You are starting a new business, or maybe your business is starting to take off, and you now need a website. You look into your options, and wow, there certainly are lot of ways to get a website these days. However, the decision ultimately boils down to this: do you use an "off-the-shelf" solution such as Wix or WordPress, or do you pay someone to build a website just for you?

Using an off the-shelf-solution can save you money (initially), and time. If you have a very clear idea of what you want, and know you can do it yourself, then this is probably what's best for you. On the other hand, reaching for an off-the-shelf solution too early can come back to bite you in more way than one. Here is why.

There is no way these tools know anything about you and your business. Of course you can start to customize your site with the tools you are given, and add your nice shiny logo, but the actual scaffolding and overall design is done without any knowledge of what you or your business is about. This leaves the responsibility of conveying your message and identity through the limited tools you have, and that is not ideal at the best of times. When you start to find your ideas limited by your own site it is just downright frustrating.

This is probably the biggest reason to think carefully before going down the path of a pre-made site solution. All that money you save, you could end up paying back with your time. Sure, you can learn a bit about web design, do a Wordpress course online and you will be able to get some stuff done, but it took some time, probably a lot. When your site stops working (it can happen to anyone), there goes more time. Google Analytics tells you that you need to speed up your page: so back to YouTube, and we all know how much time that can take. A website is never really done as long as it exists, and will always need some attention and care to keep going, and that takes more time. Time that might be better spent on your actual business.

The way you view your website probably differs from how others may view it. From an array screen sizes, to internet speeds and the assorted browsers people use, the experience can be wildly different, and if you don't have a good understanding of this you might not know how to make it better for viewers. Even worse, it might not even be an option with some off-the-shelf products.

One of the best parts of using an off-the-shelf solution is when you get to choose your theme, or what your site looks like. There are countless gorgeous themes out there, especially if you choose to go for a costly, premium one. If you find one that perfectly matches your needs, then that is great. Just bear in mind that being visually exciting does not make a design "good". The design still needs to fit the purpose of your site, and this can only be done best if the design is built exclusively for you. In other words the best designs are always custom made.

Having something custom made just for you or your business is not always the cheapest or quickest option, and not even always the best option. However, the benefits are huge, and it can really pay off in the long run, especially as a custom made site can generally grow and adapt with you. If you feel you could benefit from your own custom built website, but are concerned about price, or how long it may take, feel free to chat to us. You may be pleasantly surprised .