Would You Build Your Own Helicopter?

I have recently become a helicopter freak. With a cousin who works for Sikorsky (the Rolls-Royce of helicopters) and after living all my life next to a busy commercial airport, it’s hard not to be. But as an enthusiast, I don’t know if I could ever build my own helicopter and fly it. So, why all this talk about homemade helicopters? Because some things are better off left to professionals.

Recently there is a lot of talk about building your own website with tools like SquareSpace, WordPress, Weebly and WIX. While this is a great opportunity for people who cannot afford to hire a web development company, it is not a professional solution. Like the engineering in a fine flying machine, all the pieces of a website must work in harmony to work. Otherwise, disaster is imminent.

To help you understand, I will provide you with five things a professional web designer brings to a project that an online tool cannot…

1. A Unique, Artistic Vision – Many of these tools are based on templates. That means there are hundreds or even thousands of others using the same look as you are. There is very little opportunity to be unique or different than your competitors.
2. Complete Customization – With a professional designer, your vision is your site. If you want some custom functionality, it happens. With one of these services, you have to hope that they have a plug-in or add-on that will accomplish a task similar to what you are looking for.
3. A Sales Vision – Your website is your home in the digital universe. The main roles are to educate prospects and convert them into customers. Web designers know how to design that user experience. The simple path to a sale is the best. A web designer knows how to implement that.
4. Search Engine Optimization – SEO is a mysterious science that most web designers know. A good web designer understands what you need to do to place in the search engines and how to encourage searchers to pick your site in a list of thousands. Many of these web tools have the capabilities to optimize a site, but they rely on your expertise to make them work. I think that making sure your site is optimized for search is one of the most important parts of the web development process.
5.  Support – What happens when something goes wrong? With a professional web designer, relief is only a phone call away. If you accept credit cards through PayPal and one day they change their programming, you will quickly be forced into searching through knowledgebases for answers. With a web designer, those changes can be foreseen and addressed before they impact function. This is a very real concern.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of a great website. It is the most important part of your online presence. When looking to upgrade your look, we strongly recommend seeking a good web designer to partner with you. These five reasons are a short reminder of why. Did we miss something? Do you disagree? We would love to hear your insights! @BoxlessMedia