We live in an era where every person and their pet has a website, it seems, yet your business doesn’t (or you do, but the 1990s look is getting a bit dated), so what do you do? Naturally, the first thing you try is Googling something along the lines of “How to get a website” only to be greeted with an utter assault of irrelevant ads and worthless websites, all telling you the same thing, “Build it yourself with our DIY website builder”. This blog will highlight the issues with DIY Website Builders and how to avoid falling for their ploy.

DI Why?

Of course, the initial thing that sets off alarms is their liberal use of the term DIY. At first glance, a DIY Website Builder sounds fantastic, no liaising with an agency to get things done, and it will save on costs! Win/Win, right? Wrong. Most items can be essentially DIY; you could DIY a house, a car or even DIY yourself a new phone if you wanted, but that doesn’t mean it will be any good – assuming that it even works in the first place.

Taking the You out of Unique

Let’s get real; there is no company going around offering free bespoke designs – that would be absurd. Every element in a DIY website builder is guaranteed to be a generic, cookie-cutter block that’s going to help you stand out from the crowd about as much as a tree in a forest. A large part of running a business is getting ahead of your competition; looking precisely like everybody else will hinder that lead exponentially.

Form Follows Limited Function

Many companies have a niche, a unique selling point or some specialised aspect that puts them ahead of the crowd. Many times, that particular element is implemented within their website. Using a DIY website builder removes any possibility of custom functionality as one deviation from the standard template can be potentially website breaking, possibly causing more conflicts than building a website from scratch.

This makes it especially hard to update and modernise your website, too; sure, you can move elements on a DIY website builder around but daren’t add a new component or desire a change in layout because most of the time, you are generally stuck with what you have.

Know Your Placement

Assuming for whatever reason a DIY website builder still seems right up your alley, and you’re willing to put up with whatever learning curves and headaches are to come – then what? In essence, a website is like creating artwork; anybody can apply paint to a canvas that part isn’t particular, knowing where to place the colour is where the actual skill lies. There are many design tips and tricks that the professionals have ironed down to an exact science. When websites are designed, they are built with many aspects in mind, and they are adapted to accommodate such parameters, but when an unskilled user (the average Joe) comes to create their website, there is no way even to begin.

Think of the Humans!

One of the most vital aspects of website design is keeping the user experience in mind. Careful planning and consideration go into the placement and function of every element with the awareness that the purpose of the layout is to give the user the best experience and ease of use. A lesser skilled designer who is stuck within the limitations of a DIY website builder doesn’t have the luxury of being able to build for User Experience (UX) as what set blocks they are given to build with are all they have to go from – and that’s assuming the designer even knows what User Experience is in the first place!

Need a second opinion?

So you’ve made your way this far through the blog, and we have successfully swayed your opinion on the DIY Website Builder con; now what? You still don’t have your dream website, and your search is still full of these no-good DIY Website Builder options; the answer is to go with a trusted developer or agency.

There are many reputable agencies out there. Each of them is filled with skilled developers (if we do say so ourselves). Moreover, they will assist you in designing your dream website to your specifications. There is no more to make do with limited elements and functions. With a custom website, the possibilities are limitless; you can have your perfect website without having to settle for good enough.

Of course, if you need a digital agency to help you bring your website to life, look no further because we are here and are more than happy to assist you to begin your journey into the digital world. You can always give us a call on 01925 563 960 or use our contact form to get in touch with us, and we will always be happy to help.