If you are looking for your first website, or seeking to replace one which is not delivering, the myriad of available options can often appear overwhelming.

Broadly speaking though there are two directions you can take. You can build your own website, using a no-code/ low-code drag and drop site builder, or you can pay a professional developer to build your site.

This initial and far reaching decision is almost always taken on the basis of cost. In some cases a new business owner may feel they have little choice, as cash flow, investment needs and living costs compete for funds, making it seem challenging to fund a professional website.

But let's imagine for a moment that cost is no longer part of that equation (we’ll come back to that as it’s not as far fetched as you might be thinking).

Now we are freed up to take a clear look at the other factors at play, we can determine which strategy would really deliver the best revenue and profit for your business.

The best way to do this, is to look at the stages someone goes through when finding and choosing a product or service online.

Ensure your website is found by the right people

The higher on the search results page a website ranks for a given search, the more likely someone is to visit it. Building it “search engine friendly” and then continuing to optimise it (SEO) is key.

Online website builders often have limited SEO tools, and other low cost/low code alternatives like WordPress run on shared hosting that can often be very slow.

By contrast a professional web designer or developer will have a deep understanding of both SEO and content strategy. Appropriate image tagging, clean code and dedicated server performance are all taken into account by search engines and simply not factored into most self builds.

The advice a web designer will give you about your content, combined with having a super easy to use CMS can literally make the difference between a page 2 or top 3 search position!

Make a great first impression

Most user experience experts agree that when visiting a website someone will make up their mind about the company within a few seconds or less.

My earlier article about how your website should be as good as your business, looks at this in detail, but when evaluating whether to self build or work with a professional the main factors to consider are:

Will the website load quickly?
Will it have an appropriate professional and clean design - or does it actually look homemade?
Is the content relevant and informative? The checklist for this is more involved than you probably imagine.
Is it appealing and credible to the higher spending customers you really want, or just the ones with a limited budget?

Building a website to make a good first impression like knitting or buying a jumper. Knitting may seem like an enjoyable and productive way to spend some time but consider this. Would the time have been better spent on building other areas of the business or networking?

If your website was in fact a hand knitted jumper, would you really wear it to meet an important client for the first time?

Mobilise your visitors to take action

Great, a potential customer has found you and their first impression is favourable. How do you make sure they tick all your “most wanted response” boxes?

Getting someone to pick up the phone and call you or drop you an email may seem like a no brainer - just put your phone number at the top of the home page and job done right?

Wouldn't it be even better if they approached you with a clearer understanding of what you do, about why you are better than your competitors, and already felt reassured by stories from or about your other customers?

Even better, by spending more time on page, what if they helped supercharge your search ranking, while at the same time learning how and why to recommend you to their friends, family and colleagues?

A professional web developer building you a custom site will understand exactly how to do this, and it will be some of the best money you ever spend!

Building your own website in the bubble of your friends and family is fun and feels somehow comforting.

An experienced developer on the other hand, will pull you out of that comfort zone, challenge you, and bring their technical expertise together with your business knowledge to get you the best possible results.

Keeping people engaged and encouraging referrals

Publishing helpful content like blog posts, case studies or other articles serves a number of important functions especially after the first time someone contacts you or buys from you - rather like this article hopefully does.

Longer form articles help reassure customers that you are there for the duration, and that they have made a good decision buying from you.

It can be just as simple as adding testimonials or gallery images or as complex as detailed case studies - it really depends on your business.

A custom built site provides the opportunity for this to be tailored to your business, your target customers, and how you prefer to update your website.

Customers who consume quality content, and who are truly confident that they have made the right decision, are far more likely to refer you to others. Word of mouth referrals are the ultimate goal of your online presence. Those who refer others are often the most demanding and discerning customers. Work with a professional developer to build your website with them in mind, and your investment will pay off!