DIY Website Vs Hiring a Professional: New Jersey Web Development Team Discusses Which Is Best for You

DIY Website Vs Hiring a Professional: New Jersey Web Development Team Discusses Which Is Best for You

Are you looking into building a new website or updating an existing site for your business in New Jersey? Web development is an essential part of any company with an online presence. However, you will have to decide whether to hire a professional (like Reclaim Digital) or build the website yourself.

Unlike before, when people had no choice but to hire a professional web design firm to get the needed results, anyone can build a website. Thanks to WordPress and other similar platforms, you don’t need to know anything about code to build a website. The process has been made very simple.

Will a self-made website meet your needs? Do you have to hire a professional? Why waste money to hire a web design firm when you can use free options? This article discusses the pros and cons of both options.

What Is a Website Builder?

Before you decide on your web design options, you should understand what a website builder is.

Website builders are tools that enable you to build websites without coding or design knowledge. You choose from a pre-made template design instead of applying coding and design knowledge. The website’s builder’s pre-set functions and codes replace CSS, HTML, andother coding languages.

Basically, website builders allow anyone to build a decent website cheaply and quickly.

What Does a New Jersey Web Development Expert Do?

What exactly do you get when you hire a New Jersey web development company? It depends on your project requirements and whom you hire.

A web developer is responsible for the design, coding, and layout of a website according to a business’s specifications. Since the role involves enhancing user experience and function, the professional must know about graphic design and computer programming. The professional must also have experience in planning and delivering web applications across multiple platforms. Moreover, the professional will help in the upkeep and maintenance of the website.

A web design expert can also help you have an attention-grabbing and unique design so you can stand out from other businesses in your niche. A custom-designed website can get you noticed in the competitive online world.

Hiring a professional for your website development can be compared to having an interior decorator. The professional handles the setting up of your new office complex or new home instead of having your friends who have no design knowledge handle it. Interior decorators ensure the house looks good, both functionally and aesthetically.

A New Jersey web development company can bring your vision into reality. They can turn that concept you have into a visible design. Moreover, a web designer can tailor the structure and layout of your website to your business for more conversions and sales.

Factors to Consider When Planning Your Web Design Project

To decide which option is best for your business or you, you need to determine what kind of site best matches your business.

Website Options and Budget

Website builders provide a cost-effective option to create a web presence. The cheapest and easiest options include Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly. Though these website builders are less powerful than a system like WordPress, they are easier to use. The most important aspect being the visual page editors that let you edit elements of the website easily. However, they are not very flexible and, therefore, not suitable for larger sites. Besides, most website builders include hosting and the registration of a domain name in their plans. As such, you won’t have to worry about configuration.

WordPress, another content management system, is more complicated. Users might need occasional coding to edit a theme or plugin.  For advanced configurations, you might have to hand the entire site over to professionals.

A DIY website is ideal if you have a low budget. It is suitable for a blogger, unfunded startup or new business, hobbyist, or a small non-profit.

The Kind of Site that You Need

Setting up your website with web builders can work if you want a simple blog and have a low budget. Another website that you can easily set up is a brochure website. With this simple site, you can showcase what your business does. Prospective customers will be able to get the necessary information regarding your business, including your products and prices. You can add images, text, and even a video.

However, you may need to hire a New Jersey web development company if you are setting up an ecommerce store to handle financial transactions. Though some basic ecommerce sites are easy to build with a CMS or website builder, the more complicated websites that require applications should be handled by a professional. You might have to set up payment processing, and it will also involve adding, removing, or editing products or services.

Also, for a business website that processes lots of requests and handles major business transactions, you may need to hire a professional. Moreover, sites typically combine ecommerce and web applications. Therefore, you will require an expert to incorporate application functions like price comparison engines and project management tools. Besides, setting up these applications yourself may not be cost-friendly; you could spend thousands of dollars on a custom app that will stand out and function properly.

Another aspect to consider is whether you rely on your website for a large percentage of your income. How important is your website to your business? For instance, a consultant whose sales process is primarily based on relationships might not make do with a simple CMS website. However, if your site will generate a large part of your revenue, it will likely perform multiple functions. Therefore, its best to hire a professional.

Your Skill Level

For programmers who can build a website from scratch, there’s no limit to how creative you can be when building your site.

Though website builders are limited in customization, they are basic and easy to use, so you don’t need to know about coding before you build a decent website. Anyone who can handle basic computer applications can use them.

For WordPress, you need a basic knowledge of web hosting and HTML. However, it is still quite easy to use.  No matter which option you choose out either website builders and WordPress, you’ll be responsible for creative elements that make it unique and the content. All you have to do at this stage is how to install plugins, publish posts and pages, and install themes.

Also, you need to decide if you want to use a WordPress theme or get a completely custom design made. There are thousands of free themes for WordPress, and you don’t need a developer’s help to install them. However, if you need a custom design, you would have to build the design or theme from scratch. You may also need custom functionality that you can’t find in a WordPress plugin. If your skill level can’t handle that, you will need professional help.

Pros of a Custom Website Made by a New Jersey Web Development Team

  • With a custom website, you can incorporate your company’s branding, using a design that is unique to your business so you can stand out from competitors
  • Unlike using ready-made templates, a custom website offers more support as the original developer can help you fix bugs or problems that occurs.
  • A custom-built website grows with your business. The web developer can always work with you to redesign if you make any changes to your business.
  • Custom websites usually rank higher in search engines than sites built with templates using CMS like WordPress.

Cons of a Custom Website

  • Since they are customized to your business and require more expertise, they are more expensive, and, therefore, not suitable for firms with a low budget
  • The process of creating a customized website takes time, and you may have to depend on your developer’s availability when you want to make changes

Pros of Website Builders and WordPress

  • Website builders take lesser time than creating a website from scratch
  • WordPress offers ready-made themes that you can pick from to change your website’s look instantly instead of waiting for your developer to make changes to your website
  • WordPress provides a secure platform to build your site
  • There are many WordPress Plugins that you can use for search engine optimization
  • WordPress rolls out regular updates to make your site more secure
  • WordPress built-in blogging feature lets you to easily set-up and maintain a blog

Cons of Website Builders and WordPress

  • Inability to customize themes according to your preferences—you may have to hire a professional who understands how WordPress works
  • WordPress requires regular maintenance
  • Despite the frequent updates and security patches, WordPress is still vulnerable to hackers

In Summary

When it comes to your New Jersey web development project, you have many options to choose from. Whether using the popular WordPress platform, other website builders like Squarespace, or hiring a developer, ensure you opt for a solution that best fits your business needs. However, the higher the potential revenue you expect your website to generate, the more your investment to make it functional and appealing to your customers.

Not sure which option is best for you? Reclaim Digital, the New Jersey web development experts, can analyze your business goals to provide expert advice.

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