There's nothing new to the fact that businesses need to have a website to compete in the modern marketplace. When starting from scratch, the first decision to make is whether to build it yourself or hire a professional or firm to get the job done.
There are pros and cons to each approach, including the following:
Build your own website
Digital Dementia, a technology consulting firm, explained building a website without the assistance of a professional service provider might save the business some cash. This depends on how many components and moving parts are involved in the finished project, but the firm said a more complex site built in house can yield thousands of dollars in savings.
Notably, Squarespace has really stood apart from the rest when it comes to do-it-yourself website creation. Squarespace offers business websites starting at $216 each year and countless tools and support to help professionals who have never built a website. It is user-friendly and relatively easy to understand.
Business owners who have some experience with coding and other aspects of website creation might want to look to WordPress, as this one is a bit more customizable. Regardless of the tool used, companies need to ensure their websites look professional and align with the brand image.
The cons of building your own website often involve poor functionality, missing code, a lack of search engine optimization and unprofessional aesthetics. Unless you or the employee tasked with the responsibility has extensive experience with these matters, the best move will often be to leverage a professional service provider.
Getting your website built
Costs are the only con of using a service provider for website development, but even that disadvantage can be variable. It may not be cost effective to build your website on your own if you don't have the knowledge necessary to deliver a compelling site that meets the needs of your business.
Orange Mantra, an ecommerce service provider, notes professional services might be more affordable in the end rather than building a website internally. The firm also points out that professional knowledge and use of the latest technologies and techniques can actually save you time and offer a higher quality website.
So unless you or your staff have current website creation knowledge, the best idea is likely to outsource these projects.
