Build A Website: Five Reasons to “Go Pro”

You’re a small business or sole trader that’s looking to build a website for your customers to visit. You see how much some solutions cost (from other companies), and yelp louder than that moment when you discover how much a pint is in London. Then a mate tells you “I can build a website” for a price significantly cheaper.

Sounds good. But the problem is you never quite know what you’re getting; and while your mate might “know his/her stuff”, you’re potentially opening up a pandora’s box of problems.

So here’s five reasons why sometimes, it’s best to call in The Professionals. (Not the old LWT TV Series).

Security

Probably the most important reason over any. You want your website to be secure against those who might want to take your website offline or steal your details. This is especially important if the website you want to build is intended to sell products to customers. It’s not just your website you’re keeping secure, it’s their details and potentially sensitive information such as card details, too.

The thing with security is you can never take risks. Your business is what you know best- and there’s a chance you might not know about things such as Secure Socket Layer or two factor authentication. Being able to build a website is different from being able to build a website that’s secure.

Once that website is built, it will need regular updating to keep it secure from the latest threats. Will you get that from the person telling you they can build you a website?  Is the loss of your website, or the details of you or your customers details worth the savings you might make?

Data Protection

Recent legislation from the European Union, the “General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679” (better known as GDPR) has launched the equivalent of an exploding shed of mines at how businesses are required to procure, manage and retain customer data. There’s a lot to think about- ranging from ensuring the correct GDPR policy is written and displayed on your website, to ensuring you obtain the right consent from the person using your website and how you handle, store and manage the data obtained. It’s not a regulation that’s likely to be changed any time soon after Brexit, either.

It’s not for the faint hearted- there’s a lot of regulations to follow, with potentially massive consequences for noncompliance and it’s likely that the friends who can build a website won’t know this.

Also- what happens if the data you’ve obtained from your customer is stolen? It’s the sort of thing that can cause you a lot of trouble and unnecessary stress. What price on ensuring that the website you’re building is compliant with the correct regulations and data handling processes?

Built To Your Needs

How much does the person that is going to build a website for you know about web designing? We’ve all looked for a website for somewhere that once we’ve clicked on it, we instantly regret doing so for the sheer chaos the website brings to our eyes.

That’s because sometimes, the website that ends up being built is done using an online website builder that’s not only inappropriate for your needs but limited in its design and functionality options. Equally alarming is when a website is built using a free template- quite often this is not only limited in its design options, but less likely to be kept secure.

When you choose a professional to build a website, you’re getting something that’s tailor made for your exact needs. Right from the platform the website is built on (such as WordPress or custom coded) to how the website is designed and laid out.

After all, you want the best for your customers. What price on ensuring the website that represents you and your business to customers is one that’s designed for your exact requirements?

Design

Talking of which, design itself is a major consideration when it comes to websites. The last thing you want is an end product that is hard for your target customer or audience to navigate. After all, your customer might be looking for something and not have a lot of time to do it. Alternatively, they could be using a mobile device; which is becoming increasingly common.

With this in mind, you will more than likely want a website that is easy to navigate on and able to be easily viewed on different devices; whether that’s a computer, tablet or mobile phone (known as responsiveness).

The ability of a website to deliver this can depend on what is being used to build it. If the person building your website is using a free to use website builder or template, it could well be the case where that isn’t possible. For example- a free WordPress template. It’s sometimes the case that the ability to customise the design or responsiveness is a premium option.

When you choose a professional to build a website, you’re getting people that know what makes a website that works for you and your customers, complete with responsiveness as well as the bells and whistles. What price for a website that not only looks the part, but does everything you and your customers expect it to?

Hosting

It’s certainly true that there’s a lot of website hosts with deals that seem extremely cheap. Sometimes even free. But there’s a few questions that need to be asked when you are considering what to do.

Firstly, is the package offered one that’s suitable? The last thing you want is your website to go offline because you’ve exceeded your bandwidth usage. It’s very easy to look at a series of numbers and think “that will do” but will it? What are you getting for your money?

Secondly, how reliable is your host? You certainly don’t want a situation where your website is offline or running extremely slow because the “cheap” host you’ve gone with is not fit for purpose. The more time your website is offline or slow, the more likely you are to lose out on customers.

Thirdly, how secure is your host? It’s one thing having a website that’s totally secure, but if the server it’s stored on isn’t, you’re potentially opening yourself up to a whole world of problems.

Finally, how reputable is your host? It’s unfortunately sometimes the case where a host will pop up, offer an amazing deal then after a short while disappear overnight, taking your website offline with it. We once faced that exact situation here at Dorset Tech- where our team was asked to restore a website from scratch using archived code because the company’s previous host had gone bust overnight.

When you choose a professional to build your website, more often than not you’re getting hosting as part of your website package. As such, the very same team that built your website are making sure it’s kept online and secure. What price for security, reliability and peace of mind?

The Dorset Tech Solution

Calling in the professionals doesn’t have to blow a large hole in your bank balance. That’s where we at Dorset Tech come in. As nice as it sometimes might seem, we’re not in business to make ourselves millionaires; after all we’re a social enterprise. That means the profits we make are reinvested in helping non profits and start up businesses thrive in the increasingly digital world. We also give back to our local community whether it’s by donating time to produce village magazines, free advice, helping with community projects or running a kids robot combat club.

That also means we can offer terrific quality at a reasonable price- we’re a small business ourselves, and we know the demands that brings.

See for yourself- have a look at exactly what we can do for you and your business here.

Say no to the expensive quotations, say no to your friend and get the best from Dorset Tech.