Why hire a website designer when I can use a free template?

Intuit is offering free design templates for websites…

Webs.com offers free design templates and free hosting…

GoDaddy gives free hosting and templates…

Why on earth would you hire a professional Web Designer?

Because…

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

Your Website is your virtual storefront. Even if you have a real store, many people will find you on the web before they meet you or enter your store. If your site does not adequately convey who you are, what you do and what makes you unique, you may never get a second chance. Do you want your web presence to make you look like one of the pack – or an innovative, creative businessperson?

You are a professional.  Does your website reflect that?

A Website should reflect the culture and personality of your company – without being too cute or too stuffy. A good Website is well designed, well written, functional and user friendly. If the navigation doesn’t work intuitively, the viewer may get frustrated and leave with a negative impression of your company. If you aren’t adequately conveying who you are and what sets you apart, you could lose business.

Your Message is important…
Content is king. This has been the mantra of Website developers since the beginning. With search engines now being able read for content, how you maximize your keywords within your content has become ever more important. If you are not using page titles, alt tags and even image naming techniques to their fullest, you are missing important opportunities to get higher on search engines. If you are not cogently explaining your business – what you do, how you do it and why people should hire you or buy your products, you may rank high on search engines and fail at attracting clients. In web design like almost no other medium, writing, graphic design and technology all work synergistically to create a great Web presence – one that ranks high and attracts customers.

Search Engine Optimization and Social Networks are important…
Ranking high on search engines today is about more than just the Website. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and blogs are all becoming important to how you rank on search engines. Having links to and from each of your social networking venues will improve the rank of all of them. In many cases, people looking for your business might find that your blog, Facebook page or LinkedIn profile are displayed before your actual Website. Having multiple ways for people to find you gives you a real advantage over those who are not using these techniques. Blogs especially give you the chance to “show your stuff” to potential clients. A bonus is that your credibility is raised, and your peers and business associates may actually be moved to refer business your way.

Your Website is your ultimate marketing piece

While it would be foolish to count on your website to do all of your marketing, it is a key element in any campaign. Look at almost any brochure or flyer; watch just about any TV commercial or listen to radio ads, and the successful company’s website is almost always mentioned. That is because the Website gives a company the opportunity to tell their story in greater detail and with more flare than is possible with other venues.

What is YOUR time worth  
There is always a learning curve. While Website templates sound like a quick and easy solution, what if something goes wrong? What if the navigation structure doesn’t work? What if you want the site to do something that the template doesn’t do? How many times have you been on a Website that looks okay, but doesn’t work right? How many times have you ended up being a customer of the owner of that Website?

Finally, the overall “look” of a site is important – the colors, fonts, layout, shapes, images and words all work together to present an overall impression of the company. While templates offer an easy solution, they are not a substitute for a creatively designed, well written, and well built website.