Why do you need to invest in a professional web design?

There are many ways to set up a website without shelling out a lot of money. You can do it yourself using an online site building service, you can install site-building software like Adobe Dreamweaver, or you can find a tech-savvy friend to do it for cheap (or maybe even for free.) Why then, with all of these options, would you consider paying to have your website designed? Is web design really something worth investing top dollars on? Let’s find out!

As a business owner, one of your priorities is to move potential customers in the direction of knowing and believing in you right from the start. Your website is often the first interaction your potential clients have with your business, and it is one of the most powerful tools available for reaching potential customers. This alone makes it a good enough reason not to skimp on your web design.

But if you are still not convinced, let’s look at a few more reasons why it is necessary that you look at your website design as an investment, not an expense.

Return on Investment

We put ROI at the top of the list because it is probably the first thing that comes to a business owner’s mind when they consider spending on anything, not just web design. “How much will this cost?” “How long will it take?” “Can I save money by doing it myself or by finding the cheapest option?” Most people see a website as nothing more than a sign or business card on the internet. They pay someone to put it up, and the job is done. So it seems to make sense that if you can put the sign up yourself or get it done super cheap, that is clearly a wiser decision, right? Wrong!

Your website is your brand’s online presence and a gateway to reaching more potential customers than you could do with any other medium (without a big budget at least). It allows you to initiate a dialogue with your customers and engage with them on a more personal level. Your website can build you an audience of people that want to hear from you! Your website is not just a sales soliloquy that you hastily post on the internet and hope for the best. Yet most small businesses do just that.

If you build your website yourself or hire an amateur to save money, the bottom line is that you will most likely spend far more time to achieve far fewer results than if you actually spent some money on a great web design. Most people do not realize just how much work it takes to get an effective business website from the concept and planning to running, looking good, and performing well on different devices and the plethora of web browsers. Even if you are using the most amazing online site builder ever made, it is going to take time. There are only so many hours in a day, and as a business owner, you want to be doing what you do best, not making websites. Wouldn’t you be much better off spending time working on your business than on learning a skill you will almost never use again?

It’s not just a website!

A business website is not just about a striking design. Your website should be responsive. It should have useful, relevant, and original content. It should have a solid SEO implementation as well as social media integration. All of this takes time, and if you build your website all by yourself, you are in for some long hours at the computer – hours you could be spending on more important things, like running your business. Even if you have hired someone off Fiverr, you are likely to get nothing more than a website and an “all in one” SEO plugin or some other quick solution. The point is, there is so much to do when building a website. It is not just about the design. It is about your whole brand!

Let’s talk about branding

Making a good first impression is a critical factor to success, and your website is often the first interaction between a potential customer and your business. If even the smallest thing about your site is off, missing, or poorly executed, you may be creating a bad first impression and driving away potential customers. Even if your website works great, if it is not easy to grasp quickly, your potential customers may get confused and give up. If your site is not optimized to be found by search engines, they may never even know you exist.

These days consumers are more tech-savvy than ever. If you pinch pennies on your website design, people will be able to tell. Some may not know why they do not like your website, but they will leave and go looking for your competition all the same. How do you think a cheap website will reflect on your brand? Would you take a business seriously if their website was built using an online site builder or if it looked hastily thrown together? If you want to make a good impression, commit to invest in your web design and give your potential customers something to be excited about!

With all of these awesome reasons to not cut corners on quality web design, why do so many businesses decide not to do it?

Well, many small businesses that do not have time to learn the intricacies of web design are easily lured in by the unfeasibly low rates of average web designers. The designer builds them a website that looks great stylistically, but it acts as little more than a sign on the internet waiting for random passersby to see it. This ends up reinforcing the belief that a website is not all that important and leaves business owners with a false impression of what a website can really do for them.

How can you benefit?

The good news is that the majority of your competition will simply go for the bargain and leave it at that. They will hire an average web designer or build their website themselves. They will inevitably suffer the same dismal results as everyone else who fails to realize the value of a great web design. Very few of your competitors will be willing to invest what is necessary for success. If you do, you can win. This does not mean you need to have a huge budget and hire a big design team to succeed. It just means that if you’re willing to go beyond the norm and invest in a professional web design, you will be well ahead of the game.

When it comes to your business website, it is well worth it to invest! Do you have any other reason why quality web design is important? Let us know in the comments below! Click the following link to learn more about how to take control of your business’s finances.