DIY Websites AKA FrontPage & Template Websites
This article is a follow on from "Do I Need a Website?" which outlined exactly why all businesses need a website. I almost started to go off on a tangent in that article, instead I decided that it was an important enough topic to warrant an article of its very own.
Now the following might seem like a plug for web designers, and yes, I am a web designer..however even if I were to change careers tomorrow then I would still stand by the following article...I care about small business, after all, Aussie Websites is a small business, so as a web designer I feel that it's my duty to help small businesses make it in the online world....
I have previously stated that every business needs a website - however there is one exception to the rule that I need to mention....
It's actually better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Your website speaks volumes about your business. It either says, "Hey, look, we take our business so seriously that we have created this wonderful site for our customers!" or it screams, "Hey, look, I let a 10 year old design my site, good luck using it!"
It's not enough to just have a website. You must have a professional-looking site if you want to be taken seriously. Since many consumers now search for information online prior to making a purchase at a brick-and-mortar store, your site may be the first chance you have at making a good impression on a potential buyer. If your site looks like it was designed by a 10 year old or if it looks like a DIY project gone wrong, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost.
Unfortunately in my line of work as a professional web designer I hear people tell me all the time - Oh I don't need a web designer, I am designing my own website using FrontPage - why would I pay for someone else to do it when I can do it myself?!
Being the polite person I am, I let them continue to live their delusion - if they think their "Microsoft Frontpage" Website will win customers and create a professional impression then their business is doomed anyway..I can only imagine what their office & business card looks like...
Let me be really honest, DIY programs, Template Websites, Microsoft Frontpage - they make tacky websites. A tacky, unprofessional, home made website is not going to win customers, it will turn them away. I am not just saying that because I am a web designer - it is the truth. Let me give you an example of 2 websites, both in the same industry, which makes the better impression?
2 Golf Courses....both even in the same region....which would you go to? Which website "sells" the golf course to you?
I will tell you right now that I would go to the Merewether Golf Course based on their website - that is the only impression I have to go on because the internet is my first port of call for finding businesses.
The Merewether Golf Course Website is clearly professionally designed, and I believe this website would be a highly valuable marketing tool for this business as it really does sell the Golf Club.
Another Example:
Hunter Valley Golden Edge Homes
Which business would you choose to build your home? I would back Rawson Homes. They care enough about their customers to have a beautiful website which is a joy to use.
Yet Another Example:
Who would you trust to design your kitchen? I would choose the website which is designed the best because that tells me that they know the importance of quality design, have an eye for detail and they care about their customers enough to create a great website for them.
In the case of Hunter Valley Golden Edge Homes, SRD Kitchens and Belmont Golf Course, they would be better off having no web presence at all then their current attempt as they are projecting an unprofessional front to potential customers which is much worse than projecting no front at all!
Unfortunately for many business the temptation to save a few dollars is too much and they resort to making their websites themselves or getting a family member to do it or a very bad web designer....in any case they are damaging their business.
Quality web design does not have to be expensive. You just need to know how to find the right designer at the right price - and believe me there IS someone out there. My philosophy as a web designer is to make top quality websites affordable for small business - no matter how much in demand my services are, I will continue to do this because I know what it's like to own a small business and I believe in supporting small business.