My kids are only 4 and 7 years old. They watch way too much TV and complain about having to watch “advahtisements” (advertisements, but pronounced with a very cute little Boston accent). My oldest son always shouts and has to show me the DIY website builder commercials from GoDaddy and Wix. They love all of my old GoDaddy merch and I’m always trying to show them what I do for work.
Everyone has seen or heard the commercials about the website building tools, and they make you think about two things. One is that you need a website, two is that you can build it yourself.
I have to agree with the first point, I think everyone needs a website. I know, I’m biased. The second point I can agree with, but only for some people. Computer savvy people can be great at using the different do-it-yourself website builders. You also have to be willing to work within each builder’s predefined template.
If you aren’t computer savvy, trying to DIY your website is sometimes a nightmare. I have had most of my customers come to me after trying to build their own website because it was still difficult and time-consuming. People usually come to me after trying to use a website tool for three reasons.
Too Many Options
Many people just want a good-looking and functional website. It can be hard to look at the options and pick the right one for you. I have helped people choose what would be best for them. I can give options and knowledge on why those options are best in today’s market, based on your target audience.
Too Few Options
For those people that have an idea of what they want their website to look like, the website builders can have too few options. You are stuck with the few templates that they have, and there can be little room to customize it. Many of my clients have come to me after trying to fight the builder for some time. My work is templated based, but I use very customizable templates and I can customize the code further upon request. Sometimes, I speak to my clients frankly and let them know why an idea they have may not work- usually due to usability, latest trends, cost efficiency, or what is visually best for your target audience. I want to help you find what will work best for you.
Time Consuming
If you are not an experienced website designer, or even experienced with a specific website builder, it can be very time consuming to create your own website. When you are inexperienced with building a website just the learning curve of figuring out the program can take extra time, even if the work of it isn’t difficult. A web designer can build a website faster, saving you time and money while providing you their experience of what works best for a website.
Have you used a DIY Website Builder? Which one did you use and what did you think about it?
