Does this scenario sound familiar to you? You’re a small business owner examining your income and expenses. Sales are down compared to the last few months, so your budget is on a bit of a shoestring right at this moment. Downstairs, or across the hall from you, Jim’s in need of some new work, a project. You start to wonder if he’d like to start developing the company’s new website and –

Stop right there! If this train of thought continues, you could be doing your company a lot more harm than good, especially when you’re trying to either get a new website off the ground or are looking to give your current one a good renovation. Here’s why hiring a professional website designer would be the better choice.

They’re Experienced

A professional designer cannot get work without credentials, and it’s likely they’re continuing their education on the Internet and website development long after they graduated from university, staying alert of the latest and newest innovations in computer technology. A professional also knows what users – clients or customers trying to find your website – really want to get out of their online experience, and so they are more willing to design your website accordingly so that it fits the bill for everyone involved.

They Do their Job, and they Do it Well

Odds are high that this project of developing and designing a website is Jim’s first. What is proposed as a simple task is going to frustrate him once he finds out all there is to involve with design:

  • Usability
  • SEO
  • Content
  • Menus
  • Hosting
  • Email
  • And much, much more

Unlike Jim, a professional website designer knows about all of these elements and how they must interconnect so that the user’s experience is a pleasant one. Like we said before, the professional’s been on the job longer, so their experience in this regard matters.

They’re Up-to-Date with Technology

It’s no secret that Google changes its algorithm over 500 times in the span of a year, making things like search engine optimization (SEO) a daily endeavor. Unlike Jim who probably is only beginning to understand the scope and breadth of technology’s pace, a professional pays attention to the latest information and updates regarding search engines, the way the Internet works, and recent developments in the tools and ideas being used on a daily basis. They’re especially more knowledgeable about using more than one browser for search engines, making sure your website and how it’s displayed shows up perfectly on all of them, not just one.

It’s Less Costly in the Long Run

For every mistake made, the time and money spent fixing them, especially when it comes to website development and design, is exponentially more than the simple adjustments a professional can and will offer to do. Sometimes the simplest fixes include a tweak in the HTML code to change the text’s color and font, or to adjust the menus on the home page to be more user-friendly, or to add SEO where it’s missing. But more often than not, when handled by Jim or by someone who doesn’t know anything about developing websites, the precious time spent is immediately wasted if the end result is worse than the original plan. A professional, on the other hand, knows how to make websites look good and run smoothly, whether it’s trying to find information or to buy a product online.

They Make Communication a Top Priority

Would you rather hear nothing from Jim and assume he’s doing his job, or know exactly what he’s doing? This is one of the biggest differences between a professional and Jim. Jim may have made several mistakes already (after all, this is his first time handling the project), and he may cover them up with false good news or worse, lie and say “everything’s fine”.

A real professional does not take any risks when it comes to this sort of task. They are in touch constantly, because this website is now their baby, just as it is for you. They want to make sure it looks the way you want it to, is as easy to use for them as it is for you, and make the best website possible that suits your company and promotes its brand in a positive light.

What we’re trying to say is, give poor Jim a break and let him handle a task that’s not above and beyond his line of duty. Don’t force him to do something he wasn’t hired to do – let a professional handle it.