StressLessWeb

Why doing it yourself could end up costing more

I remember the day my husband thought he was bona fide plumber. The plumbing in our house was 40 years old. But everything seemed to be fine. Till one day, we decided to change the kitchen faucet. Changing the faucet was relatively easy. So my husband figured, while he was at it, he would change some of the rusted pipes under the sink too. Of course he didn’t have any of the right tools to get under the sink.

$300 later, we had a leak! And no amount of patching the pipe would stop it. The only solution was to reduce the water pressure in the house. For the next 6 months we lived with lower water pressure. And then we hired professionals to change the entire plumbing.

Creating your website yourself is very much like a ‘Do It Yourself’ home repair job. You can do it yourself. And if you’re knowledgable you will get it done right. But if you are not very comfortable with building websites then it could be end up costing you more that you bargained for.

So first, let’s look at reasons to create a website yourself

When should you build a WordPress website yourself?

I have to say that WordPress is pretty easy and you really don’t need a computer science degree to learn it. However here are few facts you should be prepared for before starting:

• Understanding your skill level: It is one thing to be new to WordPress but you also need to be slightly aware of how the internet works and the jargon that describes the different technologies being used.
• No time constraints: Do you have the time to invest in learning not just WordPress but what it takes to create a professional looking website?
• Budget constraints: If your budget is very tight then probably building your website yourself might be cheaper. But be wary of how much you are spending to build the website yourself.
• No pressing need for a website: As an newcomer, it might take you a lot longer to figure out things in order to build a website.
• Learning by trial and error: As this is will all be new, you will be unaware of the different WordPress themes, plugins and techniques. So there will be lot of trying, testing and starting over that will happen.

Now let’s take a look at reasons for hiring a professional.

Why a professional works out better?

When you hire a website designer to build your website you are investing in a reputable professional. A professional:

• Knows the latest design trends: Design styles keep changing and evolving. A designer is aware of these trends and will build your site accordingly.
• Understands technology: A professional keeps abreast of the latest technological advances. And will build a website using the latest technology needed for your features and functionality.
• User friendly website: A website needs to be designed so that users can easily find their way around the website or they will never return to your site. A good designer will always create a website that is user friendly and easily navigable.
• Gives you time to focus on what’s important: Focussing on creating quality content for the website is what will drive traffic to your website and increase revenue.
• Will build a website in less time: A professional will have your website online much quicker than a newcomer.
• Provide you instructions: A good designer will provide you with instructions on how to maintain your website after they are done.
• Hassle free: You will not have to deal with the hassle of figuring out how to install and set everything up.

The advantages of hiring a professional outweighs doing it yourself. However if you are still committed to do-it-yourself, remember, that while building your own website can be fun many small business owners tend to overlook this one point.

A common mistake

The time factor is often underestimated. So instead of focussing on the important aspects of the business like creating quality content. A lot of time is spent trying to build and design the perfect website. This leads to the website launch getting delayed or postponed. Which might then affect all your business plans.

To summarize..

Building a WordPress website can be fun and educational but you need to understand the implications. Getting a professional may seem more expensive initially. But just like when my husband tried to be the plumber, in the long run a professional can work out much cheaper.

Are you considering building a website for your business. Don’t hesitate to Contact Me. I will be more than happy to answer your questions.

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