Hiring a professional website designer isn’t the most affordable way to go and definitely does not come cheap. The cost of working with a design company can easily start at $3000 and go up from there depending on what the features are needed to get the job done.
Today there are plenty of website builders firms that offer instant pre-built templates for you to pick from. Companies like Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly and many others.
Web Designer vs Professional Website Builder?
The truth is, hiring a professional web designer or design firm is definitely not for everyone.
Web Designer vs Website Builder – Who Should Use a Website Builder?
Should everyone hire a professional website designer? Not really. In fact, for many, it’s the wrong move. Should your business falls under one of these categories you should probably go with a website builder:
Hobby
If you’re a hobbyist and looking to share your passion with others, you don’t need to hire a professional designer.
Blogger
Unless you have a mature blog with an established audience, there is no need to professionally design your site at first. You can always improve your design later and import all of your previous posts at that time.
Unfunded Startup / New Business
Do you have a new business or unfunded startup? You should probably just start with an affordable website builder. You have yet to prove the concept, and you are better off just getting your idea out into the world to see if there is even a market for it. Once you have an established customer base and are generating revenue, then you should probably look into upgrading your site with a professional design.
Solopreneur
If you’re a solopreneur with less than $75k/year in revenue, then you are probably best served with an affordable website builder.
Unproven Concept
Have a great new idea that you haven’t tested yet? You should use a website builder to see how the idea is received. If it starts making money, then consider hiring a professional.
Small Non-profit
For small non-profit organizations that are high on passion and low on funds, there is nothing wrong with using a website builder for your organization.
What’s the deciding factor?
When it comes to whether or not you should hire a web designer vs website builder, remember the timeless words of old school rapper DJ Quick:
“If it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense.”
The bottom line is – paying for a website should pay for itself. If hiring a web designer is a money losing proposition, stick with a website builder
Who would be better off hiring a professional web designer?
If website builders like Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly are so affordable, why shouldn’t everyone use them? If a professionally designed website could cost over $10,000 and a website builder costs $50/month, aren’t you saving over $9,000 by choosing the website builder?
Not really. The reason is that it’s not how much a professionally designed website costs.
It’s how much it will cost you and your business if you don’t have a professionally designed website.
Source & Statistics: THOMASDIGITAL.com