Build your own website or have one built?

With a website builder you can put together a tidy site in a weekend. That isn't a bad choice. It depends on what you expect from the site.

Building it yourself suits you if

You're just starting out and mainly want to be found under your own name. You only need a few pages. And you enjoy working on it yourself, because a site needs looking after.

What's involved beyond what you'd expect

A site is more than a few pages. It comes with a domain and email, copy about what customers type in, a page per service, speed on a phone, a form that actually arrives, a privacy policy, tracking where enquiries come from, and maintenance. A DIY kit takes care of the first. The rest you have to know and do yourself.

Having it built suits you if

The site has to bring in work. Then you're not paying for the pages, but for everything you read above: that you get found, that a visitor does something and that an enquiry arrives properly. That is the work we do.

Count your own hours

Building it yourself looks free, but your hours aren't. If the site takes you forty hours that you would otherwise spend on customers, having it built is often the cheapest option.

A middle way

Start on your own, and have someone look at it later. Do make sure the domain is in your own name, so you can switch without starting again.

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