The True Cost of DIY Web Design

Most of our clients come to us having cobbled together a previous version of their website. They are pretty tech-savvy and with the ease of today’s drag and drop web builders, it’s pretty easy to have a site up and running within a couple of hours.

So why hire a pro?

What kind of voodoo are we doing behind the scenes that we need 6-8 weeks to build a website? Why can’t we professionals whip up your website in just a few hours?

Well, we could.

But you wouldn’t like it.

It would be a beautiful, professional looking site but you would hate it and here’s why…

Your site would be ineffective at reaching your customers and increasing your revenue. It would be an expensive billboard that very few people even see.

How do we know DIY web design is ineffective?

Because I just described the scenario that most of our clients go through before they hire us to help them with their marketing.

Now don’t get me wrong… we actually like it when a client comes to us with a DIY site. It shows they have some technical skill and the initiative to get the ball rolling themselves.

We like imperfect action. It propels you forward so you can course correct.

So what does imperfect action look like for a DIY-er?

You build the site yourself through an online builder tool, but then you end up with almost no engagement on the site, very little traffic, and typically no sales.

Why does your DIY web design fail to generate revenue?

The answer is simple. You’re missing the mark with either your customer, your brand or your engagement.

The solution requires a lot of upfront work that many business owners don’t even think about when building their website. This is why a lot of DIY sites fail to convert visitors into customers.

Let’s start with your brand.

When you go the DIY route for web design, you typically start with a pre-made template and then customize it to fit your brand. Sure, you can pick out some colors and fonts, but web builders limit your control. You can change a handful of things on the page, but you can’t really fine-tune the page and optimize it to fit your true style. The result is a pretty website that doesn’t necessarily connect to your ideal customer.

Your brand is more than just a logo and some complementary colors. Your brand is how you communicate. It’s how visitors experience your site. It’s what they do see and what they don’t. For your site to be “on brand” as we say in the marketing world, it needs to speak directly to your customer at every step.

Every link, every word and every image on the site must have a purpose.

Once you dial in your branding, your ideal customers will have no trouble engaging in the site. They will know they are in the right place because your messaging and imagery speak right to them. Everything from the nav bar to the footer is guiding them to you. They will understand immediately that you can provide a solution to their problem and they are willing to pay for that solution. When your website can do that… engagement and sales will take care of themselves.

So how do you know if the branding is right?

Oftentimes, a brand is created when the owner of the company picks some colors and fonts they like and has it turned into a logo. Again, there’s nothing wrong with starting this way.

When we work with a client on branding, it actually helps us when there is a pre-existing logo or style guide. Sometimes we end up starting over from scratch, and other times we are able to build off of what has already been established.

But before we even start the design process, we do a great deal of research to make sure your brand will actually serve your business. The key here is to make sure your brand connects with your customer. So…

Who is your ideal customer?

One of the biggest problems we see is that the business hasn’t put together a comprehensive ideal customer profile. I’m talking about a massive deep dive with a ton of research. This goes way beyond just demographics. Yes, you need to know the gender, age and what they like to watch on tv, but you also need to know what makes them purchase and what makes them close their browser window and leave your site.

How would it affect your sales if you could instantly address your customer’s objection to your product right on the page? What if adding a few testimonials is all it would take to make your customer feel comfortable about making a purchase on your site? It’s a game-changer!

In our GET CLEAR Workshop, we do an in-depth analysis of your ideal customer. Our research determines everything from branding to the exact steps your site visitor will go through to become a lifetime customer

Once you know who your ideal customer is, you want more of them right? So where are they hiding? Building an ideal customer avatar is foundational, but it is completely useless until you know…

How to engage your customer

Do you know how your ideal customers behave online? Do you know where they hang out? Maybe they are more active on Pinterest than on Facebook. Or maybe they are on a social platform you haven’t even heard of yet. Do you have time to research them all?

It’s one thing to have a fabulous brand and build a customer profile, but that means nothing if they don’t know you exist. That whole “build it and they will come” adage is a myth.

You have to invest time and money into building your customer stream. And when this is done properly, you will be happy to pay for those new customers because the return on your investment is worth it.

Would you spend $1 on a customer if you get $10 in return? Of course you would.

You also need a clear marketing strategy for every product that you offer. Adding a product page to your website does not instantly bring you sales. You need to build a sales funnel or design a marketing strategy to connect those deal customers with your product or service.

Sometimes it’s as simple as crafting a Facebook ad that leads directly to the sales page. It can also be a very complex email sequence that leads the buyer to make small purchases and get to know you before becoming a lifetime customer. You have to have a marketing plan for each item you offer or you’re just leaving money on the table.

There is no “one-size-fits-all” marketing plan. When we build sales funnels for our clients, we study their ideal customers and find the right marketing strategy for their business. Wouldn’t you rather spend time building the right funnel for your business rather than guessing?

Your time is valuable and you have better things to do than fiddle with the latest widget on your blog. Delegate the web development to the professionals and get back to doing what you do best… serving your customers. When you step back into your superpower, that’s when you’ll start generating more revenue!

After reading this article, you may have discovered you have some homework to do. But, trust me, it won’t be wasted time!

If you’d like to jumpstart your progress, hit us up for a free strategy session. We’d be happy to chat with you about your business needs and get you on track to increase your online revenue.

Our clients have seen tremendous results by investing in their branding, their ideal customer, and their marketing strategy. Put these three elements together and start generating more income for your business today!

Is Your Brand Holding Your Business Back?

We work with influencers just like you to help grow your brand, image and messaging. Ready to level up? Schedule a call today.


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