WHY YOU SHOULDN’T DESIGN YOUR OWN WEBSITE

Never before have there been so many inexpensive and easy-to-use tools available to small business owners. From Canva to FloDesk to Later and beyond, technology truly does make it easier to do business.

But in the age of DIY, one thing we believe every small business owner should invest in is professional website design. 

With the advent of ultra-user-friendly website builders, many people have taken on the task themselves. And typically, the results don’t look bad! These website builders are relatively fool-proof in the looks department.

But where they fall down on the job is when it comes to function. We’ve seen people end up with beautiful websites that are confusing, difficult to navigate, not optimized for mobile, lacking vital functions, and riddled with other issues.

This is partly because we’re naturally biased toward things we like, things we think are important, and things we think work. That means that the average person designing a website is quite likely to put things that they personally think are important front and center, completely forgetting about information the average consumer would feel strongly about seeing first. People are likely to develop a website and navigation that flows the way their own brains work, not the way the average consumer navigates a website.

And the result is a website that’s not effective.

So we recommend that if small business owners can outsource one thing that they outsource their website build to a professional.

However, we know that professional web design isn’t always within reach. If you choose to take it on yourself, make sure to run it by at least two people who aren’t related to you or work for you. Ask them to give you their honest, objective opinions. Does your site work well? Is it attention-grabbing, easy-to-navigate, and mobile-friendly? Is anything missing? Alternatively, is your site repetitive? How quickly can they find what they’re looking for?

And then listen. You don’t have to take every suggestion from every person, but in general, listen to their feedback and update your website accordingly. After launch, listen and respond when more of your potential clients offer feedback. 

If you want to invest in professional website design from the start, or if you’ve gone down the DIY path and you’re realizing it just isn’t for you, we can help! Fill out our interest form to get started.