There is no way around it, working with a professional web design company can be expensive. That’s what tempts many away from going this route and instead creating their own site. Granted, there are plenty of tools available for creating a decent site even with no coding knowledge or web design experience, but it is pretty easy to tell the difference between a home-brewed site and a professional website. And therein lies the problem.

Chances are your business – and therefore your company’s website – is competing with many other businesses directly, and in many ways the one with the best site triumphs time after time. So do you stick with your “cost-effective” and “it’ll do” website or do you seek the services of a professional web design company? Let’s think about that.

The Design

Design is the first element of a professional web site. You need to make sure your customers can find what they need quickly. This is one of the key ways your professional web design company can help. They can help optimize your site so that customers can find their way around the site before they get frustrated and click away. An elegant and useful design takes practice to get right, and your business needs someone who has that experience.

The Content

The second element of a site is content. You have a business to run, so do you really have the time to write one or more blog posts every week? Probably not. But wait a minute – let’s take that thought even further. If you’re not able to create new blog posts every week then do you have time to track down every image you need, and write and edit every page on your site? I’m assuming “no” is the answer to that too.

If you are not a professional writer then writing content for your website can take hours out of your week when you should in fact be building/managing your business. A professional web design company keeps one or more writers available to create content for your site that is professional and error free.

The User

User interaction is the next element to look at. These days people want – no strike that, DEMAND – the ability to connect with businesses through the Internet. This includes blogs, social media, and other informational areas of your site. These can be difficult to create without any coding knowledge and therefore this element more than others, will suffer without a professional web design company working on your site to create the experience that your users demand.

The Management

Finally, who will keep your site updated as time goes on? If you don’t keep your site current, your users will slowly lose interest as both customers, search engines, and clients will punish you for your outdated, clunky site. Take a look at some of the major sites around the web. They all combine blogs, social media and engaging content into a smooth ballet. By choosing a professional web design company that specializes in website design you can get that great content your clients demand customized for your business.

Many business owners erroneously believe that they only need a basic website to bring in customers. The problem is, if you take this attitude you leave yourself wide open for your competition to win customers over before they ever set foot in your store or contact you. A great website design is a magnet for new clients, as well as keeping old ones interested in coming back. While there is a cost involved, there are even greater rewards at stake. So be warned – you would be making a grave mistake by not working with a professional web design company.

What would you choose – a professional web design company to create a great and engaging design for your business or… one of them free and generic web design templates? Let us know in the comments section below!