Check out this helpful guide to make the decision between hiring a web developer and building your business website by yourself a little easier!
If you’re looking to make a small business website or develop one for yourself, you may have noticed the myriad options at your disposal.
Do you want to go to WordPress or Weebly, Squarespace or Yola? Will your website be responsive for mobile devices? Will it include videos or just images? What will the theme be?
What is a good domain name?
And on and on…
Well, let’s take a step back and ask one big overarching question: “Should you be hiring a web developer or do it yourself (DIY)?”
There are a lot of comparisons and pros and cons to consider, so let’s take a look at some of the big differences between these two options.
What Is the Cost of Hiring a Web Developer?
The first thing you need to consider is your budget.
Do you even have a budget?
Do you have a $500 budget, a $5,000 budget, or maybe a $10 budget?
If you don’t really have the money to spare, then you definitely need to go DIY. Web designers are human beings with families and lives that they need money to survive and pay the bills.
A website may seem like a simple thing from the outside, but there can be a lot of work and preparation that goes into it and that time and labor costs money.
As for how much a web designer costs, is really up to a number of variables:
- Where you live
- What kind of website you need
- How much experience the web developer has
- How long the project will take (if hiring on an hourly basis)
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the mean hourly wage of a web developer is around $35 an hour. That number will most likely be higher if you’re hiring someone for freelance work, but it’s a decent basis to go from.
If you want to do it yourself, the only real cost you need to worry about is the yearly cost of the domain name.
It will change from one service to another, but it could be as low as $10 a year to as much as $100 a year. On top of that, most services will probably ask you to pay a premium if you want extra design or functionality.
Takeaway: If you want to hire a web developer, you need to have a budget of at least $300 to $500 at a minimum and even upwards of $3,000 to $5,000. If you don’t have much of a budget at all, you will need to do it yourself. Even then you will still need some money (in the range of $10-$100 per year) for the domain name and any other premium features you want to utilize.
Designs and Themes
How do you picture the overall web design of your small business?
Is it simple and straightforward? Pretty and interactive?
If you use website builders, such as WordPress, Squarespace, etc., they will often have a number of designs and themes you can choose from. You can browse these themes on your own, but a website developer will be able to help you if you have specific needs.
If you want a customized theme, that’s something only a web developer will be able to help you with.
Also, if you’re not sure about the design yet, that’s another way a web designer can help. If you pick a quality designer for your small business website, such as Databerry, you may be able to consult on your theme and design.
Takeaway: If you’re satisfied picking and choosing your own website themes (or paying a premium for certain ones), you can do it yourself. If you need more customization or need help picking your design, you will want to consult with a web developer.
Features and Functionality
This is similar to the design phase.
Just like how most website builders have themes and designs that you can choose from, they also have features and functionality. A lot of times, these are called plug-ins.
The good news is that there are usually thousands of features to choose from. You’re almost never going to run out of options, but in the rare case that you do, a web developer will also be able to customize a particular feature or functionality, just like they would with a design theme.
Takeaway: Do it yourself if you’re OK with picking and choosing your own plug-ins from a website builder. Hire a web designer if you need more customization or don’t want to search through all of the features yourself.
How Much Time Do You Have?
This is a pretty important aspect to consider.
Afterall, time is money, and how much of it do you have?
If you have all the time in the world, feel free to take a crack at it yourself. If your time is better spent elsewhere, then you should definitely be considering a web developer.
Similar to the section of your budget, it’s important to consider what may be more financially sound in the long run.
If you DIY, that time spent making your website could be spent finding more customers, developing more products, or improving your .
Also, if you’re unfamiliar with website builders or web design in the first place, you need to consider the amount of time you’ll spend researching it all in the first place.
The time can add up quick.
Even still, depending on the complexity of the website, a web developer will need some time to consult with you and build the website. Count on at least a week, if not a month or more finish certain projects.
Takeaway: If you have all the time in the world, feel free to research website design and do it yourself. If your time is better spent elsewhere, consider hiring a web developer.
Hiring a Web Developer vs. DIY: The Choice Is Yours
There are a number of variables and things to take into consideration before you make this choice:
- How big is your budget?
- How much time do you have?
- Do you need customization in the overall design, theme, or functionality?
Only you can answer these questions, though.
It’s worth considering doing it yourself if you have the time set aside to research and get the ball rolling, but don’t be ashamed of just hiring a web developer to do it for you!
A website is ultimately just a tool for marketing your small business, and some may be more qualified to build it than you.
Hopefully, you’re better equipped to make this decision now. If you want to learn about other ways you can prove and expand your business, read more of our for tips and insights.
