Why you shouldn't waste your time with DIY website builders
If you use Wix, Squarespace or another DIY website builder for your business you're probably spending a ton of time getting no where. Big mistake. Here's why you should avoid the "but it's cheap and their marketing makes it look like an amazing solution to a problem that I actually haven't defined yet" argument.
You'll be boring. Or worse..
DIY sites often look unprofessional. Customers judge your business based on your site, and a DIY look can make you seem less credible. That's assuming it works. First impressions matter, and if your site looks like it was thrown together with a drag-and-drop tool with a "f*ck it it'll do" attitude, it’s not going to inspire confidence. A polished, professional site is essential for building trust and credibility with your audience.
You’re stuck with cookie-cutter templates that make your site look like everyone else’s. You want to stand out and make a memorable impression, but with these platforms, good luck achieving that. The customization options are severely limited, so you can’t fully represent your brand or cater to your unique business needs. You’re essentially boxed into a generic design that fails to showcase your individuality. Every Squarespace website looks the same. Every Wix site looks like a toddler after they shat the bed. Or maybe that's you. Blissfully unaware of the shit soup you're rolling in.
Average Results on Google
DIY platforms don’t have the SEO power you need. If you want to be found on Google, these tools won’t cut it. Their SEO capabilities are basic at best, meaning your site won’t rank well. Poor SEO means less visibility, fewer visitors, and ultimately fewer customers. Your business won’t get the exposure it needs to thrive in the digital landscatope.
Performance and Speed Issues
These sites can be sluggish. Slow websites annoy visitors and make them leave. No one has the patience to wait for a slow site to load, and that includes your potential customers. Plus, Google hates slow sites, which further hurts your rankings. A fast, responsive site is crucial for user experience and SEO, but DIY builders often fall short in this department. You know what else both Google and your customers hate? A site that doesn't work. Have you tested it across 17 browsers and 41 different device types to see how it performs? Most business owners don't. They assume that because it looks great on their 150% zoomed thinkpad laptop that it must look great for everyone. We see business owners all the time whose website completely dies in the ass when viewed on phones or when the orientation changes. If that's what your customer sees they'll exit faster than it took to load and just like a shitty overpriced restaurant, they'll never come back.
Scalability is a Joke
DIY sites are fine for tiny projects, but they don’t grow with you. Your business expands, your site can’t keep up. As you add more products, services, or content, you’ll quickly find that the platform can’t handle the increased load. This stifles your growth and forces you to either overhaul your site or stick with a platform that’s holding you back. And if you hire someone to deal with it they'd rather eat glass than deal with Wix if they know their stuff.
Hidden Costs
Sure, DIY builders look cheap at first. But add in all the extras you might need and suddenly you're paying a premium for.. not very much. Want a custom domain? Extra fee. Need additional storage or bandwidth? More money. Booking systems? Yep.. more coin. As you tack on necessary features, the costs quickly add up, often exceeding the cost of a professionally managed website and you know what? It'll still suck. And THEN pay yourself a wage for all the hours you gotta sink into it to getting things looking semi-credible. You can probably pay off half your mortgage by the time you're done. Which goes to the next point...
Time Waster
You’ll spend countless hours fiddling with your site, swapping fonts, choosing colours, wondering why everything looks shite on your other device. That’s time you should be using to run your business, not playing web designer. Learning the ins and outs of the platform, troubleshooting issues, and constantly updating content can drain your time and energy. Your focus should be on growing your business, not getting bogged down by technical details.
Lousy Support
When things go wrong, good luck getting help. DIY platforms often leave you on your own to figure out the mess. Their support is usually limited to generic FAQs and forums, which can be frustrating when you need immediate assistance. Not to mention we're in Aus and most of these guys are US-based. Without reliable support, you’re left struggling to resolve issues that can disrupt your business operations. Have fun watching hours and hours of YouTube how-tos and still not getting it.