[01.27.10]

Do it yourself (DIY) web site design always sounds good for small business. Set up an account with a site builder such as MS Office Live, or goDaddy's site builder, and go at it! Drop in some pretty pictures, use the fonts you like, and presto! Done.....right?

NO.

DIY design is a very slippery slope. Here are some questions to ask yourself before going ahead with a DIY site.

• Are you a designer?
• Do you understand usability?
• Is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) a need for your business?

If you answered no to even one of these, then you really need to consult a design shop, and here's why.

Considering that your web site is your 24/7 marketing tool, it is of utmost importance that you make your site shine. Yes, your business' personality and brand need to show through, and they will. BUT, your individual personality does not need to be on display. This is not about displaying that you love the font comic sans, or want the navigation menu at the bottom of the page. This is about engaging your customers and keeping them on your site to learn about your business and its services. Site builders offer what sounds great. Cheap, "easy to use" and easily designed.

The Results of DIY:

Take a look at this terrible example of web design.

This site is badly designed to illustrate the usual mistakes people make when “designing” a web site. Wow! It has music! I bet you reached for your volume knob to turn that off immediately. The colors are terrible, the text is hard to read and you have no idea what to do and where to navigate to. Sure, it might have what you consider "bells and whistles", but these are not bells and whistles. Take a look at these other examples of bad web site design and ask yourself, would you want to do business with any of these people? Then take a look at some of these amazing examples of well designed web sites, and do the comparison. I think you will see my point.

SEO? DOA.

Using a site builder, you will receive little to no SEO. Site builders like to keep the content of your site hidden in the source code, making it impossible for search engines to find you and your business. In this day and age, that is nothing short of a mistake. Making it easy to find your business online gives you an advantage over your competition and improves your business. The term "googling" isn't a household word for no reason, right? This is a sign of the times. Read it and adapt, or lose out on important customers.

Alternatives?

Look at some other options like WordPress. With WordPress you can update your site yourself, there are tons of free or inexpensive templates that can fit for any business. However, using templated web sites can dilute your brand. You will not be the only business with that design. But all is not lost. Hire a designer to modify the template to express your brand clearly. This is would be inexpensive compared to building an entire site, and will give you much more value than site builders. Less headache as well.

And now to sum it up...

Many small business web sites are more of a detriment than a useful tool. A badly designed web site will push people away and a well designed site will keep them there learning what makes you the person they want to do business with. All detriments make you lose out on new business, from not being able to find the information relevant to the user, to not knowing how to navigate your site. Remember, if you want to look like an expert in your line of business, then wear a suit.