Why DIY Website Builders Could Be Costing Your Small Business

In the 21st century, if your business doesn’t have an online presence, it’s almost as if you don’t exist. Many small businesses know this and are looking for quick, inexpensive ways to establish that presence.

Enter the DIY website builder. On the surface, they offer everything your business needs for its website, like ready-made templates and drag-and-drop functionality. You’ll often see them marketed as the ‘best website creators for small businesses’ or the ‘best website builder for startups.’

However, this can be misleading. Without the expertise of a professional website design development company, you may create a site that doesn’t truly reflect your brand, offers a sub-par experience to visitors, and won’t rank well in search engines. All of this can exacerbate the problem you’re trying to solve—you’re not being found!

The Hidden Costs of DIY Website Builders

DIY website builders are often advertised as a cheap and easy way for small businesses to make a website, but there are plenty of costs buried in the advertising.

To start with, you usually won’t get the full features of these platforms unless you pay a premium fee. The basic versions of these platforms don’t always include things like SEO tools, advanced design options, or e-commerce features.

Most DIY website builders include some form of hosting, but this hosting is limited. An entry-level plan probably won’t include enough storage for your needs and will restrict your website’s speed.

You’ll also have to pay for many “advanced” options, like removing the website builder’s branding or logo, gaining access to premium templates and email marketing, or any features that allow you to create a unique design for your business.

At first, DIY website builders can seem like the best website builders for startups because of their low upfront cost. But as your business grows, the hidden expenses can pile up, and the limitations can hold you back.

Key Challenges with DIY Websites That Can Impact Your Small Business

DIY website builders can actually present more challenges than they solve. You’ll likely run into a few of these below:

• Limited Scalability: DIY website builders can handle simple websites, but they struggle to accommodate growing businesses.

• SEO Limitations: You’re building a site so that customers can find you, but these builders only include very basic SEO tools. Why waste the time creating a site yourself if no one knows it exists?

• Security Risks: Hackers think small businesses are easy targets since they usually don’t have the resources to defend against sophisticated attacks. DIY website builders usually only provide simple security features, and you could be leaving your customers’ data at risk.

• Unprofessional Design and User Experience: Using generic templates may seem easy, but your site will look like everyone else’s, making it hard to stand out amongst your competition.

• Poor Mobile Optimization: Almost one-third of traffic in the U.S. comes from mobile devices. If your site isn’t optimized to deal with a third of your visitors, you’re losing a lot of business!

• Time and Resource Drain: Building and maintaining a site takes time. You’ll be responsible for all the troubleshooting and updates, which pulls you away from the hard work of running your business.

• Lack of Technical Support: If you encounter a problem, you’ll only have access to basic customer support, and you may have to figure out the problem yourself.

Advantages of Working with a Website Design Development Company

On the other hand, working with a website design development company solves these challenges. Professionals create sites that are specific to your business and primed for growth. This means being ready for more customers via enhanced SEO and extra features that are available when your business needs them.

The best website creators for small businesses also employ designs that are easy to use on any device and offer ongoing support for any updates or fixes, as well as stronger security features. And don’t forget, time is money! Professionals will save you time you could spend expanding and enhancing your business.

Final Thoughts

DIY website builders seem like a great solution, but their one-size-fits-all platform leaves a lot to be desired for your business.

Hiring a website design development company means working with website creators who can tailor your business’s online presence to your specifications. They’ll create a secure, professional, and scalable website with the future of your company in mind.

Don’t stifle your progress by taking the shortcut through DIY website territory. ClearWater Web Designs will build a beautiful, personalized site to save you time and hassle and produce the results you want. Contact us to see how we can help today!