By CM Strawn 1-13-2020

First Question: Do You Need A Website?

         Are you in business or do you want to be in business? Is the answer to either question yes? Then the short answer is – you need a website.

         People need to know about you. Your website is the best ambassador of who you are and what you offer.

         Many times, this is where you and your prospect first meet. So, you want this initial encounter to be great.

         But you already know that. Maybe the best question is – why do you need a website.

Why You Need a Website

         Obviously, you can’t make sales in obscurity. (Well, maybe some people can.) But the best way to get good quality exposure is through a web presence.

         Many people do online research for things they want and need. With a website you have exposure to this traffic. Without a website you risk being overlooked – missing out on this source of organic customers and sales.

         Since there is so much riding on this first impression, your website must present your very best image.

         There are two ways to get a website: build one yourself or hire a web designer to build one for you.

For the First Time Designer

         Building your own website from scratch takes time. If it’s your first attempt, it’s going to take longer.

         If you have the time available, you may want to give it a shot. But know that the learning curve is going to be steep.

         There are many learning resources available for the first-time web designer. One of the most affordable sources for training and courses is www.Udemy.com.

         They have a variety of courses for nearly anything you want to learn. Udemy frequently discounts the prices on the courses it has available. It’s a resource worth checking out.

Building A Website Yourself

          Your job, if you are designing yourself, is to design the website that says to visitors, “Hey! Take a look at this! It’s just what you’re looking for!”

         The content that you create needs to grab the visitor and compel them to keep reading. Both design and content must work together to convince the visitor that they need your information or product.

         Did you see that? The door just opened to content marketing writing. That means you also need to be a wordsmith – or you can hire one.

To Hire, or Not to Hire – That Is The Question

         You probably have a pretty good idea about how you want your website to look. Your website purpose has been well thought out. And you probably have all your notes and sketches from your planning, right?

         But you question your ability to get your idea into another person’s head.

         You will be able to explain your vision with your notes and sketches in hand. A competent web designer is probably going to have a pretty good idea about what you want. And, it will take the designer a fraction of the time that it would take you to build the website.

         You can hire designers on Fiverr, Upwork, LinkedIn and other sources. And, if you choose to use a designer, you can be confident that all the buttons and links will be working properly.

Conclusion

         The decision of whether or not to build a website yourself depends on your desire and time availability.

         Hiring a designer will free up your time. But the ultimate look and function of your website will depend on how well you communicate your ideas to the designer.

         Building a website yourself gives you complete control over the look, function and content of your site. But the time required for designing will be significant.

Until the website is up and running, you will be concentrating on little else. Once it is running it will be up to you to keep it that way.

         If you are already in business, your time may be too valuable to justify building and maintaining a website yourself. If you have a web designer on staff, your life has just gotten a lot easier.

         As a solopreneur, you may have little choice – website design is up to you. Of course, this depends on the size of your budget. Maybe you have the resources to hire a designer. Or you may be in the enviable position of building your own website just because you want to.

         In any and all cases, the resources for DIY web design and web design services are varied, abundant and available. They are just a Google search away.