In this article we’ll be giving you some practical advice to help you with the decision of choosing the right web design path.
What do we mean by web design ‘path’? #
We’re talking about the very first website decision you’ll make: whether to have the site professionally built or build it yourself.
So, when we say choosing the right web design path (or process), we mean the path that takes you from no website (or an out of date site) to a new website published live on the internet.
Below, we’ll be discussing the pro’s and cons, as well as sharing some advice on the two main web design paths:
- Having it professionally built
- Building it yourself
Having it professionally built #
Overview #
Having a website professionally built should yield the best results – i.e. the best looking design, the right features etc. This is because you’d like to think the site would be built exactly to your needs & desires: bespoke. However, it may not be a good choice if you have little or no budget to invest in your web presence.
Pros #
- High quality; not just the look, but also the performance,
- In theory, you’ll have unlimited design capability (as the web is a blank canvas),
- Complex & specific functions can be achieved.
Cons #
- Can be costly,
- Often takes longer than a templated approach.
Finding the right web developer #
Finding the right web developer for your business or organisation can be difficulty. There are many factors that separate average developers from fantastic developers. But one factor that stands above the rest is trust, so we’ve written an article on how to find a trust-worthy designer/developer.
Building it yourself #
Overview #
DIY website builders are a great choice if you haven’t got the capital to invest in a website or want something simple to get you up and running. However, if you have plans of scaling your website/business in the near future, this choice might not be for you as they can be inflexible.
Pros #
- Often cheap/low cost,
- Easy to setup,
- Often lots of templates/designs to choose from.
Cons #
- Often inflexible when it comes to website growth or a migration down the line,
- You have to adhere to the platform’s features & limitations.
Finding the right DIY platform #
Here’s a great article by WebsiteToolTester where they test and compare 14 of the most popular website builder platforms around.
And, throwing our hat in ring, our self-hosting plans include a free drag ‘n’ drop website builder.