Almost anyone can start a website. Using platforms like WordPress, you can get a website going in minutes, with just a few clicks of your mouse or trackpad. You can use pre-built themes, enabling you to start a site with no knowledge of coding, web design or HTML.
You can even customise it with relatively little research needed. It’s easier than ever, and that’s great. It means more people are starting sites, pushing themselves and learning new skills.
But, that doesn’t mean that web designers aren’t still unbelievably valuable. Using data-driven web design can make all the difference between your site getting read and not. If you have a business, it can mean that you convert views into sales effectively and that your business grows.
Using a web designer can help you to create a professional and unique site that perfectly fits your needs and appeals to your audience.
Using analytics, content strategy and cutting edge design tools, web designers can help you to become successful, without having to face years of heartache first. Let’s take a more in-depth look at some of the benefits of using a web designer for your website or business.
Your Site Will Be Quick
Page speeds are exceptionally important. We’re used to the internet being fast and pages loading almost instantly. We have gotten used to quick downloads, and we’re unhappy if we have to wait for more than a few seconds. If your website runs slowly, people will click away. If it takes too long to process a sale, people will give up. They might never come back.
But, there are so many things that can affect the speed of your page, and often even small customisations can have a significant effect, especially if you don’t have much in the way of technical knowledge. Using a web designer can make sure that your site runs quickly without conflicting code and other issues which could slow it down.
It Will be Mobile Friendly
We also expect the websites that we visit to work well and be equally responsive on different sized screens. No one enjoys trying to use a regular desktop website on a smartphone screen. You can’t see the text clearly, clickable links are too close together, and you might find yourself trying to zoom in on specific areas. It can be hard to navigate.
Hiring a designer will mean that your site has a responsive mobile version. This can increase conversion, lower bounce rates and help you to build a loyal audience.
You’ll Avoid Common Mistakes
Most people that have a website, whether it’s a home business, a blog, an eCommerce store or another kind of site, make similar mistakes. People with no experience make even more.
It’s easy to walk into traps, and while most of these mistakes are easy to fix, they can cause conflicts later on, slow your site down, or mean that you have to use workarounds that make your site more complicated than it needs to be. Getting a designer on board from the start will help you to avoid these mistakes.
You’ll Never Be a Slave to Trends
When we are in charge of our own designs and customisations, we often look at trends and fashions. You might create a site that is filled with popular themes and ideas. But, web design trends change like anything else, and you might find that what is fashionable now, won’t be in a few months.
A designer will help you to create something that looks great and will continue to look great in the future, without you having to become a slave to trends, continually making changes and updates.
You’ll Have Lasting Support
Most designers don’t clock off as soon as your site is finished. The best ones will be there to offer you support going forward. They’ll be able to make small changes, and help out if anything is wrong, or you want anything checked.
Your Site Will Stand Out from the Crowd
There are countless WordPress themes on the market, some free, others paid for. Most offer easy customisations, but, still, look largely the same. Use a designer, and your site will look different. It will be easy to read and eye-catching, and it will certainly stand out from the crowd.
It’s Cost-Effective
The cost of a web designer might put you off. But, it can be well worth the expense. Using a designer can mean that your site makes money quickly, that you don’t lose income because of any faults or downtime, and that you don’t have to pay for people to fix mistakes.
Strategy Building
A designer will talk to you about the future. With them, you’ll build a strategy to ensure your website is able to meet your five-year plan. You’ll have targets and goals, and your website will be what you need to help you to get there. You’ll have a clearer plan moving forward.
SEO
If you want your website to get found, grow and become well known, SEO is crucial. Most themes are SEO optimised, but a designer can offer more help. Using a web designer will mean that your site is ready to go SEO wise, which can make your life much easier.
Your Site Will be More Reliable
Sites go down for a massive range of reasons, sometimes, because we’ve broken them with code changes or by adding conflicting plugins. Sometimes because of our hosting. And sometimes it’s down to theme changes. A web designer will help to create a site that is reliable in the long-term.
A Designer Will Save You Time
Running a website is tough. It takes a lot of time and effort. A designer can save you time, giving you the chance to focus on other things.
A web designer is an expense. But, ask yourself if it’s worth it? A designer can pay for itself quickly. They can help to ensure your business grows steadily and makes money straight away. They can help you reduce downtime and a loss of income that comes with it. Ask yourself instead, can you afford not to hire a web designer?
