When To DIY Your Site

This might be a bit controversial for a web designer to say but here we go. You don’t need a web designer to create a website.

Not ground breaking I know but most web designers don’t acknowledge this simple fact. So why would I say this?

I used to be someone who didn’t know how to design a website at all. I made my first website for fun, a passion project, and the whole point was to make it myself. I wanted to know how everything worked behind the scenes.

Now if I was a business owner who didn’t know anything about web design and didn’t want to learn I’d hire a web designer right away.

Here are a few reasons you can go the DIY route with your site and not feel bad about it.

You’re just starting out.

If this is your first time creating a site that isn’t just a linktree creating a complicated website shouldn’t be your top priority. If you’re starting your business from scratch, pivoting or launching something new this is for you.

You need the basics. A landing page that looks nice, is easy to read and a way for people and potential clients to find you. If you’re using Squarespace this is definitely easy for someone to set up even without knowing much about the platform.

The main reason I started out learning and creating websites on Squarespace over 6 years ago was how easy it was to learn.

I like to think of myself as tech savvy but I didn’t really need to flex those skills on this platform. I’ve tried learning to code and create websites from scratch and I didn’t enjoy the process as much. If you have the time to invest in learning to set up a simple site then the DIY route will definitely work for you.

You’re prioritizing your spending.

Investing in web design, like any other aspects of your business, definitely pays off depending on your goals. Want to attract more perfect fit clients? Want to have simple tasks taken off your plate? Want a place that is selling for you 24/7? Your website can do all those things.

If you need to prioritize other expenses or are on a budget it makes sense that design won’t always make the cut. Blogs, like this one, can help you learn the basics of web design without overwhelming you.

You can definitely use free or cheap online resources to achieve the look you’re going for.

Another alternative for a more budget friendly solution to creating your website with no help is investing in a low priced digital product or strategy to help guide you. If you want people to land on your website and take action having a strategy behind your design choices aka not just pretty pictures will help you reach your goals.

A popular digital product in the online space is buying a template from a web designer and filling in your details to customize it. Hint hint. This might be coming soon on my website!

You only need minor tweaks.

Doing a full redesign yourself might seem really daunting but making small changes yourself is definitely doable. This is why YouTube, search engines and articles exist!

Here’s another designer secret: most designers use these resources to learn.

Since there aren’t lots of college resources and degrees that are up to date most web designers learn online outside of school. So don’t feel bad about using the vast pool of resources online.

Make sure when searching for answers to any web design issues to make your search as specific as possible. There are so many different platforms that the perfect solution for one could be a disaster on another!

Anyone can DIY their website if it makes sense with their current priorities and goals. If you’re ready to learn more about how to create an effective landing page or one page website check out Square Dare.