DIY Website Builders Vs. Professional Web Design

Owning a great website is a fantastic way to build your brand, advertise your products or services, generate new business and interact with existing customers.

We believe every business would benefit from having an awesome website!

For business owners without a website (or those who need a new one), this means a decision must be made. Should you go for a cheap, quick fix in a DIY website builder or invest in custom web design and development?

This decision isn’t an easy one.

For the latest Piranha blog, we wanted to examine the pros and cons of each type of website and help you make a more informed decision.

Keep reading to find out more!

Website Builders – Pros

For many people, a low-cost or even free website builder seem a great choice. Start-ups and small business frequently choose to build their website using one of the many services available.

Examples include Wix, Shopify, GoDaddy and Squarespace.

Here are some of their advantages:

Easy to use – One of the main attractions of website builders is their ease-of-use. Many use drag-and-drop, simple text editors and single-click interfaces to enable even the least tech-savvy to create basic websites with ease. Quick setup – Because builders work using pre-existing templates and layouts, setting a build up from scratch can take as little as an hour. Low initial costs – Most website builders will let you begin your design straightaway and with minimal, or no, setup fees.

These points might make using these services seem a no-brainer. However, there are also many limitations of website builders it’s important to consider!

Website Builders – Cons

High long-term costs – Although site builders are often cheap of free to set up, they often incur costly monthly charges that easily add up over time. Lack of flexibility – Using templates might make setup quick and easy, but they also enforce a rigid design that cannot be altered, developed or improved over time. Bad for SEO – Website builders are notoriously difficult to market successfully online. Their inbuilt limitations make many modern SEO practices impossible. Lack of scalability – Sites built using these services cannot grow or change with your business. Limited design – Web builders also limit the creative process and stop your website standing out from the crowd. Want to change provider? Unlucky: you’re about to lose your design and everything that goes along with it!

The attraction of website builders is obvious. But when you dig a little deeper, cracks start to appear.

Let’s take a look at the alternative: enlisting the help of a professional web design agency like Piranha.

Professional Web Design – Pros

There are many benefits of investing professional web design and development services:

No design limitations – Your new site can look exactly how you want and perform exactly the tasks you need. There’s no need to compromise. Great for SEO – A custom web design is not limited in how it can be optimised and marketed. One-off websites invariably have a better chance of ranking well above cookie-cutter builds. Fully scalable – A custom build can grow and adapt just as much as you need. Want to start selling online? Not a problem. Migrating to a different hosting package? No worries! Keep it forever – Your design is your own and you can switch providers without losing a thing. Easy editing – Custom websites are updated using a Content Management System (CMS). These easy-to-use interfaces make changing on-page text, prices or images easier than ever. Outstanding ROI – Despite costing more initially, custom websites are usually well worth the investment.

We would always recommend choosing a custom-built website over one created using an online builder. However, it’s worth remembering there are some drawbacks.

Professional Web Design – Cons

Longer setup times – Websites designed and built from scratch naturally take longer to complete. If speed is your sole concern, this is important to consider. Higher initial costs – Although the Return on Investment (ROI) figures for custom sites are generally very high, they do incur higher setup costs than website builders.

So, there you have it! We’ve looked at some of the major pros and cons of both online website builders and professional web agencies.

In conclusion, builders might be a quick and easy option for small businesses, but their limitations are plain to see. For larger companies and anyone committed to growing their business, a custom website design and build is definitely the best choice.

Still not convinced? Contact us today to discuss your individual requirements! We’d love to hear from you. Call the Piranha team on 01772 888331 or send your query to sharon@piranha-solutions.com to get started.