Is a web designer really needed any longer?

When I first started doing websites I had to buy a very expensive computer and then put very expensive software on it. I had to go to school and learn how to use the software and then maintain this knowledge. It was a very specific skill. 

Today you can easily buy a $200 Chromebook and use web-based tools like weebly.com, squarespace.com or wix.com to create a website that has everything you need. These tools’ annual subscription prices are under $200 so, for less than the price of a decent TV, you can have a website that puts the face of your business out to the world. It’s incredible. 


So why would you want to hire a nerd to do a website for you? 

There are actually a lot of little nuances to website design that are not incorporated into the blank templates these website tools offer. Yes, you can get a website up and running in just a short period of time with these tools but that doesn’t mean it will accomplish what you want, which is being found on the Internet. 

There are ultimately two customers for any website. One group of customers are the people for whom you’re making the website. You know, the people you want to pay you directly. These people would be your direct customers and prospects. 

The other entity for whom your website is designed is Google. 

Google is in the business of selling advertising. That’s how they make their money. One of the big ways that they make advertising dollars is to provide the best search technology available. The more people that visit Google, the more potential impressions for their advertising and the more money they make. 

Google’s goal is to have the absolute best and most accurate search possible. They regularly release guidelines and then update those guidelines about what they’re looking for so that web designers can work within Google's parameters to create a site that is likely to be found by Google, which means that your customers will find you as well. 

So, really, the web-based website tools are like a blank piece of paper. Some people can truly make a mess of that paper and others can turn that blank piece of paper into a Pulitzer-winning novel. That’s the value of having someone who knows what they’re doing do your website. 

I actually like some of these template-based tools and use them. But I also know the tricks of these tools so that I can use them to craft a site that Google will likely find. In fact, I almost always use these tools so that you can go in later and make changes or update information on your sites. 

But, like a house without a good foundation, not having the basic structure that Google and other search engines are looking for can mean that your site will suffer from little or no exposure on Google. In fact, it's even possible to be banned from Google for some structural items. 

So, whether you're looking for help finishing up your design or looking to start anew I’m happy to work with you to create a site that you, your customers and Google will love.