You Don't Need a Professional Web Designer
At least according to BusinessWeek. They're running an article called No Geeks Required, all about how small business owners can realize big savings by designing their own websites. They claim that "a variety of services make it easy for the tech-impaired and time-challenged to get a site up and running," and then go on to profile 3 business owners who've had success with these services.
It's interesting that BusinessWeek neglected to link to any of the self-made sites that they profile, and I took the time to track them down and have a look. Normally, I don't use this space to critique anyone else's work. But since the creators of these sites are not professional designers, and they're claiming in an widely read magazine that my profession is unnecessary and overpriced, I'm going to consider them fair game. Lets take a look.
Wow! Imports
According to the article, the owner of Wow! Imports used a do-it-yourself service at Register.com to create her site. "I stayed up all night cutting and pasting and did the whole thing in two days", she says. Take a look at what two sleepless nights can produce.
Clearly the work of an amateur, but not too bad. The pink-gray gradients are "interesting", though the header and footer seem to be completely divorced from one another, separated by a sea of empty space. I actually hit refresh and then tried a different browser, because it felt like there was a background image that wasn't loading, but it appears to be done that way "by design". The company name in the header is just plain text, instead of incorporating the logo which appears elsewhere (the logo is also a do-it-yourself design, I assume). Visually, it's unimpressive, but of course that's largely a matter of taste. Taste, though, is one of those intangible things that a professional brings to a design.
Beyond the visual appearance, other problems lurk. The pages carry non-descriptive names such as "page2.html" and are needlessly buried in a subdirectory. The page titles, largely identical across the site, are ridiculously long and stuffed with keywords. For example, the front page title contains 33 words and is 228 characters long. The products page has almost all of it's text hidden within image files. None of these things are helping the site on the search engines, and the spammy title tags may even be hurtful.
Dream a Little Dream Events
Next up is Dream a Little Dream Events, created with software from Homestead. The owner originally tried out the site builder at Register.com but found that "everything looked weird".
I wasn't surprised to find this the most visually appealing site. A company that plans weddings and designs invitations should be expected to have an eye for design, and the site is tastefully put together. There's an odd use of white space at the top of the front page, and a few alignment issues, but that's forgivable - these are amateur sites we're talking about.
Once you get past the visual aspects, the site doesn't hold up so well. The navigation is done with javascript, which is bound to cause problems for search engine spiders. This probably explains the fact that the front page has a Google Page Rank of 3, while most of the internal pages haven't even been indexed. If I could only fix one thing on this site, this would be it. Search engines can't send visitors to your site if they can't crawl it.
There's also a problem with the images on the site. Large images are used, with the scaling left to the browser. This causes larger pages, longer download times, and badly rendered images (most browsers are terrible at image scaling). Beyond the on-site images, there are photo galleries hosted with a different service on a separate domain. The galleries have a different design and no link back to the primary web site, and no contact information for the company. If a visitor finds the company via the photo gallery pages, they have no way to find the actual company site without resorting to a search engine.
Parking Padding Solutions
Finally, we have Parking Padding Solutions, created with Microsoft's Office Live. This is also a second attempt, after the first try with Yahoo produced a site that "wasn't as professional-looking".
This site manages to avoids most of the structural problems of the other two, so it appears to be well indexed by the search engines. Visually, though, it falls far short of the "professional-looking" image the site owner was going for. The logo and graphics are clearly amateur. Every element on the page seems to have a border applied, which only accentuates the lack of padding in some table cells. Viewed the Firefox, the design falls apart, producing horizontal scrollbars no matter how large the browser window is. In Internet Explorer, the right side of the page is cut off for users with a screen resolution less than 1280 pixels wide. I suppose that's fine if your target market is people with huge monitors.
Professional Design Matters
Despite their problems, all three websites are largely functional, and I have to applaud the efforts of the do-it-yourself designers. I only want to point out that you do get what you pay for, and that all of these low cost sites contain problems that a professional would know how to solve. Further, these sites were selected by BusinessWeek as examples of successful DIY sites, we're not hearing from those who have given up in frustration.
Although all 3 site builders are apparently satisfied with the fruits of their efforts, I believe that these are examples of businesses that have succeeded in spite of their websites, not because of them. How many potential customers didn't get in touch because the site looked unprofessional? Or because it wouldn't work in their web browser? How many clients never even found them because their pages weren't indexed by Google?
A note to the owners of the sites discussed: Please understand that my analysis of your sites is not intended to be mean-spirited. I merely feel that the BusinessWeek article you were interviewed for was one-sided and failed to present a serious critique of the low-cost services it featured. If you're interested in seeing what a professional can do for your sites, please get in touch. I'll fix your current problems, free of charge, no strings attached. It's just my way of saying thanks for being a good sport.
Laura wrote:
A lot of people who sell themselves (and their services) as web designers don't know HTML, they code using FrontPage or DreamWeaver and would be helpless without them. I do think most people could crack open a book about HTML/ CSS and put together their own site. It's not rocket science. Hiring someone who really does know what they are doing is fine for a business/ professional site if the site owner doesn't want to learn HTML themselves. But, a site done by a "professional" isn't guaranteed to be visually pleasing, fully functional or up to web standards.
Matthew wrote:
not a bad job on the wow page, the look is okay
Gregg wrote:
I can design, I just don't know how to code :( My brother and I were talking about a fully managed website + code + server costs and it would be about 8k. What I say is most important is the code..I think WOW looks good, but if you truely want a professional and sleek design to spend the extra money to learn programs such as photoshop and stuff..if not yes, it's a fortune :(
robwatts wrote:
Oh god please, don't even get me started on the 'we have a relative who can do that stuff, he's only 12 too, bless him..' I got kinda fed up with debating with people back in 1999 about why they should use our services rather than those of a relative amatuer, in fact it was one of the drivers behind me getting more SEO and Aff marketing focused. I got sick of the trying to educate people around the pitfalls of using 2nd and 3rd rate services. Most were just impressed with seeing their name inside a spinning gif or a flashing marquee tag! They just didn't get it.
A good experienced web designer is worth their weight in gold - quality shows, every time.
Andy wrote:
These DIY sites are okay, but they can't compare to the one that are created by web designers that know what they are doing. The key is find the right people.
Everyday Weekender wrote:
Yah its nothing compared to having your site professionally designed.. one thing that a pro can may give you that these sites won't are SEO..
i think that's something to keep in mind.
Everyday Weekender wrote:
actually.. the WOW one looks pretty slick
Robert Irizarry wrote:
I took a look at these "successful" DIY sites and I was really surprised by Parking Padding Solutions. Firefox is much too popular for a site to fall apart when viewed in it. And, while screen resolutions have gone up over time, it seems much too soon to start designing for screens 1280 wide. Overall, I think you made your point. A good designer can be invaluable.
Lori wrote:
I hear this all the time and can't help but shake my head. My other favorite is when someone borrows a "Web Design for Dummies" book, builds a site and then claims "You're getting a $10,000 site for my little XXXX fee..." I hear that from my clients all the time as well. Usually it's when they're complaining about their site and asking if I can do anything to help...
Sherry wrote:
Thanks to my associate I was alerted to this article in Business Week. I was quite confused with their approach (and also found it fascinating that they did not list the links to any of the sites).
Services like Register.com's "site builder" and others of their kind do provide the service they are advertising - build your own website - but fall very short when it comes to flexibility in design and technical aspects, which you already did a great job at pointing out by reviewing the actual websites.
Since 1995 when I started in this industry I've pretty much seen it all and there will always be those "armchair designers" out there. But like many have already said, you get what you pay for.
Suhaimi wrote:
One can do it himself but the result would normally be pitiful.
I would rather spend $100 for a professionally designed Template site membership than spend 3 weeks designing a site.
Matt Coddington wrote:
Great article. I think this line says it all:
"I believe that these are examples of businesses that have succeeded in spite of their websites, not because of them."
It really irks me to see/read/hear about people claiming they can make a "professional" site without needing to know anything about web design, coding, etc. We all started out making sites like the ones you listed above, but years of experience (which is what makes you a professional web developer) is the difference between a website that works and a website that actually enhances your business.
Spud Oregon wrote:
I have a big monitor, but rarely maximize IE to fit the screen. So I too get the right-hand side of Parking Padding Solutions cut off. Sloppy, very sloppy.
DanyO wrote:
Do it yourself is good for beginners. Anyone with good business skills will tell you to get a reputable web designer to do it for you, and that's money well spent. It will improve the look and feel, and usability of your site. Remember, especially for business websites, first impression is priceless.
origami rose wrote:
If you are serious about your business online, please at least consult someone with some experience. I think these websites are a bit pathetic personally.
Adriana wrote:
I know exaclty what you mean: I used to be in the gift basket industry, and while I understand that most gift basket designers are moms starting to work from home (I was one of them) 90% of the websites are pitiful.
Site builders are alwo awful for SEO, so even if you end up with a decent looking site, you'll hardly ever see visitors from the SE. Sad!
TPN WEB DESIGN INC. wrote:
If you are a makeup artist, please stick with makeup. Somethings are left to the professionals, specially when it comes to web design.
Surfer wrote:
If you want a site the loads slow, looks ok and gets your information on the web for the world to see... so be it. Free isn't so bad.
On the other hand, if you want a website that might potentially bring new customers, get higher ranking in the likes of search engine giant Google, and one that may keep someone on it for more than 2 seconds. ( I clicked of in 10000th of a nanosecond ) You might want to hire a professional.
In this day and age, you need a site that is interesting enough to get incoming links to establish your site as worthy of position.
To those searching for a Web Designer... Not all professionals are professional I'll have to admit... This being said, there are other professions that proclame to know what they're doing and don't, in case you haven't noticed ! These kind of things happen in all facets of life. Wouldn't this apply to say, a car mechanic? How many times have you questioned what your doctors advise was or heard of someone who has?
Bottom line? Free websites? You get what you pay for...
Hire a professional? Well... They say to always get a second opinion when your doctor gives you advice right? If your that worried your going to get ripped off by your web designer... Do your research! Talk to past clients, look at that designers portfolio.
Don't worry web designers... these free sites will NEVER replace the designer. Even if they eat up 10% of the market. That leaves 90% of millions that care what their websites look like.
Health Club Fanatic wrote:
I don't think there is much artistic freedom with these free sites. Until there is some kind of space-age wysiwyg tools, they will never have the market.
Web Designer wrote:
It's great for site owners to learn about web design but most don't have the time or patience to do it themselves. Sure anyone can slap up a website but colors, typography, copywriting, site structure, layout etc. all play a role in whether or not you will get that sale. If you're not selling something it might not matter what your site looks like but it really does take a professional to work out the things that truly matter when it comes down to building a brand or increasing sales.
I think money is the only thing holding most website owners back from hiring a professional. They think they have to do it themselves and don't consider hiring someone. It might also come down to fear as a lot of business owners don't really know what they want to begin with and are afraid to ask questions about stuff they don't know about.
If you really want to grow and expand your business it is so essential you hire people smarter then you. You'll save tons of time and money in the end.
Kitap wrote:
after wordpress, many webmaster stop to creta something new. And to be a webmaster become easier by day by.
Affiliate Mommy wrote:
I either pay for templates, that really aren't great, or I use freebie templates that require me to leave a link at the bottom, I'd love just about anything that atleast gave me a headstart with the imgages so that I could customize the code..
Anonymous wrote:
please send me all it take to be professional webdesigner
loan advisor uk wrote:
good design + code , both elements are very important, its time over for spammy looking websites and half error half decent web pages to give you any ROI
redmen wrote:
These DIY sites are okay, but they can't compare to the one that are created by web designers that know what they are doing. The key is find the right people.
Greg Brave wrote:
What I saw in this article is that you reviewed and gave some tips to sites without requesting a payment for it.
It could be a start for a consulting venture for you!
And if you decide to use my idea, I only would like to ask you to visit my site and tell me what should be improved, because I also built it myself. :)
Post new comment