Your website can make a powerful impression on potential customers. But when you’re creating a brand new website or redesigning your existing site, you may find yourself debating whether you should hire a professional or try to do it all yourself. After all, with the proliferation of site builder tools like WordPress, DIY web design is easier than ever. 

But which option for website creation (or redesign) is right for your business? Here’s a closer look at how professional vs. DIY web design compares.

Is DIY a Realistic Option?

Unsurprisingly, the biggest pro of DIYing your website design is the potential cost savings. Site builders often offer free themes and plugins that allow you to create a website on a budget. You also have total flexibility and creative control in terms of the content you add and how you present it. If you already have the necessary skills, you can create a quality website in a relatively short time. This is especially true if you only need a simple site with just a few pages.

On the other hand, DIY web design can be very time-consuming, especially if you don’t already have this skill set. This can take away from time you should be devoting to other important business activities. For business owners, it’s well worth considering if this particular trade-off is worthwhile. 

Your lack of skills and experience could also result in a website that doesn’t function properly or look appealing to potential customers. With a poor user experience and unprofessional design, your website could actually cause you to lose business. The more complex your website is, the harder it will be to successfully manage it on your own.

When Should You Use a Professional?

Hiring a professional web designer makes sense when you want to ensure you have an extremely high-quality site. Professional web designers can do more than make sure your site looks good and functions properly — they can also address back-end concerns like SEO that influence your site’s discoverability. 

This can help you save a lot of time, while still enjoying a final result that meets the standards today’s internet users expect. In addition, many web designers can create a completely custom site, rather than relying on a template.

Unsurprisingly, the biggest drawback of a professional web designer is the cost. A professional website design can cost several thousand dollars, and costs increase if your site is more complex or requires a high number of pages.

A successful partnership with a web designer also depends on quality communication. Miscommunications could delay the project or result in a website that doesn’t match what you were looking for. And of course, not all web designers are created equal. You must do your due diligence to ensure you work with a high-quality designer.

Making the Right Choice

Ultimately, both DIY and professional web design come with trade-offs in terms of time and money spent, as well as what you want and are able to accomplish with your website. By carefully evaluating the pros and cons of these options, you can find the solution that works best for your business so that your website can become a successful pillar of your operations.

If you need help with your web design, be sure to contact Site Rockstar! We’ll be happy to talk about how we can help with your web design needs.