Websites are living, moving entities that need to constantly adapt to survive. They also need to be mobile-optimised and future-proofed and that’s even before you think about design!
Seems like a lot to do – and to pay for – which is why many small business owners try building their own sites. However, more than 90% of self-builds fail and sometimes take the enterprise with them, so it’s always best to get in the pros. There’s so much more to building a website than a few keywords and some clipart.
Vision and forward-thinking
Design agencies are among the first to discover and adopt new technology. Not only that, they can see it coming a mile off and so are able to add in future-ready functionalities. Of course everyone will catch up, but if you get web design and development from Marketing Signals, you’ll always have the next not-quite-ready tech installed and waiting. Clever, eh?
The experience
Everyone thinks it’s easy to build a website, but unless you’re a development whiz as well as a karate instructor, you’ve got a steep learning curve. With the professionals, they’ve already invested their time and effort, all ready for you to harvest.
You could try yourself, of course, but when you run into a problem, you could be stuck for days, whereas an agency could create a customised solution.
The extra resources
Lots of different strands come together to create a website – there’s the creative types, the content writers, the strategists, the marketers, the SEO peeps and the designers. Every agency has these guys to hand so you have continuity of service and fewer delays. Additionally, working together on a project allows team members to spot problems before they arise and fix them earlier rather than later.
The tried-and-tested process
It’s a complicated business, building a website, and design agencies have a process that they follow because it works. Having a set workflow means that the project keeps moving along, from initial strategy to testing and launching, with timelines and targets.
Scaling it up
Most business websites start off small, but then there’s the chat function, the blog, the different payment systems, the customised search… If you’ve built your initial site with a template, how will you add all these widgets on?
This is where the design agency comes in with the future-proofing again. The apps can be added ahead of you needing them, even ones you don’t know you’ll need (because you will!), because the designers are thinking ahead.
The savings
You’ll save money by hiring an agency. Let’s say you have a go at building your website in the evenings – after four weeks you’re exhausted and you’ve had enough. Nothing works properly and so you ask your friend to try, before finding someone from a local message board. He gives up too. This has been a big waste of time, effort and money and your site still hasn’t launched.
OK, you’ll pay a couple of grand for an agency, but your site will be up and running in a few weeks and you’ll have on-going care and advice – and those all-important future-widgets!
