Over the last few years, website builders have become a popular way to build small business websites. When you watch their advertisements on TV or YouTube, they look pretty easy to use. They sound like a great option on the surface. You pay a relatively small monthly fee, choose a template, create a few pages, and you have a website on your own. Simple, isn’t it? Not that fast.
While this may seem like a perfectly fine option, there are several reasons why using an online website-building service may not be in your best interest. Here are the reasons for this:
Design
And live in an aesthetic-loving world. Almost every potential customer you get will always choose a professional and unique site on a run-of-the-mill website any day… even if you’re selling the same products! To attract customers, it is important to stand out and call attention to challenge your competition. First impressions are vital and the most successful way to get a beautiful website that suits your business is to have your website professionally developed and designed. There is no opportunity for a unique website with limited design choices that the DIY website builder gives you. Your site will end up looking like thousands of others, all of them using the same template.
Slow Website Speed
Slow websites are bad for visitors, sales, and even search engine rankings. Google knows all about your website, including how long it takes to load it. If it takes a long time to load, you’ll be dinged in the search engines, and probably by your visitors as well.
With companies like Wix and Squarespace, you’re on a server with lots of other people. This creates fewer resources and slower websites that are bad for everyone. Websites should be hosted on a fast server that does not have a large number of other websites hosted on it.
Ownership
If you choose to DIY a website through platforms such as Wix or Squarespace, you choose to give them rights to your website. If, over time, these platforms lose money or decide to close down, your website, along with your hard work, investments, and/or customers, you may have to go through the site. These scenarios are non-existent by choosing a professional developer. Even if your chosen developer closes its doors, it can transfer you and your customers to a new developer without losing their rank.
Flash Based
Another reason that SEO builders are bad about websites is that they are based on Flash. Google and other search engines can’t read Flash, so they don’t know what the website is all about. Not to mention that the Flash is very slow and kind of old-school.
Flash is also very unsafe, it can’t be searched, it doesn’t have text content, and it’s a nightmare for search bots. I strongly suggest staying away from web builders who use Flash.
Cost
It’s a common misconception that you’re saving bucket loads of money by building your website. What most business owners don’t realize is that there are more than just photos paired with text on a successful website. Professionally developed sites initially cost more than DIY sites. What business owners need to remember, though, is that a professionally developed website will attract more customers and make you more money in the long run than any ‘free’ site could ever have.
No Competitor Diversification
With 180,000 other people using the same template, how are you going to differentiate yourself from your competitors? If a customer had a choice between a business with a Wix website or a business with a custom website, who do you think they would choose?
Does Your Business Need a New Website That Brings in New Business?
Remember, when creating a website you have two equally important audiences: Humans and Google. Most website designers stick to designing for humans. Why? Because the client wants a beautiful site first, and the designer is interested in making that client happy. But unfortunately, that’s where most designers stop. Magnified Media designs sites for both Humans and Google. Why again you ask? The reason is simple – if you don’t make your site Google-friendly, it won’t ever get seen by Humans! Interested in seeing what we can do for your business? Schedule your free Online Presence Audit now.
