Once upon a time on the internet, everyone needed web designers if they didn’t want a website that looked like a badly designed pamphlet for a jumble sale. Nowadays, however, there are a plethora of hosting and web building sites that don’t require the user to even know what HTML stands for.
Do these sites really offer what you need? What are the advantages of hiring web design professionals?
What a Web Design Agency Can Do For You
What a web designer has that you don’t is knowledge: knowledge of the software, design principles and SEO principles. Another thing a web designer has that you don’t is time. Time as a commodity is a big thing these days, and by outsourcing your web design to a skilled company, you can get on with building your business plan, your marketing plan or simply carrying out your day-to-day business activities.
Web designers understand more than just what looks good and what technology to use. They also know about user behaviour and user interface. They do this day in, day out, and most of the general public simply cannot compete with their knowledge. If you do decide to hire a web designer, you’ll find that it is not easy to choose with so many excellent agencies out there. The best thing to do is read a few trusted guides on how you can choose the best one for you.
Going it Alone with a Web Builder
There are many free web building sites around today including Go Daddy, Wix and Moonfruit. These make web building easy enough for children and internet luddites. However, creativity is rather limited on these builders. For those building amateur sites that don’t need to be overly optimised, such as sites for local groups or clubs, using a web builder makes perfect sense. The real benefit of building your own web site is the low cost.
As you can see, there is a choice to make and it’s not always straightforward. Those building websites for people who will visit anyway, such as an existing group or organisation, might be able to get away with building their own. However, those who want to direct traffic to their professional-looking business site will nearly always be better off hiring an expert.