Building Your Business Website Series – PART II: Pros & Cons of Hiring a Web Design Firm, a Freelancer, or Going DIY

Should You Hire a Custom Web Design Firm, a Freelancer, or DIY for Your New Website?

Are you looking to create your first business website, or you are overhauling a poorly performing website?

How do you choose whether to handle the website development yourself, turn to a freelancer, or leave it to a custom web design firm?

Here are the pros and cons for each choice:

• Going Rogue—Website DIY

Pros: This is the low-cost way to go. You work on your website when you can—No waiting around for a webmaster to decide to put it on the calendar.
Cons: Creating a customized website means that you can’t rely on “free” site builders, which are simple templates for designs that may not fit your needs and your vision. Do you have the time to learn how to code your unique website? When something looks strange on your site, who do you turn to for the fix? There are many hidden costs associated with a DIY site: Time and classes needed to learn code, hosting, purchase of themes, plugins, graphics, maintenance, and more. And where do you find the time to write all the content that is searchable and meets all of Google’s rules?

• One-On-One—Turning to a Freelancer

Pros: Relying on just one person to handle all of the website work means that you have one go-to person when something goes wrong.

Cons: Taking this path to a new website can seem inexpensive, but how do you vet out your freelancer? Does your web designer know all the stages to creating a website? Do they fully understand your vision for your website? Will they get everything completed according to your deadline? Do they continue to maintain your website after it is built, and what is your recourse if something goes wrong on your site?

• Hiring a Team—Handing it All Over to a Website Design Firm

Pros: Giving the reigns to a professional team means they can do it all for you. There are no unknowns. The best firms will listen to your concerns and help you strategize content that will blow your online competition away. These experts create the designs, deal with technical coding, ensure that navigation and plugins work properly, and continue to maintain the site after it’s complete to fend off hackers and malware.

Cons: A design firm is often more expensive then hiring a freelancer or going the DIY route, but you really do get what you pay for. Choosing an experienced and professional team delivers peace of mind.

What’s your time worth? Obviously, the hassle-free choice is hiring a firm for website development. In the Fresno area, the clear choice is Edit LLC. We pride ourselves on teaming seasoned web development professionals with new graduates. Our team works hard to ensure communications are understood and we only use the most cutting-edge technologies. Contact our team at Edit LLC today to get your new website started right away! 559-281-2855.

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