BIGGEST MISTAKES OF DIY (DO IT YOURSELF) WEBSITES

DIY websites, sometimes they’re a hit and sometimes, they can turn out horribly wrong. Building a website can be complicated, take forever, require a lot of thought and skills. Unfortunately, no one really thinks about these things and usually they just jump right into development. Jumping into such a huge project without the proper knowledge can result in multiple mistakes. If you don’t know what you’re doing, how can you make a killer website? Here are a few mistakes we noticed on DIY websites.

SEO

You have this amazing site, but no one can find it! Why’s that? Well, it all comes down to SEO. SEO is a marketing discipline that makes your website visible in any search engine. SEO is often forgotten because most people don’t really understands how it works. If you’re considering building your own site, I suggest you take a free SEO course. This will help you understand SEO and how it can make a big difference for you. Or, make sure you’re updating content regularly, doing keyword research and using links effectively.

MOBILE-FIRST

It’s no surprise that when it comes to creating a website, mobile first is the way to go. Unfortunately, DIY websites are usually not designed with mobile first in mind. Why is this a mistake? Well, companies like Google will prioritize mobile-first websites in search algorithms, which relates back to SEO. If you are planning a DIY website, take into account these mobile-friendly features such as easy navigation, swiping functionality and maps.

TEMPLATES

“Oh, that template looks nice, I’ll pick that.” Many people will choose a template due to how it looks over functionality. No one really considers how it’s going look once their content is populated. Usually, once a theme has been picked, people end up designing their site around the template instead of building it with their customers in mind. Also, templates aren’t necessarily built with efficient code and best practices. Depending on the template, it can be a nightmare to change the simplest thing if it isn’t coded properly.

CALL-TO-ACTION

At the end of they day, what is the point of your website? For most, it’s to connect with leads and customers. A strong call-to-action is how companies effectively communicate with their customers. You know your customers… but a template designer doesn’t. If you work off of a template, it likely won’t effectively communicate with your customers and in turn, will have a negative impact on sales.

SSL

One big piece of creating a trustworthy site is SSL encryption, and it’s only getting more important. SSL encryption is how a website creates a secure connection with the user. Now Google is even ranking sites higher that have SSL encryption, so it’s important not only for creating trust with your customers, but for SEO purposes as well. .

Are there people who DIY websites and achieve their goals? Absolutely. This certainly isn’t the standard case, though. Usually, people are left with an underwhelming website that they aren’t happy with. If you’re up to date on the latest trends in design and development and feel comfortable DIYing your website, go for it. If you’re unsure about any portion of building an effective website, it’s likely worth talking with an agency.

Not sure whether you should DIY or hire an agency? Have a particular question on a technology or development best practice? Get in touch and we’ll be happy to help!