Starting your online business is easy.

Deciding you want to do it is the first step.

Securing all the social media profiles is number two.

But somewhere around this point, you start hitting some bumps in the road.

It’s time to start your website.

Your 24/7 home that you have entire creative control over….but the process isn’t very well outlined there are a million choices and geez…you’re just getting started so hiring someone to help is OVERWHELMING.

I know…

It is a story I hear over and over again in the online community and the outcome?

DIY-ing it because there are so many tools available to get you started that you don’t need an expert by your side. You decide to take the plunge and get something up there becasue good enough is good enough, right?

Sorry but that thinking is going to end up costing you time, clients, and $$$….

Seriously.

What is the number one thing that you do every time you land on a website? You may not even think about it because it all happens so fast…

But you make a determination if that website is credible, professional, and worthy of your time and potentially money.

And if you are being totally honest with yourself you can tell when someone has DIY-ed it and it wasn’t what they’re an expert at. You know you can.

Even with all the builders and tools out there, you should still hire a web designer to get you rolling. I’ll tell you why in just a second.

But first, let’s take a second to talk about WordPress and the Divi theme.

It’s great and it really lets you have control over everything without having to touch a bit of code so you can feasibly make a good enough website with the drag and drop builder… but the magic I think comes from being able to make changes and adjustments later with ease so you don’t feel like you are constantly bothering your designer to make minor changes.

So let’s dive into my 5 reasons you should still hire a web designer even if you are using a Template builder for your website.

Familiarity with the tools

One big reason to hire a web designer is that they are already familiar with the tools. Whether that is WordPress, the Divi Theme, another theme or another platform.

They know the ins and outs and can help set your website up for long-term success.

For example, you may or may not be aware of some security plugins or an extension to the media library that will save you tons of time and help your website be secure. But when you reach out to an expert on that platform they will know the direction to steer you in or even like I do for my WordPress clients install and configure my base plugins for them as a part of the process.

Now this is going to be a common theme throughout this whole post and I’ll go into the details in its own section but this will save you time and money because you don’t have to spend so much time learning all the ins and outs of the tools you can focus on learning what parts of the tools you’ll need to know for maintenance and minor changes.

Outside perspective (valuable for all sorts of spots of running an online business)

I know that many, myself included, have struggled at one point or another with “getting in our own way”.

Yup, that’s a thing.

You could be self-sabotaging or not seeing an opportunity or stuck hitting the same wall over and over again or… the possibilities are endless.

But when it comes to your website having another set of dedicated expert eyes to look it over is going to be very valuable.

You’re going to see gaps in the content that happen naturally because you know exactly what you mean but others may not.
They will also be able to give you ideas on what you can do to connect with your audience and how to display that content effectively.

And I help my clients with their Google Analytics so that we can make educated changes to the site rather than guessing what works and doesn’t. Which is a great part of the long-term strategy for online business growth….

pst…let me tell you a secret.

Websites are never fully finished. You’re constantly experimenting and trying new things as well as growing your brand so it is important to keep fresh eyes helping to guide you on your way, think outside the box, and make sure all the important pieces are there.

Quick a cake break…

I want to share with you an analogy I came up with while discussing this over coffee with other online entreprenuers.

I bet you can make a cake. And I bet that it is delicious and perfect and just exactly what a cake should be.

Now picture the setting.

It’s a wedding. You can make a cake and it fits all the requirements of what a cake should be…. but do you make your own cake?

Sometimes but more often than not we head straight to an industry professional who knows the tools of the trade, deals with cakes all day everyday and can make a beautiful masterpiece for the happy couple to share with their guests.

So why do you try to make a homemade cake for your online business? Doesn’t it deserve an experts touch to make it exactly what you dream of?

Chew on that for a bit…

expertise in lead generation strategy and how to create an effective website layout design to attract your client

saves you time and money

Frustration central

if you aren’t enjoying it then DIY is not the route for you – you can get a great understanding of how to interact with your site even if you didn’t do the design yourself

To wrap it up…

I want you to consider one more thing as you go forward.

Your web designer is a great tool to have in your tool belt. They know their industry and have multiple strategies up their sleeves to help you create the website that is best optimized for you.

So even if you want to make changes down the road consulting with them for their ideas is a great way to make sure your website stays professional, cohesive, and on point for you. Think about it this way. I’m sure you’ve seen an older house while out on the road.

You can clearly tell where the original house began and ended because different sections were added at a different time. Presumably by different people with different ideas and materials available to them. This can happen to websites too if you aren’t careful.

And that really can undermine your message so consider reaching out for a consultation or a small add-on project to help keep everything nice and beautiful for your online business.