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You’ve made the decision to get a new website but you just don’t know where to start. There are so many options to consider.

One of your friends suggested you download a template and build it yourself. Sure, that’s a cheap way of doing it but you don’t feel you have the time or the skills to achieve this. Another friend gave you the name of a mate who ‘does websites on the side, really cheap”!

The third option is to hire a professional web designer on the Sunshine Coast.

Beware of Shortcuts

But that’s going to be expensive, right? Not necessarily. For starters, there are different types of professional websites available to suit different budgets. Also, your website development can be staged, so you don’t have to pay for it all at once.

Before we get to all that, however, let’s look at the cost of NOT hiring a professional! Seriously, we see it again and again; when businesses take shortcuts with their web design on the Sunshine Coast it can end in disaster.

There’s always a ‘mate’ or a friend’s son or daughter who is apparently brilliant at websites. Sure, they may have some skills but do they fully understand coding and security? Are they up-to-date with search engine updates? How many other professional business websites have they built?

Search Engine Ranking

Did you know that every part of your website can affect your search engine ranking? You may think that person has designed a nice looking website for you but it’s a complete waste of time and money if it doesn’t actually do its job.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of professional web design on the Sunshine Coast:

Reputation and Portfolio

The chances are that a web design company that’s been around for years is going to be good at its job! Reputation is everything in this business. When searching for web design on the Sunshine Coast, be sure to check out the company’s history on their website.

If the company is successful it will also have a portfolio of previous work online for you to check out.

Design

There are around 1 billion websites in the world today; how will yours stand out? The more competitive your industry, the more necessary it becomes for you to have an outstanding and professional looking website. The design will not only affect your search engine ranking but also the number of clicks and conversions you get.

You have around 3 seconds to make an impact with your website. Potential customers will judge your business by how your website looks. An unprofessional website will give the impression that your company is unprofessional, too.

Speed and Responsiveness

When you rush out to buy a coffee or sandwich how do you feel about queuing? You’re busy, you need service now, and it’s frustrating. If the line is really long you’ll probably go to the cafe next door, right? That’s exactly how your potential customers feel.

They want to find out about a product or service now so, as unfair as it might seem, if your website doesn’t load immediately, they will go elsewhere. Business success today largely depends upon maximising key metrics, like loading speeds, page views and conversions. The chances are your amateur web designer won’t fully understand key metrics.

Your website also needs to use RWD – Responsive Web Design. With around 80% of internet users owning a smartphone, and well over 50% of searches carried out on a mobile device, having a good mobile website is essential. A professional web designer on the Sunshine Coast knows that.

Search Engine Friendly

Professional web design incorporates SEO strategies to ensure your website will be found and improve ranking. This is a skill that takes knowledge and experience. Many template-based websites are not designed with this in mind. They might look great but will they actually produce the results you need to make your business successful?

Scalability of Website

We touched on this earlier; as your business – and your available budget – grows you will want/need to add more features to your website. As you scale up your business you’ll want to take your website to the next level.

Building a relationship with a professional web designer on the Sunshine Coast now will ensure scalability in the future. That’s perhaps the biggest difference between a professional and an amateur.

Professional vs Amateur

To the amateur, your website is a one-off job that they then forget about. To the professional, this is the start of a supportive ongoing relationship. They will be able to help you grow your website and your business. They can help with other related issues, like graphic design, content, web hosting, security and more.

When we talk about the cost of hiring a web designer on the Sunshine Coast we also need to look at the value. Whilst the initial outlay may be a bit more, the long-term viability and economy of scale make the partnership cost-effective.