Alright guys, I know I’m going against the grain here a bit in our “outsource-outsource-outsource” world of entrepreneurship lately. Yes, we all need to focus on what we do best and become an expert at that offering but most of the time when we are just starting out a new business venture, we can’t afford to not handle lots of things ourselves. And one of the things I recommend considering which it might be best to DIY your website. As a website designer myself, you are probably thinking, why would I suggest that you don’t hire me per-say for thousands of dollars to create a custom website for you? Isn’t that dumb of me? Well that’s because I know there is a time and place for a custom website and usually when you are a newer business owner, it’s not necessarily needed – which is why I create templates for those looking to give it a shot on their own. Hey, if you need help, I’m here for you of course and I absolutely LOVE working with my clients, they light up my day and give me a true sense of purpose in my business, but I also want to help out those who maybe don’t have the budget right now to outsource, and that’s totally okay and understandable. So today I wanted to go over 6 reasons why I totally recommend doing your website yourself if you have the drive!
1. Save yourself thousands of dollars.
You don’t necessarily need a custom, high-end website when you are just starting out. You just need something that looks professional, gets your message across to your ideal client, portrays feedback from past clients and allows for them to easily inquire with you. Spending thousands of dollars on a custom design to have a “unique” website probably isn’t the best thing to invest in when you are just starting out. There are lots of awesome templates you can DIY your website on the platform of your choice that will function AND look beautiful without the high price tag.
2. Save yourself time.
By building your website on your own, you’ll cut out the other person whose schedule you’ll have to work around. A lot of quality designers have a waitlist and then a 4-8 week design process. By doing it yourself, you can work on your own schedule and get it done as quickly as you are able! Yes, sometimes it can take a little longer to do something yourself vs hiring an expert, but that’s not always the case. Lots of motivated customers of my templates have launched their website within a week or less – which is much faster than a custom design process. If you don’t have the physical time to handle getting a website up and running that’s totally understand as well and you can still outsource as needed. Look for a designer who offers hourly services to come in and audit your site or have them finish up portions that you couldn’t necessarily figure out yourself. Or look for a designer that provides install services for one of their templates. For example, I offer template customization as a package for my clients – which is a middle ground approach to website design. They choose a template and I customize it to fit their needs and input their content for them – saving them time and a learning curve but also being an economical route vs. fully custom.
3. Save yourself frustration.
You may be thinking, uh there’s no way hiring it out is less frustrating than trying to figure it all out on your own but you’d be surprised how many horror stories people have regarding their custom design experience. Similar to what I mentioned above, your project and website is at the mercy of another person. Of course there are tons of amazing designers out there with quality customer service but for everyone of them, there’s probably a handful that are lacking same as any other field or niche. Usually the ones that are going to treat you and your project best are the one’s that are also more expensive. So alternatively, if you do your website yourself – you’ll just have yourself to contend with. And in that case, you may simply be paralyzed by lack of knowledge for how to actually get your website built. That’s where resources like my course Launch With Moxie come in. I wanted to create something that would allow the DIYers in our world to create their own website without the feeling of frustration and overwhelm that usually comes with venturing outside of your genius zone. My course walks you through step by step of how to customize your Showit template and get launched within days or weeks. Alternatively, if you are looking for someone to help you get a website up and running, I’d absolutely be down to help you and I promise to provide a frustration free experience 🙂 Head here to book a free consult with me.
4. Boost your self-confidence.
Know that feeling of pride and satisfaction you get when you do something on your own? That’s a great reason to DIY your website if you have the time and drive. There’s nothing better than knowing you accomplished something that was outside your wheelhouse especially if you are in the bootstrapping phase of your new business. I’m all for outsourcing and hiring experts but it’s totally understandable that you have to pick and choose what’s best when you are just getting started. There are plenty of beautiful templates out there, in my shop and in others, you just need to plug in your info and get that bad boy launched.
5. Easily update your site as needed.
There’s nothing worse than sitting around waiting on someone else to update your site for you. Well maybe the only thing worse is having old information on your website that is inaccurate and outdated. As a new business owner you need something that is flexible and easy to maintain and update. Your business is evolving quickly in the early stages as you learn more about your ideal client, more about what services you truly want to focus on, and so much more. Have a website where you can just jump in and edit content as needed is crucial.
6. Invest that money elsewhere.
If you can DIY your website, think of how else you could invest that money that you would have spent on a custom designer? Guess what’s even more important than a beautiful website to send people to? The content on that website. Hiring a copywriter or marketing strategist is a great investment that will not only help you create an impactful and high converting website, but that will help you truly clarify your message and feel more confident in your business.
Follow along