You may be reading this thinking, “but wait, there are lots of website builder tools which promise a quick, cheap, simple website. I can build a website on my own.”

Despite promises from companies like Wix about how easy it is to set up a profitable website for mere dollars, building your own WordPress site or using Wix’s website builder leaves you with an unprofessional online presence which doesn’t convey your brand or convert your visitors into customers.

The truth is that these out-of-the-box “pop-up” style websites won’t do much to benefit a reputable business. If you want your website to generate traffic, create leads, and generate profit the only option is hiring a professional web design agency.

Here are five things to consider before trying to build your own website:

1) You’ll build a website for yourself, not your audience

Website-building tools like Wix let you build your website by dragging and dropping text, images, and other features.

This approach seems like a quick solution to a big job until you consider that the final product isn’t designed to do what your users want.

It’s designed to do what you want.

If you want the website to appeal to your target market you need to find out how they browse and what their habits are, then tailor your design to them. Everything from colour scheme to functionality should be targeted specifically for your users.  A pre-made design is a cookie-cutter solution to far more complex problem, meaning your brand won’t stand out from the competition.

2) You’ll make costly mistakes

Despite what Wix claims in its recent #ItsThatEasy twitter campaign, building a website is far from simple. Programming, copywriting, and graphic design are just a few of the skills you need to make your website actually generate profit.

With enough time and energy you could probably pull it off, but as an amateur you will face a long learning process and make plenty of mistakes before you see results.

3) You don’t have time to maintain it

Aside from the work involved in developing a website, it also requires constant care and maintenance.

Can you devote time to update your blog, post news and events, and manage social media? Are you prepared to update the content management system and ensure the security software is up to date? Sounds stressful, right? It’s better to let a web professional handle it before getting overwhelmed.

4) It will end up costing more in the long run

Many people decide to build their own website because of the low cost. Although it seems like you are saving a bundle there are lots of additional expenses you’ll have to pay if you want to see results.

A successful website needs an elegant graphic design, proper branding, engaging copywriting, and a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plan. Without these elements a website looks unprofessional, won’t convert visitors into customers, and won’t draw in traffic, so most business owners end up unsatisfied with their pop-out website and end up hiring a professional website developer.

Save yourself the hassle of finding out the hard way and go with the pros from the beginning.

5) It won’t look professional or convey your brand

A pop-up website is the online equivalent of a road-side lemonade stand. A cute little kid may be able to earn some pocket money selling refreshments on the sidewalk, but a serious business won’t earn enough to pay the bills, let alone turn a profit.

More and more people are finding businesses online before making a buying decision, whether they are looking into insurance policies or a new pair of shoes. If your website doesn’t stand out and these people’s attention you are missing out on valuable leads and losing those sales.

If you want your website done right, don’t do it yourself.

These are just a few of the reasons why getting a pop-up website never pays off. Ultimately it all comes down wasting your precious time building a website that doesn’t work. That’s time you could be spending building your business and making sales.

You are better off finding a web design company you feel comfortable working with and trust them to build and maintain your website. It will pay off in the long run.

Source: http://freshdesignza.ca/blog/5-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-build-your-own-website/