As a small business owner, you might think that a self-built website using a platform like Wix or Squarespace is a good idea. After all, these tools supposedly make it easy for anyone to create a website without any technical knowledge, don’t they?
Before you dive in and start building your own website, there are a few serious drawbacks and problems with self-built websites you need to consider. We highlight 6 of these drawbacks below:
Self-built websites are not professional enough for serious businesses. While these platforms provide templates and drag-and-drop interfaces, they lack the design expertise and attention to detail that a web design firm can provide. A website designed by a professional web designer will be tailored to your business needs and branding, and will be more visually appealing to your customers.
Websites built with the likes of Wix, Weebly & Squarespace can be hard to optimise for SEO, which is crucial for ranking highly in search engine results and getting traffic to your website. Without a proper understanding of SEO and website optimisation, your website will not rank as highly in the search engines as a professionally designed website, which will hurt your business’s visibility and ultimately your sales and growth.
Another common issue with build it yourself web platforms is they often lack a lot of the functionality that a professionally designed website can offer. This can include things like customised contact forms, ecommerce capabilities, or advanced integrations with other platforms.
Slow loading pages is the number one reason that people abandon a website. The technical term for visitors leaving a site before visiting another page or committing to an action such as a purchase or filling out a contact or enquiry form is ‘bounce rate’, and the bounce rate on slow loading websites is very high.
DIY website builders invariably produce bloated html code, load unnecessary JavaScript and CSS files and use poor image compression algorithms that lead to slow page load times and high bounce rates. A professional web designer will ensure that your site uses lightweight code, loads only the files necessary to run the site, and will optimise your images which all lead to far faster loading times and lower bounce rates.
Self-built websites also frequently lack mobile-friendly or responsive design. This means that the website may not look or function properly on different devices like smartphones or tablets which can result in a frustrating experience for your customers and will frequently cause them to leave your site without getting in touch or making a purchase.
Building your own website is a time-intensive commitment. You will spend countless hours trying to figure out how to design your website, how to make it look good across all devices and screen sizes, how to make sure the design & content are engaging, and how to optimise it for search engine results. This is time wasted that you could be spending on other aspects of your business and generating revenue. By engaging a professional web design firm, you can save yourself time and stress, and focus on what you do best – running your business.
In conclusion, while self-built websites may seem like a cost-effective and easy solution, they often come with many problems and limitations that can hinder your business’s success. A self-built website may not be professional enough for serious businesses, may be hard to optimise for SEO and page speed loading times, may not be mobile-friendly or responsive, and can be a time-consuming process. It’s better to invest in a professionally designed website that offers customisation, search engine optimisation, faster page speeds, reliable security, full functionality, all while saving you time and stress.
