Should I build my own website?

There are some very good website tools available now, and if your requirements are straightforward, you may be perfectly capable of building your own website.

So why pay someone else?

Well, there are a few things worth considering.

I'd consider doing it yourself if:

• Your website is going to be fairly simple

• You're reasonably comfortable using computers

• You have the time to learn

• You don't mind making changes yourself

• You enjoy figuring things out

• You've got a clear idea of what you want

If that sounds like you, go for it.

There are plenty of tools available that make it possible to create a perfectly respectable website without knowing how to write code.

Website builders make the technical side easier.

They don't necessarily make the decisions easier.

You still need to work out:

• What should go on the homepage?

• Which pages do you need?

• What should the navigation say?

• What information matters most?

• How much text is too much?

• What should the customer do next?

• How should the site work on a phone?

• What should you tell Google about your business?

Those decisions can be harder than dragging a few boxes around a screen

I've seen plenty of people spend weeks trying to build a website because they don't know what to say.

They choose a template.

Change the colours.

Move a few things around.

Then get stuck.

The problem isn't necessarily the technology.

It's that they haven't worked out what the website actually needs to do.

Start there.

Before you open a website builder, write down:

What do I do?

Who do I help?

Where do I work?

What are my main services?

What questions do customers ask me?

How do I want people to contact me?

If you can answer those questions, you're already a long way towards having a website.

It might be worth getting someone else involved if:

• You're spending more time on the website than your business

• You keep changing the design but never finish it

• You're unsure what information to include

• You don't know how to make it work properly on mobile

• You want help with SEO

• You need features you're struggling to build

• You simply don't want to deal with it

There's nothing wrong with doing it yourself.

There's also nothing wrong with deciding that your time is better spent elsewhere.

Let's say you spend 20 hours building your website.

That's 20 hours you're not spending on your customers, your work or your family.

That doesn't automatically mean you should pay someone to do it.

But it's worth considering.

Sometimes paying someone is about buying expertise.

Sometimes it's about buying time.

Sometimes it's about getting someone else to deal with something you simply don't enjoy.

If your requirements are straightforward, Google Sites can be a useful option.

It's relatively simple, doesn't require you to manage traditional website hosting and can work well for small business websites.

It's not the right solution for everything.

But you don't need WordPress just because someone told you WordPress is what serious businesses use.

The right platform is the one that does what you need.

If you want to build your own website, give it a go.

Set yourself a sensible amount of time.

Write the content first.

Keep the design simple.

Get the important information on there.

Then ask someone you trust to look at it.

Don't spend three months trying to make it perfect.

A simple website that is live and useful is better than a brilliant website that exists only in your head.

And if you get stuck, that's what people like me are here for.

I can take a look at what you've done, suggest improvements or help you finish it.

You don't necessarily need someone to build your whole website. Sometimes you just need a hand.

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