We see ads for new tools every day that promise to help build a perfect, seamless website — at a low cost or completely free.

If you’re a new business then you have likely considered using an affordable website builder. It helps get the basic information out about your business who you are and how to contact you. It typically requires a modest monthly fee and a few late nights of your sweat equity.

As your business grows using a ‘free/low-cost’ website builder could cost your company many tens of thousands of dollars in wasted man/woman hours and even more money in the opportunity cost of lost potential revenue.

If you started with a free, or DIY website, you may find yourself facing the same frustrations again and again. If you identify with any of the following three complaints, it may be time to consider investing in a professionally designed website customized for your business.

Most website builders do not offer very robust tools when it comes to optimizing your website for search traffic from Google. To add structured data to most website builders, you have to do so manually – with code. Also, a good digital marketing firm (wink, wink), can offer a ton of benefits when it comes to proper keyword strategy, research and website optimization. 

2. “I need my website to be more flexible and optimized for mobile”

In most cases, the benefits of a highly customized website design, outweigh the material cost. If you’re looking to build a high-performing website with features customized for your business, you need to invest in a website beyond your typical, run-of-the-mill blog template.

You want your website to be able to grow as your business and mobile customer base grows. What used to work perfectly on one browser now needs to be constantly updated to suit multiple, responsive-first formats.

Investing in a custom web design will ensure that your site is flexible and can suit your business needs as they change with time.

3. “I need e-commerce support I can trust”

Professionally designed websites consistently outperform free, template-based designs with respect to SEO, speed and overall effectiveness. These three qualities are especially important for an e-commerce based business. If you aren’t generating leads from your website and processing sales seamlessly, it’s time to upgrade from your simple DIY site.

Successful e-commerce websites require a much higher level of strategy and sophistication than others, mostly due to additional software, security verifications and tax requirements. You shouldn’t rely on a one-stop-shop template to power your online sales efforts.

4. “I want my time back”

Time is money, and you shouldn’t be wasting yours being frustrated with your lack of coding knowledge, graphic design or copywriting skills. There comes a point when you have to admit defeat and let a professional give you your time back, that you can use to work on other issues more aligned with your skills and priorities.

If you’re interested in what it takes to build a custom website, we’d love to talk through your options. Our team of marketing professionals and web developers have decades of experience building highly customized and seamless sites for businesses of all sizes. Contact us to learn more.

At WDC, we believe honest business and innovative design go hand-in-hand. Our talented team of designers, marketers, and developers are as diverse as their work. We offer a range of services from creative web design and development to digital marketing strategies and branding solutions tailored specifically to your business. Contact Bill at [email protected] or visit www.wilmingtondesignco.com.