Of course you can do it yourself, but…..
Creating your own website can be an exciting venture, offering cost savings and a sense of accomplishment. However, DIY websites often fall short in several critical areas, leading to frustration. Here are the top reasons why DIY websites frequently fail and how to address these issues:
Learning Curve and Time Consumption.
Web development has a steep learning curve. Designing a user-friendly site, regularly updating content, and troubleshooting issues can be incredibly time-consuming, potentially distracting you from other important business tasks.
Lack of a Polished Appearance
DIY websites often lack a professional look and feel amateurish. Small business owners may excel in their field but often lack expertise in web design principles, such as user experience, interface design, colour and image use, typography, and crafting effective calls to action.
How to fix this: Consider taking online courses in design and marketing to gain a basic understanding. Alternatively, hire a professional consultant to improve your site’s appearance.
Generic Design
Using a free or low-cost pre-designed template can make your website look generic. These templates are widely used, making it hard for your business to stand out.
How to fix this: Customize your website to match your brand and audience. Avoid stock imagery that doesn’t align with your business or marketing message and make unique adjustments to differentiate your site.
Lack of Clear Calls to Action
Even a visually appealing DIY site may not serve its purpose if it lacks clear calls to action. Without guiding visitors to take specific actions, your site won’t be an effective marketing tool.
How to fix this: Ensure every page has clear calls to action tailored to your audience.
Not Meeting Viewer Needs
DIY websites often feature self-written content and chosen images that may not align with a strategic goal or target audience. If visitors can’t find the information they’re looking for, they’ll leave.
How to fix this: Consider hiring a professional copywriter and photographer. Alternatively, develop a strategy to identify your market and what they want from your site.
Presence of Errors
DIY sites frequently have grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or other unnoticed errors.
How to fix this: Proofread your site multiple times and consider having someone else review it. Hiring a professional copywriter can also help.
Neglect and Outdated Content
Some DIY sites are outdated, with content that hasn’t been updated in years. This can make your business appear inactive.
How to fix this: Regularly update your site. If you can’t maintain features like a blog, don’t include them. Ensure critical information, like your address, is current.
Malfunctions and Non-Working Features
Improper setup of widgets, plugins, or other add-ons can cause malfunctions, such as non-working contact forms.
How to fix this: Seek help from support links or forums related to the add-on. If issues persist, consider hiring a professional to troubleshoot and fix problems.
Minimal or No Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Many DIY builders offer limited SEO capabilities, impacting your site’s search engine ranking.
How to fix this: Depending on the builder, SEO options and instructions may vary. Hiring a professional SEO marketer can help optimize your website effectively.
Security Vulnerabilities
DIY websites are often vulnerable to hacking, data breaches, and malware attacks due to inadequate security measures.
How to fix this: Professional developers can implement robust security protocols to protect your site and user data.
Conclusion
While building your own website can save money and offer a sense of accomplishment, the potential pitfalls—such as the steep learning curve, time consumption, lack of polish, generic templates, unclear calls to action, errors, neglect, and inadequate SEO and security—can outweigh the benefits. Considering professional assistance may ultimately be a worthwhile investment to ensure your website’s success.
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