Your website is a valuable piece of online real estate for your business. Getting your own website is one of the first things you should do as a startup.
#1: There’s more to web design than “pretty”.
Web design is more than just picking a color you like, putting your logo on there and telling the world what you do. Your website has to serve a function – to attract potential customers. Professional web designers factor in functionality, load speeds, hosting integrity, customer experience and more. One of the simple pages in a website – the contact page – is more than just a few boxes to fill out. (Here’s a great article by Yoast on “5 Annoying Contact Page Mistakes”)
#2: It’s not the best use of your time.
If you’re a new startup, it might even sound fun to you to create your own website. You’re anxious to show the world how ready you are to rule your entrepreneurial empire. There are lots of templates out there that can make it easier but even the “easy builders” have a learning curve. Isn’t it a better use of your time to be out getting clients? Learning a new skill is a challenge most entrepreneurs gladly take on but you have to consider what the ROI of that skill will be for you. When it comes to web design, it’s probably pretty low.
#3: You’re an expert in _________, not web design.
Your clients come to you because you have studied and practiced and kept up with the latest information in whatever industry you’re in. Isn’t that what you want when it comes to web design? Just like your industry, best practices for web design are ever changing. It’s best to let a professional who keeps up with those trends (because isn’t that what’s best for your business?) to make sure your digital real estate works as it should.
#4: You need a website that can grow with you.
You’re anxious to get started and a “build your own website in 5 minutes” sounds like a dream come true. Those websites might get you up and going (it will take more than 5 minutes though) but they only help you for the here and now. A professional web design company will work with you to build you a website that works for you now but also takes into account your goals for the future. If you do the work yourself, you could end up with a website that not only doesn’t work as well as you thought it would but also not be good for you past the first year of your business (if that long!)
#5: It’s not as expensive as you think.
Many entrepreneurs avoid hiring someone to do their website because they think it’s going to cost them thousands of dollars. Sure, you can get a website that costs that much and sometimes that’s appropriate. However, if you’re just starting out, you most likely don’t need that. Take us, for example. We can build a website for our clients for as little as $500 AND have it up for you quickly. We want to get you on the path to success as fast as you do!
Whether you’re a startup or you’ve been in business a while and you need a website refresh, talk to a professional company before you decide to do things on your own. We’re happy to help you understand the process and how we can work together to get your digital real estate working for you. Simply give us a call at 859-263-9045 and we’ll be glad to help!