The age we are living in is almost entirely dependent on the internet. It’s where we get the information we need, make purchases for all kinds of goods, book reservations, and entertain ourselves. It’s no surprise that business owners everywhere are upscaling their marketing endeavours by digitising their business.
However, these efforts are often met with a quandary – a good website isn’t cheap, is one really worth the investment?
Many business owners are led to believe that using DIY content management systems (CMS’s) such as ‘Wix’, or ‘Foursquare’ are cost-effective methods of building a custom website. If only things were actually as simple as solutions such as these make it out to be! In reality, developing a website that is robust in its design and comprehensive in its functionality requires hundreds of hours of expert development and a complex, deep understanding of the industry, and today’s best practice in order to achieve true success.
If you’re about to upgrade your website, or create a new one, here are 2 top reasons as to why DIY CMS’s will hurt your business rather than help it:
What does ‘easy’ really mean?
Why is the “easy” component of website building a negative thing? If you are looking for a way to build an ‘easy’ website, you’ve likely started off on the wrong foot. Imagine this scenario; you’ve been invited to have dinner with someone you’re attracted to. You intend to put your best foot forward and show yourself in the best light. You know exactly how you want you hair styled, but instead of going to a trained stylist, you grab a mirror and attempt the cut yourself – The result is likely to turn heads, but for all the wrong reasons!
The analogy can be applied to your business, why would anyone running a serious business choose to jeopardise its profitability by tampering with one of its most important assets? If web design in the UK were so ‘easy’, wouldn’t hundreds and thousands of corporations in the country opt to save money and do it themselves, rather than getting trained professionals to do the job properly?
Always remember that just because something is cheaper upfront, it doesn’t mean that it saves you money overall.
It’s all about SEO
Search engines are the go-to resource for internet users around the globe. In fact, according to data collection agencies, 81% of the population in the United Kingdom shop online, and a majority of the searches performed are through search engines like Google, Bing, etc.
The way search engines retrieve information is fairly complex, in simple terms however, they trawl the entire expanse of the internet for every website or blog that mentions the keyword a user has entered. Search engines use a large number of parameters to decide the order of ranks in which search results are then displayed.
When working with DIY systems, users forget that Google or Bing don’t see a website in the same way we humans see it. Search engines are examining criteria on multiple levels, and therefore a website needs to be designed in a manner that can account for these complexities.
Drag-and-drop systems like ‘Wix’ almost never expose users to such hidden intricate complexities, resulting in poorly performing websites. Instead, they pacify users and create a false sense of satisfaction by offering a few simple SEO-related suggestions and actions and a clean, non-specific design.
It’s a tricky situation
Let’s assume you get lucky and your website begins performing well. Naturally, you’ll want to add more features to it, but now you find that your CMS does not support customisation. Essentially you’ve outgrown your website, and you’re left with no other option apart from moving to a new, more comprehensive website.
If this happens, you will find it very difficult to migrate your content away from any content management system. For example – If you had a WordPress-based website, you would have been able to keep all your content and adapt a customised theme for it. Your website would look completely different, but you wouldn’t have to re-enter or create new content. Businesses that are focused on growth will not only lose time and money, but also clientele due to the inconveniences caused during the migration / re-creation.
I’ve covered 3 of the most important reasons here as to why businesses should stay away from DIY website platforms; however, there are many more. Whether you’re a blogger or a CEO, don’t be hoodwinked by a ‘quick fix’ solution. Instead, consider the long-term ramifications of being stuck with an underperforming website representing your business.
For this reason, I recommend working with Web Choice, one of the best web design companies in the UK. As one of the most well respected and trusted web agencies in the United Kingdom, Web Choice have designed and built countless sites for business all around the world that allow for growth, and that deliver results.
About The Author
Sam Dunning
Sam Dunning is the Sales Director and Co-Owner at WEB CHOICE, UK. He hosts the weekly podcast "Business Growth Show" with business leaders, experts and entrepreneurs from across the globe. You'll learn actionable tips across marketing, sales and growth to help you skyrocket your business!
