With all of the options available today with a free website builder and hosting, it seems like now more than ever it’s quite simple to create your own site and get it up and running. But it does beg the question of whether you need a professional web developer to design your site or if you should just do it yourself.
Ultimately, this falls on you and what you want out of your website. But if you’re still on the fence about which way to go, here’s a breakdown of why you might want a web developer and why you might want to go with a website builder.
What’s Your Budget?
The first thing you need to look at may seem basic, but it’s one of the ultimate decision-makers for this area — your budget. A free website builder and hosting is obviously the least expensive option available to you.
But it’s also the most limited. Premium web builders can provide you with a top-notch theme for about $40 while your domain registration and web-hosting fees can run you between $70 and $100 per year.
With a web developer, you will still pay the $70-$100 fee for registration and hosting. But you will also wind up paying about $500 to $3000 for a basic website. Obviously, the more bells and whistles you want on your website, the more it will cost you. But this gives you a general figure as to what a simple website will run you.
How Computer Savvy Are You?
If you are well versed in computers and either know WordPress or feel you could learn it easily, then you may not need a web developer.
However, if you know you won’t understand the coding behind creating your own website, then it’s probably best to leave it to professionals. Which leads to a third consideration…
How Much Time Do You Have To Invest?
If you’re running a business, then you know that your first consideration should be taking care of that business and working on customer support. It shouldn’t necessarily be working on the ins-and-outs of a website to make sure that it’s running well.
If you don’t have a lot of time to invest in maintaining and updating your website, then a web developer with managed hosting is probably the best route for you. However, if you enjoy working on your website and tinkering with it, then you can go the do-it-yourself route.
What Type of Website Do You Want?
Keep in mind that web builders generally have a set number of themes and templates from which to choose. The downside of that is many other websites are already using these same templates. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Most people will not notice if the layout is the same as another because the content will be different. If you want something special, such as designer layouts, templates, graphics, or videos, then you should consider using a web developer. If not, a website builder will probably suffice.
Free website builder and hosting sites abound as do professional web developers. If you are looking at doing this yourself, you may want to consider using Website Creator, a combination of BoldGrid’s easy-to-use Website Builder and InMotion’s WordPress hosting service. This is designed specifically to help businesses get their site ramped up without having to break your bank hiring a professional web developer. Regardless of which option you choose, you should analyze the pros and cons of each before making your final decision.
