Should you hire a professional website design agency or use an online website builder?
We’ve all been there. Frantically Googling how to fix or build something above and beyond our skillset because, well, who needs experienced professionals when we have YouTube right? The internet is awash with tips and tutorials on how to “do it yourself” but should we leave it to the experts?
Online website builders such as Wix and Squarespace have made creating your own websites even easier. With user friendly interfaces and inexpensive launch costs it’s no surprise that many small businesses are turning to these services to build their own website. This article weighs up the pros and cons of hiring a professional website design agency versus building your own website using platforms such as Wix or Squarespace.
Cost
Without a doubt, hiring a professional website design agency will require a larger initial investment. For this reason, it is crucial for your business to choose an agency that can offer the right online solutions and aesthetics. Take time to review the quality of their work before committing to an agency.
It may be difficult for new businesses to access funds immediately, but there are agencies that offer staged payments in order to assist new business owners.
An online website builder will most definitely cost less with many popular platforms offering “new customer” discounts and introductory offers. In the short-term, an online website builder will save you money. However, as your business grows and you require more from your website, you may need to pay for additional features.
Design and development
With an established professional website design agency, you will benefit from years of experience in digital design and development. When you work with an agency, they will take the time to understand what you are trying to accomplish with your website and develop a visually appealing solution for you. Among the factors they take into account are design aesthetics, search engine optimisation, user experience, and accessibility. Often, these are skills honed over many years in the industry.
You may find an online website builder that has a design template that fits your brand well, but chances are, someone else has found it too. That’s right templates aren’t exclusive. Your site could look similar to thousands of other websites using the same template.
If you’re considering a design template from an online website builder, it’s wise to think about how well your own content would fit. Templates often include placeholder text and carefully curated stock images to ensure the preview you see looks most appealing. You often find that once you add your own text and images, those polished layouts that initially attracted you have become:
- Disjointed – because your word count doesn’t match the previewed text
- Less aesthetic – because the images you are using aren’t professional quality like the preview
Check out our article that explains the importance of why content should come before design.
Professional website design agencies understand the importance of following best practices and good design. In order to ensure your website fits your brand, they know how to utilise colour, typography, and layout consistently. An online website builder simply cannot replicate this type of service.
Code bloat
Code bloat occurs when there is too much HTML, CSS or JavaScript in a webpage. Online website builders such as Wix and Squarespace are appealing because they allow people without technical skills to build their own websites, but they have a major flaw: code bloat. When using these tools, it’s easy to add tons of elements or animations which causes the page to load slowly or even crash browsers because they can’t handle all of that information at once.
It’s important for marketers and business owners to understand that while these platforms are okay for basic designs, if you want something complex then it’s better to hire a professional website design agency who knows how to write clean, semantic code.
Summary
Websites are one of the most important aspects of any business because they’re how you communicate with your customers. They should be professional and easy to use so people can find what they’re looking for easily.
Online website builders appeal people who don’t have much experience with HTML or CSS but they won’t give you the same level of quality as a professional website design agency would. If you want your site to look professional and appeal to your target audience then hiring a professional website design agency is the way to go.
