. And you might save a good chunk of money, at least initially.
But the problems start popping up pretty quickly. You’ll have to insert code to make sure your ad campaigns are reporting conversions correction. You’ll be solely responsible for finding and fixing issues before they affect sales, and changing the metadata that improve your search rankings against competitors.
And if you want to integrate additional functionality or security features as your company changes, you’ll have to pay for it – or worse, go back to the drawing board with a new website.
The bottom line? If you’re relatively tech-savvy and willing to put in some time, you can pull off a DIY website. And if you’re working with a shoe-string budget, that might be your best option, at least temporarily. But for most growing companies, a home-grown site just won’t cut it.
Pros and Cons of Hiring A Web Development Firm
Pros:
- Custom-built site and software
- Expert engineers to catch issues
- More convenient: site is hosted, built, and managed under the same roof
- Ability to improve over time
- Complete creative control
Cons:
- Could be more expensive
Let’s start off with the feature that, in our opinion, gives you the biggest advantage. When you partner with a team to build your website rather than relying on a cookie-cutter template, you have complete creative control over the look, feel, and functionality of your site. You’ll end up with a custom solution that’s built to reflect your brand, business goals, and customer needs.
The only potential downside is the cost. But even if a custom-built site costs more than doing it yourself, be sure to consider the ongoing price tag. If you run into problems, will you have to outsource to a freelance engineer, or even hire a coder internally? If your business develops and has different software requirements in a year, will you have to start all over again?
At the end of the day, many business owners find that in order to keep up with the pace of business growth, a custom-built site is a must. In addition to customizing every aspect of your digital experience, you’ll also have the peace of mind that comes with having expert software engineers on speed dial, ready to answer questions and fix bugs.
Still have questions about the cost of building a website? Book some time to chat with our team, and we’ll walk you through what to expect.