Outsource your Website or DIY?
I read an interesting article in the March issue of the Nett magazine yesterday. How to: Decide how much of your website to DIY by Kate Hennessy discusses the pros and cons of producing your own website versus using the services of a a professional. With cost being a major factor, what should people expect to pay to use a professional? And will you get more for your money?
Off the shelf templates are commonplace today and many website packages come with hosting, search engine optimisation (SEO) and technical support. Because there are so many templates to choose from, it’s easier to find one that closely reflects your company’s branding.
But do these whizz-bang templates mean the death of the bespoke website for SME’s? Not necessarily. However, if you want to be different and have an attractive and functional website that reflects your branding and looks nothing like your competition, you have to pay for it. Using the services of a professional needn’t cost an arm and a leg. It’s important to shop around, get quotes from say three suppliers and ask to see samples of their work before choosing who you want to use.
According to the Nett article, if you use the services of an SEO specialist, you should expect to pay around $250 for a site analysis and recommendations to improve your rankings. You can then opt to get keywords identified and pay for a managed link-building campaign. For around $300 per month, you’d get ongoing dedicated support and monthly reports.
Basic SEO recommendations can be implemented relatively easily but ensuring your entire site is search engine friendly requires an expert eye. For all the websites Purple Chameleon has built, we employ these SEO techniques. Whilst it’s important to have a site that looks good, easy navigation, incorporating SEO friendly content and adding keywords are important if search engines are to find you.
Another area the article addresses is why people should use a specialist copywriter rather than write their own. The professional copywriter will take into account a number of factors when writing web copy, including the following:-
- Visitors scan rather than read and skip from place to place: they don’t read in a linear fashion like they do with a newspaper or magazine
- Reading on the screen is slower than reading the same information in printed form. It’s important to give visitors minimal directions so that they can locate the information they want with the least effort
- Write clean, clear and concise copy with the audience in mind and provide content with a purpose – whether it’s information, education or entertainment
- Deliver copy in small chunks and remember that less is more
- Good grammar, proper punctuation and correct spelling apply as much to websites as they do to all other media
- Minimise the use of adjectives and adverbs and make sure you spell-check your document. Spelling mistakes on websites are too numerous and simple errors make visitors wonder abou the reliability of information in the whole site
I’ve also been amazed at what people have paid for their websites, with some paying thousands of dollars for a fairly basic site. It really needn’t cost that much which is why it’s worth shopping around. If you are looking for a new website or revisions to an existing one, send us an email. You’ll find our prices reasonable and our professionalism, customer service and attention to detail second to none.