I have been a long time believer of doing something myself rather than paying someone to do the job for me. That’s actually how I got into website design. Like most people, I started out with a DIY website builder. It wasn’t long before I realized that it was a BIG mistake.
The Beginning
Here’s some quick history (stay with me, I’m going somewhere with this!): I am an optometrist and I work for the federal government. Over the past several years, several new optometry schools have sprouted up, and it only seems to be getting worse. I began to get frustrated with the growth of the schools because many new graduates could find full time work. Instead, they would piece together 2 or 3 part-time jobs to make a full time position. So not only were new graduates struggling to find work, but they were also in massive loads of debt. I began my crusade to ensure that students looking to enter the profession knew what they were really in for from a financial standpoint. Don’t get me wrong, money isn’t everything. You need to love what you do; but, it’s also vital to understand the financial implications and obligations of the professional that you choose.
Growing up I had always been somewhat techy. I figured I can use a website as a platform to disseminate my message. I started with a popular DIY website builder called Wix because it was free and seemed simple to use. It was simple, in fact, it was too simple. It didn’t allow for a lot of the basic changes and customizations that I wanted and I was limited to a finite number of pages when creating the site.
What’s this WordPress Thing?
I had also heard about something called WordPress but I wasn’t aware of what it was or how to use it. I knew it was popular, but I initially had no that idea WordPress is the most popular web design platform in the world; 75 million websites (27.5% of all websites) use it as its content management system (CMS). The beauty of WordPress lies in its customizations. If you can dream it, you can create it. After much research I realized this was the platform I needed and I dedicated the necessary time to learning the basics and ultimately became proficient at utilizing the many different options that WordPress has to offer.
Wix, Squarespace, and other DIY website builders are easy to use but they do not perform as well in web searches such as Google.
What About Using a DIY Website Builder?
DIY website development companies have popped up over the past few years with Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace leading the charge. All of the DIY websites offer drag-and-drop editing which is great for newbies who want a simple website without any flare. They all provide a clean appearance and are easy to use. Wix, Weebly and Squarespace are certainly good options for do-it-yourselfers who are looking to create a basic website without many specialty customizations.
A Little Something Called SEO
You’re probably thinking, “That sounds great! I’ll build the website myself and save a few bucks.” Slow down there Kemosabe! If it seems too good to be true it usually is. Here’s the low down: If your company is looking for a basic, simple website to display a few images and texts then Wix and Squarespace will certainly suit your needs. Both options are inexpensive and pretty straightforward, but there is one important drawback. Wix, Squarespace, and other DIY website builders are easy to use but they do not perform as well in web searches such as Google. A website’s search engine optimization (SEO) determines how well it will perform in a web search. The DIY options are simply not able to keep up with the SEO options that WordPress and other CMS’s provide.
WordPress Wins!
If your business will rely on Google searches to drive internet traffic your way then avoid the DIY website builder options. WordPress offers greater flexibility, custom-made appearances, and can be optimized to improve your site ranking on the various search engines. COMO Web Designs, LLC uses WordPress for all if it’s websites so you can ensure that a unique, creative, modern, responsive design will be used when we develop your company’s website.
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