This past December I decided to take the plunge and hire a website designer. It was one of the best decisions that I could make for myself and for my business.
Why I Decided to Invest in a Website Designer
Follow along to decide if you need to invest in a website designer for your business. In the past, I started my business without a website with little to no idea on how to make one or why I needed one. When at a mentor session, I quickly realized that I should have a website because that is the place that showcases you and your work. I now know that having a website is extremely important for my business to thrive and to hit the markets that I want.
As mentioned above, when I was starting out I did my research to find that ShowIt websites were at the top of the list for being the best for photographers and business owners. The most important thing to me was that they were easy to navigate and alter when I needed to. I am in no way shape or form “techy” so I needed something that could look professional with my little knowledge.
Get your Showit site started here!
I started with a template that was in the Showit shop but knew that it would never be my forever site. Personally, I knew I would need something that represents more of who I am and why my business is so different than others. I needed something more unique and that would show off my personality but I had NO IDEA how to do that.
That is when I found the QUEEN of websites! I found Mary after seeing her work on Instagram and doing as much research as I could to find the best. I couldn’t have asked to work with someone sweeter, on top of everything, and all-around amazing at what they do. Check out Mary and her work here!
I had the opportunity to ask Mary some questions and help you decide what is the next best step for your business! Follow along below.
Is there anything wrong with using a website template or DIYing my own website?
Absolutely not! There’s no real right or wrong when it comes to if you should design your own website or hire a professional. There is a lot of strategy that goes into good web design and making sure everything on your website is shown in a way that leads people through the information they need in an organized manner. Good design helps to build trust with your website visitors, when good trust is established from your website they are more likely to be interested in working with you.
There are definitely important things to include on your website, best ways to organize things, ways to write copy that converts, etc. but by using a strategically designed template by a professional, and doing some research I think anyone can DIY their first website with success! I actually believe this so strongly that I’m launching Showit website templates this spring because I want to have a way for newer businesses to work with me as well!
How do I decide which website platform to use? There are so many out there!
I personally think Showit is the absolute best for small business owners and creatives. What I like best about Showit is you don’t need to have a knowledge of coding to use the platform so it’s a great choice for business owners who aren’t web designers but want to have some creative freedom with their website. It also integrates beautifully with WordPress so it’s a win-win because you can have a beautiful design and the blogging power of WordPress all in one. However, I don’t see anything wrong with any website platform. You just need to do some research to figure out which platforms offer the functionality and support you are looking for!
How do I know when it’s time to invest in a website designer?
I have a couple of answers because I don’t think there’s one right answer. When you’re first starting a business, I believe everyone should invest in a website within their first year. Now, that could be investing in a website template. Or that could be investing in a designer. The one downside of hiring a designer right away would be if it’s going to put you into debt in your business – then I’d recommend waiting and working with a template until you have enough money saved to make a smart investment with a designer. Also, if you invest a lot in your website before you really know what you are doing in your business then you might need to invest again a year from now when you have a better idea of who your ideal client is.
I typically recommend going to the template or semi-custom (when a designer customizes the template for you) website route until you’re a couple of years into business and truly know your mission, brand vision, and ideal client. If you’re not sure what website route you should be taking, you can always ask a website designer to help you figure it out.
Thanks for reading Friend! I am so happy to have you here.
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