Design & Develop a DIY Website
Wearing many hats isn’t abnormal if you’re a newbie business owner. You’ve probably created your logo, made business cards, etc. Next on your list is building a website; it can’t be that hard, right? But here’s the thing…the question isn’t, can you DIY your website, it’s SHOULD you DIY your website? One of the biggest obstacles will be time; find out if it’s on your side, what to expect on your return, and what happens when you break it.
TRUTH TIME
How long will it take to DIY your website?
DIY is a daunting unpaid task you take on with little experience, meaning you’ll experience:
➡️ A lot of open questions and Googling
➡️ Time that you can’t get back
➡️ Frustrations when the answers are not clear
➡️ Fewer resources available
➡️ No definite timeline
➡️ The result might not be what you expected
Time is one of the most significant factors when comparing DIY to DFY; I can’t tell you how long it will take to DIY your website. But I can tell you the truth about having a professional build your website.
⏰ You’re not using your time researching, learning, troubleshooting, fixing errors, asking questions, and waiting for a reply. Instead, use the time you save by working with a professional to do what’s important to you.
⏰ You’ll have deadlines for every project phase so you know when items are needed, the review period, and when it will launch! There’s no pushing back launch dates. If your site is the kickoff to new products, it’s crucial to have a concrete date.
⏰ TIME IS MONEY! While you DIY your site, your competitors are making relationships with your clients instead of you.
The real question is, would you rather do your website in your own time or have someone else finish it quickly?
ROI on a DIY Website
How long till you see a return on your DIY site?
Time is one factor that goes into ROI; here’s a quick snapshot of the time you’ll invest in your DIY website:
➡️ Googling the best hosting and domain platforms
➡️ Purchasing your hosting and domain
➡️ Googling how to get your site up and running
➡️ Connecting the hosting and domain and getting your site secure
➡️ Googling the best websites and themes
➡️ Uploading your website builder and theme
➡️ Writing all the content for 3-6 pages
➡️ Googling how to use the website builder
➡️ Building 3-6 web pages that are on-brand with a consistent design
➡️ Ensuring your site is responsive for every device
➡️ Implementing SEO on every page and fixing any errors
➡️ Googling how to fix broken elements on the site
➡️ Double-checking your site before the launch
➡️ Googling how to make your site live
➡️ Launch and spread the word
The better question is: Will you see a faster return on a website YOU built or a website a professional made for you in less time?
Another factor that goes into ROI is if your website will reach your audience…
If YOU build it, will they really come?
Building your website might sound easy. But it’s more than picking a theme and adding text and some pictures.
Here are THREE ways your DIY website might not be successful:
1️⃣ You might love your DIY website and feel very proud, but your audience is still unconvinced.
2️⃣ You might be incorporating too many colors, patterns, tones of voice, etc., causing your audience to be confused about your brand and its professionalism.
3️⃣ The customization you’ve added to your DIY website conflicts with each other, causing your site to run slow and clunky, which will not go over well with your audience.
Oops, I broke my website! What now?
After spending all this time DIYing your site, you’ve added some code or a plug-in that glitches. Or you’ve lost the whole thing and don’t know how to get it back.
⚠️ Do you spend more time researching how to recover it?
⚠️ Do you start all over, hoping it doesn’t happen again?
⚠️ Do you give up and try again later?
⚠️ Or do you seek a professional’s help to step in?
If you want to avoid this step, here’s a DIY Website Alternative:
Before you decide to do it yourself, ask four questions:
❌ Are the skills needed going to play to your strengths?
❌ With your current skillset, will you be happy with the outcome?
❌ Can you implement all the customizations you desire?
❌ Are you okay with your competitors getting your business while you DIY your website?
If you answered “no” to any of these, I highly suggest working with a professional on the project.
DIY does not always mean cheaper or faster!
Working with a professional means:
✅ An abundant amount of skills for your project
✅ Someone who wants your project to be a success and wants to work with you to make it exactly what you want.
✅ Your project will look and function great, plus attract your audience from day one.
If you’ve DIYed your website and are ready to work with a professional or are on the fence about DIYing and working with a professional, I encourage you to send me a message! I’d love to chat with you about it and provide insight on how I can help bring more leads to you without the hustle and convert more clients.
