Top 5 Reasons to DIY Your First Website From a Professional Website Designer
Updated on September 26, 2022
Your website is your online business card and open door to your business on the internet. Without one, frankly I think you’re doing yourself and your business a disservice. Without a website, people may question your legitimacy as a business.
Having a website is an opportunity to make a great first impression and give people confidence that you're a real business. Showcasing your brand to your prospective customers and clients is one of the most important things that you can do.
As a new business owner, you may have dreams of hiring an experienced designer to create your website, but not the budget to make it happen. When you’re just starting out in your business, making smart and budgeted decisions is vital to starting off in the black from the the get go! (Trust me! I’ve learned the hard way and I’m here to teach you how to avoid that!)
Do you want to start your first website, or update your existing one, but are on a budget and still want more than just “out of the box?”
Call me crazy -- or maybe just smart? 🤷🏻♀️ -- but I could actually be one of the few website designers that would discourage you from hiring me to design a completely custom website for you right out of the gate, if you are just starting out. When the time is right, it’s right for YOU and ME.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great goal to have someone professionally design your website, but you expecting a larger web design budget and dev agency for the project is not always the most practical either in the early days of your business.
Listen, I get it! You want the shiny new car off the lot on the first day with allll the bells and whistles…BUT WAIT…when you’re just starting your business for the very first time, there are a few things I be you you thinking right now …
You don’t really know enough about your ideal client or customer since maybe you haven’t technically had any clients or customers yet.
Maybe you haven’t totally figured out your products, services or offerings so there are still a lot of moving parts to figure out.
You might not have the budget to be able to invest money into a custom design because you haven’t started selling products or booking clients for your services.
I want to help you and give my expert advice and am a big supporter of smart purchases on how you launch your business for the first time. DYing your website is the number one thing I recommend for new business owners because it’s a great investment, but gives you so much freedom, flexibility and VISIBILITY so you can continue to grow and change as you learn more about your business.
Here Are My Top 5 Reasons Why I Think It’s Beneficial For You To DIY Your First Website
1. It's Cheap. So often running a small business is about bootstrapping everything. ...
It makes sense to try and save as much as you can, wherever you can. Hiring a designer can cost thousands of dollars, and when you’re starting out, you likely just don’t have the money.
DIYing your website is a much more affordable and cost effective way to kick off your first website and can totally fit into your early stages budget of a new business. The best part is you’re getting your brand out there faster than you would if you wait to save up for a designer.
2. It's Fast. Sometimes you need things done yesterday. ...
Your website is your most IMPORTANT marketing tool, so the faster that it’s up and live, the faster you can gain VISIBILITY in your business. This is not something you want to procrastinate on, so making the move SOONER than later!
With so many easy-to-use platforms, such as my personal fave, Squarespace, designing a website is easier than EVER. You could literally launch your website in a week, or if you’re really going for it, one weekend!
As a fellow business owner, I totally understand you’ve got your hands FULL juggling every aspect of your biz. Start with the platform YOU OWN, then send your dream customers from social media to your new shiny website.
3. It's Easier Than You Think. ...
I’ve had dozens of clients come to me that had hired someone prior to design their website, only to get a website on a platform they can’t figure out or maneuver their way around, or that they have to go back and pay the website designer to even make a tiny change. Support documentation is your friend when it comes to designing your first site and Squarespace is amazing at answering all the questions.
Maybe the platform is super techy and you literally can’t figure it out without the help of a designer. Or maybe your designer has really worked in a few custom graphics, coding and extra plugins that only he or she know how to edit. This means that you lose the ability to make fast updates for your business, which means that every change costs more time and more money because you have to pay for someone else to do it for you.
4. You're in Charge. ...
When you DIY your site, you get to have total control. You’ve built the site from the bottom up, so you know every single part of your design, setup and back-end settings. This means no waiting on a designer, emailing back and forth until the design is just right, or having to contact someone to make changes on the backend.
5. It's OK to Change Your Mind.
Having a space on the web dedicated to your business helps you look professional and credible online. With the power of Instagram and Facebook, anyone can say that they are a coach or selling something. However, actually having a website helps you STAND OUT out from the dabblers because you are taking your own business seriously.
However, when you are just starting out, you don’t necessarily want to lock yourself into anything so you still give yourself room to grow, niche down, or even CHANGE completely. You’re still figuring out your voice, your ideal audience, what makes YOU unique, what your style is, and so much more!
The truth is, you’re going to change your mind a few times. Your style will change, your niche will shift and narrow. In the last decade, there have been major changes and improvements in tech so that people can build their own website without it looking like a template. Fifteen years ago, I don’t think I could have said, with confidence that a template would give you the custom look you desire, but 2022 is a new year full of possibilities.
Just a few years ago, when you used a website template, it looks OBVIOUS and maybe even a little tacky. However, now with easy-to-use website builders and super talented designers selling their own customizable website templates, people don’t even notice that it’s a template, and you can create an amazing site that looks totally custom.
Okay, shameless plug here! But your truly, has created some beautiful Website Templates, giving you the look of the designer website without a designer price tag. My Squarespace Website Templates are not only creative, but they are designed with your user experience in mind to be very user friendly and versatile. The layouts of my templates are targeted toward specific industries like health and wellness, beauty and lifestyle entrepreneurs so you’ll know exactly what info to place where for max effectiveness.
Getting to the Point!
Have I convinced you yet?! Truly, don’t let the words DIY intimidate you. Designing your own website is FUN, and nothing is better than the pride you feel after after accomplishing it. Plus, with my easy-to-use Squarespace Website Templates, I’ll teach you how to build the design from the ground up and how to use Squarespace if you’re a total newbie!
It’s an easy process to build a Squarespace design with my step-by-step tutorials, BUT, I get it. Time is money and sometimes you’re just allergic to tech! If you don’t have the time to learn how to build the Template yourself with my step-by-step guide, I have a Template Installation Service!
Hiring myself and my team to hop into your Squarespace account and build the design for you so you can skip this step and go right to customizing in just ONE VIP DAY, we can restyle a template and you have well on your way to the website of your dreams, part one! we got you!