WordPress is the most popular blogging platform in the world. It’s also one of the easiest to use, and there are plenty of free themes out there that make it simple for beginners to create their own site. But should you build your own WordPress website? This post will outline some of the pros and cons you should consider.
WordPress Makes it Easy for Beginners to Build Websites
WordPress is an easy-to-use platform that makes it simple for beginners to create websites. There are also plenty of free themes available for you to choose from on the WordPress website.
A beginner might assume that, because they can do everything themselves and have 100% control over their site design, a self-built site would be perfect. This isn’t necessarily true.
You could end up designing something with too many fonts, a less than desirable user experience, or elements that make your site look unprofessional. For this reason, it may be best to consult a professional rather than doing all the work yourself.
Building Your Own Website Takes a Lot of Time
One of the best reasons to hire a professional is that they can do it quickly. Building your own website takes time, and you will likely have to learn how to code or pay someone else who knows how.
You could also end up spending more money on hosting fees, software, and other solutions. Hiring a professional means less work for you in this area, which will save both time and money when building your site.
A Website Should Do More Than Just Look Good
A self-built site may look great on the surface, but it’s important to remember that your website needs to be functional, too.
It needs content for visitors, and likely social media followers, which means you need to have someone create this for you. It may also make sense to hire an SEO professional, if you aren’t familiar with SEO or aren’t willing to learn these skills yourself.
You Can Save Money by Developing Your Own Website
One of the biggest pros when deciding whether you should build your own WordPress website is that you may be able to save some money.
Many people have decent design skills. If they’re willing to put in the time, can build an entire website themselves with a free WordPress theme and hire someone to create content.
If this sounds like you and you have a very tight budget, building your own website may be a good option.
You’ll Need to Manage Your Website Regularly if You Do the Work Yourself
If you build your own website, keep in mind that you’ll need to spend time managing and updating the site.
You’ll also need to consistently write new blog posts for readers or find other ways of providing them with content so they’ll visit again. Lastly, you may need to hire a professional to promote your website or learn how to do the work yourself.
All of these efforts will cost money and could take up a lot of your time.
Websites Are Designed to Convert Visitors
A website’s goal should be to convert visitors into customers.
It also needs to rank high in search engine results pages so people will find it when they’re search for the products or services that you sell on your site. If, as a beginner, you don’t know how to do this, hiring an SEO specialist may make sense too.
Again, this will cost money and take up a lot of your time.
Your Competitors May Have an Advantage if You Build Your Own Website
If you do the work yourself, your competitors may have a significant advantage over you.
It’s possible that many of them have hired a professional to create their websites. Clearly, a website built by a professional will supersede an amateur-built website. Make sure you study your competitors closely.
If their websites look like they were professionally built (you can usually tell by scrolling to the bottom and looking for a logo or website design agency name), then it may be best to do the same.
Need Help Building a WordPress Website?
As you can see, building a WordPress website has its pros and cons. If, after thinking through whether you should build your own website, you’ve decided to hire a professional website development agency, then we’d love to help.
Contact us today to speak to a member of our team about your upcoming development project.
