Should You Build Your Own Website?

Whether you’re doing it for business or for fun, creating a website has never been easier. Countless resources are available for templates, graphics, plugins, and other useful tools. While these resources make creating your own website from scratch a breeze, there are still benefits to outsourcing the work to a professional.

So, how do we determine which route is best for us? Should we start all the way at the beginning and learn software engineering? Should we skip the technical route and use a website builder, or do we go all out and hire a professional to carry out the entire process?

What is the Website for?

Let’s assume you’re creating a website for the first time. If you’re doing it because you’re interested in the process and are looking to create something simple to test the waters, then perhaps learning to code the website yourself is a viable route. This may end up being an enjoyable hobby - or something much bigger, such as a potential career path.

However, if you need a website for business purposes, it’s more important to ensure that the site is not only well made but also created in a reasonable amount of time. This is where you can either use a website builder such as WordPress or completely outsource the process to a professional.

Benefits of Building a Website Yourself

Here’s the thing with hiring a professional: It might not be cheap (depending on your requirements). Aside from the website itself, you may need a copywriter, graphic designer, marketer and so on. Of course, if you decide to take on these tasks yourself, you’ll be saving a lot of money.

Another benefit is that you’ll be creating the website to your exact specifications. Come the time that something needs changing, you won’t have to deal with the extra costs that come with consultations and added services. The skills you’ll learn in the process are highly valuable, too.

This could create an additional income stream for you as you master fields such as coding and graphic design. Though it goes without saying that this will take some time depending on your commitment.

Drawbacks of Building a Website Yourself

As we mentioned earlier, website creation is a complex and intricate topic involving many different skills and subjects. It will inevitably take months or even years for you to fully master these fields. That said, you can get through the basics and have a functional website within your first few weeks of learning.

Another potential drawback is the use of cookie-cutter templates. Creating your own designs will simply further add to the workload. Perhaps the best approach would be to have a balance. Outsource the work that needs to be done properly and on time, then use your own time to work on other areas, depending on what you’re good at.

Conclusion

Unless you’re a jack of all trades, to begin with, you’ll have to outsource some work and make use of services such as website builders if you want anything to be done in time. After all, you can always learn these skills later on.