Where to start…..

The TV adverts make DIY websites look so easy and simple to build, add some text and images, and voila, your website is live, but, taking the DIY route to create a website from the ground up, or “tinkering” as some people like to call it, can be a daunting task, to some, a basic site is really easy to build with a bit of knowledge and some planning.

The major disadvantage is that it usually doesn’t look very professional, doesn’t scale well on mobile devices, and more importantly, is very limited in functionality. Once you decide to increase functionality and make some changes to the default template the problems start. You might have a general idea of what you want, but you’re not exactly sure how to get there. You could search online or jump into some forums to get help, ultimately, the time saved working with a local web developer makes much more sense.

Some of the many advantages of working with a local web developer

There are so many advantages of working with a local developer, these are the most obvious, you’ll get a fully functional, and very professional-looking website that will scale well on all devices, and it will fit your business and its specific requirements.

Technical knowledge and know-how from a web developer are priceless, your ideas and ambitions for the website will be realised far sooner and more efficiently.

You don’t have to spend time learning a new skill set.

A professionally built website will provide you with a cost-effective solution that can be customised for your exact business, it will be able to keep up with the ever-changing world of digital marketing and SEO. You won’t have to be concerned about hosting packages or domain name issues as the developer will do all that for you, including, software updates, security, backups, etc.

Also due to the nature and variety of businesses that a web developer works with, their insight into many types of businesses and their workflows will often help you to make informed decisions about all aspects of your business operations, not just the website, as you might imagine a web developer will need to understand far more about your business and its products, services, etc together with good insight to your workflow, they are then able to offer advice and design idea’s that perhaps you hadn’t even thought of previously.

Cost – Time Effective

We accept it’s not always necessary to have a professionally built website, i.e. basic info-only type site, but, If you’re looking for a more professional and interactive way to promote your business or brand, having a professionally made website rather than going the DIY route is easily justified in just time alone, for example, you could spend anywhere from a few days to a few weeks on a simple site depending on your skill and knowledge, ultimately the site would need to be updated as your business grows and changes, which in turn will require more time and more knowledge.

If you plan to use your site to generate revenue by offering products or services, you’ll most likely need to integrate with various payment or other monetisation platforms, perhaps you have a CRM / Database you need to interact with, all of these functions are second nature to a web developer and again the time saved is invaluable.

Conclusion

When you work with a local web developer you effectively hire an expert who becomes part of your team, their knowledge will prove invaluable, and if they are local as well, then it’s usually very easy to get help quickly.

It’s an investment in your business that will ultimately save you time, money, and sleep and we all love an easy life…