These days there are ads everywhere for DIY website design services- platforms like Wordpress, Weebly, and Joomla are all incredibly helpful tools that give those with no design or website experience the opportunity to create their own site (no coding knowledge!). While these are fantastically handy for basic sites, it's important to remember there are a lot of specific techniques and fine points that may fall by the wayside when the untrained use this method. Professionals are ahead of this learning curve- by going it alone you may be missing out on some important details that would seriously boost your business.

DIY is always possible for all sorts of projects. But how much are you willing to do? Do you want to remodel your kitchen in your spare time, or would you hire a contractor? Do you want to research recipes and make a 5 star meal at home, or do you want to go to a restaurant? The truth of the matter is the professionals know a lot of tricks and techniques that create an end result of better exposure for your business. They also know potential problems, pitfalls and things that would affect the quality and performance of the end product. The more you know about any subject, the better you'll understand it- this is especially important in the creation of a professional website.  

How much do you know about SEO? If you want your site to be seen by search engines and ranked as highly as possible, being search engine-friendly is pivotal. What about your writing skills? Professional content is one of the most important aspects of good design- without it, you'll appear unprofessional at best, incompetent at worst. 

Experienced web designers know how to customize your site to include exactly what you want, making it unique and attractive. Typography, high quality photographs, logo design, and social features add sleekness and accessibility. Responsive websites and testing for different platforms, devices and browsers also are afforded by experience and time. Professional designers have an eye on the trends, best practices, and current marketing techniques to keep you looking modern, relevant, and ahead of the curve.

If you want to avoid both horrific disasters and the dangers of a mediocre website, utilizing a pro's experience is in your best interest when it comes to your company. Leave the myriad details to professional web designers, as you would with a contractor for building the highest quality structures, and you can keep doing what you do- improving your business.

_{Erin Maloney}