Free web templates? Weigh up the real cost.

The latest trend in web presence seems to be DIY websites. Anyone can create a website these days. It’s true. Even you – with no experience whatsoever.

However – please consider the potential damage you can cause to your brand. I am not only saying this because I am a web designer and I want your business. Yes, I do want your business, obviously – but I would be more than happy to see some of my competitors being able to do their jobs than watch unqualified, inexperienced, and quite frankly artistically challenged small business owners struggle to learn how to add a new page to their WordPress site.

You are limited by your knowledge of web design. That is a fact. The end result could potentially do more damage to your business than having no internet presence at all. Prospective customers will take a look at your website and within a few short seconds, make a judgement about the quality of your business. If it is quite obvious that you were unwilling to invest in employing professional services to develop your website, how can you expect the customers to invest in your business?

I have said it before, and I will say it again – the biggest brands in the world don’t just keep getting in your face because they have money to burn. They do it because their brand is so well developed and so consistent that it creates such a positive impression on the market. Good branding WORKS. Changing some colours on a website template and choosing a fancy font for your business name is not creating a brand, it’s sending a message that you’d rather spend your hard earned on something other than the quality of your business.

So it’s your call. I would never, ever recommend creating your own website unless you are experienced, up to date in current technology, and artistically skilled. You wouldn’t repair your own car or perform surgery on yourself unless you knew what you were doing - so why would you create your own website? Web design is a professional service. Most web designers, including myself, are trained and experienced in their field.

If you have any questions about this or any free or ultra-cheap web related services you are considering, please drop me an email and I will be more than happy to discuss in detail.

Signing out.