OK I admit it I’m somewhat biased but I’ll do my best to just provide some facts.
If you need to build a new website or update an existing one, one of the first choices is whether to do it yourself or hire a professional. Previously, there would have been no question of hiring a pro to get a good result, but thanks (yeah thanks!) to online tools like website builders, it has become much easier for the non-techies to build a decent site. Just because you can do it , though, doesn’t always mean you should. It’s a decision that’s worth weighing up carefully, since for some projects a professional cannot be replaced by a DIY option.
Website builders like Weebly and Wix are popular choices and offer some of the easiest and least expensive paths to create a web presence. In general, website builders are less powerful than the kind of tools a professional would use but are easier to use. Website builders generally have some kind of visual page editors that make it easy to edit elements of the site. On the other hand, they aren’t very flexible, so they are best for smaller sites.
If you just need a brochure site, basically a showcase of your business’ products or services and some contact information then you may be better off with a DIY option. Also consider how important the site will be to your business. If you’re an accountant, for example, whose business is primarily based on client relationships, you probably won’t be relying on a website to generate a large percentage of your business. If your website is generating less than 20 percent of your business, a simple brochure site should fill your needs.
If your site is going to generate a higher percentage of your business then it might be best to hand things over to a professional even if it’s ‘just’ a brochure site you need.
So what should a professional bring to the party?
This is the biased bit but I stand by the statements none the less.
Experience (we’ve made most of the mistakes that lie ahead of you and have learnt from them), technical skills (that should be a given), a wider set of options (you’re not tied into someone else’s idea of how your website should look and function), on-going support (I’ve had clients in France for over 10 years and am still working with them), integration of your social media (you don’t need to be re-inventing the wheel) and, if you sell online, integration with any other systems you need to use.
I’m also more than willing to grow your online presence as your business grows so a brochure site now and a fully functioning e-commerce solution for when you’re ready to take on Amazon.