Do You Really Need a Web Designer?

You know you need a website (or redesign), but you're wary about dealing with web designers. After all, web design can be expensive.

Although professional web design is the best choice for most businesses, there are alternatives. Let's review the major options to see whether any of them are right for you.

Website Options

There are actually a number of different approaches to creating a website.

Home Grown

Maybe you know a little bit about creating web pages. Or maybe you have a brother/sister/cousin/friend who does. So you think you can get the web pages you need built at little or no cost.

The problem with this approach is that there's a lot more to building a website than simply knowing how to create web pages. You might be lucky. Most people who take this approach aren't. The majority of the worst websites on the Internet probably fall in this category.

For example, take a look at this site and this site. How do you feel about the businesses behind these websites?

Templates

A template (or theme) is a website design without the content. You add your name, logo and content, and load it onto your hosting service.

Some templates are intended for standalone websites, but most are specific to a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla or Drupal.

There are many free and low-cost templates available. Some have been developed by experts and are quite well done. If you can find one of these that you like, creating a website can be very straightforward.

Warning: Be very careful about where you get your template or theme. There are a number of reputable sites, but many sites that show up high in search engine rankings have downloads that contain dangerous malware.

Pros:

• If well-written, avoids many of the basic design mistakes
• You see what you're getting beforehand
• Usually less expensive than a custom website design
• Website can be up-and-running very quickly

Cons:

• Your website will look like the websites of everyone else using that template
• Designs tend to look "generic"
• Can be difficult to modify
• May not do a good job of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Requires a basic set of web development tools to upload the template to your hosting service, and the skills to install it there

Website Building Programs

This option is a variation on the template option. Most hosting services have programs that allow you to quickly generate your own website. You choose a starting point (a template) and are then able to modify various aspects of it (often with a "drag-and-drop" interface).

Pros:

• If well-done, avoids many of the basic mistakes
• Allows more customization without having to be web-knowledgeable
Usually offered free as part of your hosting package
• Website can be up-and-running very quickly

Cons:

• Your website will look like the websites of everyone else using that template
• Designs tend to look "generic"
• Limited configuration options
• Often don't do a good job of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Your website is tied to that hosting service

Professional Web Design

A professional web designer has significant web design and development experience. They know what it takes to do a good design and can build a website that is customized for you.

Most web design firms have a single designer or a small number of designers. Unless your website is very large (say, more than 2,500 pages) or has very specialized requirements, the design can easily be handled by a single designer.

Pros:

• Design is unique to you
• Better looking and performing site
• Search Engine friendly
• You'll be working with experts
• You can get any special features you want

Cons:

• Usually costs more
• Development time longer
• You don't know what you're getting up-front

Hybrid

There are now a number of templates or themes that are very well-written. They provide many customization options and are very Search Engine Optimization (SEO) friendly. Good examples are the Genesis and Thesis themes for WordPress.

It is becoming more common to hire a web designer who works with you to choose a particular high-quality theme and then customizes that theme to your needs.

Pros:

• The design is customized for you, so it doesn't look so generic
• You have a good idea of what you're going to get up-front
• You get a good looking and performing site
• Design will be Search Engine friendly
• Less expensive than a fully custom design

Cons:

• Not as cheap as doing everything yourself
• Design will not stand out from the crowd as much as a custom design

Picking a Website Design Approach

So, how should you decide which of these options is best for you? Here are a few of the most important considerations:

• Budget—hiring a web designer to develop a basic small (1-5 page) website will cost at least several thousand dollars. Larger or more complex sites can cost a lot more. If even the basic site is beyond your budget, you probably need to use one of the other alternatives.
• Branding—how important is it that your site be personalized or unique? If you don't care that your site looks generic, then one of the more standardized options might be sufficient.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)—are you going to be depending on search results to drive traffic to your business? If so, getting a customized solution that is SEO friendly could make a big difference.
• Time away from business—how much time can you afford to devote to the project yourself? Hiring a web designer allows you to offload most of the effort, so you spend your time doing what you do best.

Now It's Your Turn

Here we're reviewed the major approaches to building a website. Because I fit into the "professional web designer" category, you might wonder if I can be objective about this.

No one is completely objective, but the fact is that some businesses are just not a good fit for what I do or what I charge. If you're one of those, we're both better off if you concentrate on more realistic alternatives.

Do you think that the analysis was even-handed? Did I forget something important? Comment below and let me know.