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Many people ask me: “Why do I need to hire a web developer? Can’t I just use one of those website builders like Wix or Squarespace?” or “Can’t I just use AI?” Sure, you can. But don’t be fooled by their ads that portray building a website in “three easy steps.” Just upload some pictures, write some content and POOF! You have a fully-functional professional site. Well, nothing is really that easy.
There are many drawbacks in using web builders or AI to generate your website, and I’m not just saying that because I’m a web developer – I’m saying it because I’m a web developer, and I’ve seen what kind of slop it can produce.
1. You won’t get custom branding.
When you work with a web developer, you get a website with your custom branding, colors, and tone of your brand. You get the features and functionality that work best for your business. With AI, you will most likely get a standard templated design that’s been duplicated on hundreds of other sites. Human web developers can design your logo, business cards, and other materials to make sure you have a unique & unified brand, look, and feel. With website builders, you have little to no control over the elements on your page, as you are tied to their templating system. Remember: your customers are human, so humans know best when it comes to the psychology of humans.
2. You must already have tech skills.
If you’re born after 1993, you might have a chance. Even with these auto-builders, you still need to know how to resize and optimize images, link to your social accounts, write marketing copy, among other things. You need to know the difference between domain registration, hosting, and email accounts. Many times people who are not tech-savvy get caught in the interface, confused with the language and details and give up, frustrated. I’ve had many friends lose their website because they forgot to renew the domain name or hosting plan. Or slapped up AI code that wasn’t secure, so hackers got in and took over. A human developer knows what’s best for you and your business and can protect you and your website in a way that robots cannot.
3. No personalized support.
Does the mega-company that owns this web builder understand your business? Does it understand your target market or local community? If you contact their support, you’ll most likely get an AI bot at first, and then a person who reads from a script and will “notify the technical team” when something goes wrong. It’s incredibly frustrating. Those techs will not see your business and brand as a whole entity, just as a bug that needs to be fixed. When you work with a web agency like Moss Web Works, we build your website to achieve your overall business goals as they pertain to your customers. And we understand the urgency if something goes wrong.
4. You’ll be charged fees for everything.
Website builders charge an ongoing fee for hosting your website, often much higher than a standard WordPress host. They’ll then upcharge you for everything: email addresses, newsletter form, calendar, or other features you want to add to your site. If you want anything more complicated like eCommerce, Courses, or video, the monthly fee can get outrageous. With all of the “add-ons” your monthly fee is usually 5x-10x more than if you owned a self-hosted site on a good hosting service like Hosting.com. Beware of built-in, recurring charges!
5. WordPress is the standard.
Right now, WordPress hosts a majority of content sites across the internet. It’s open source, meaning many developers have and can create software that “plugs in” to WordPress to give it infinite capabilities. WordPress allows our clients the freedom to update their own content (text and pictures), add pages, and create their own blogs and calendars. The BBC, The Walt Disney Corporate site, Time Magazine, and The New Yorker websites are all built on WordPress.
Having your site on WordPress will be beneficial if you ever need to hire a web developer or switch web developers because it’s the most ubiquitous platform on the market. You will find someone who can help you for what you want to do.
While website builders offer convenience and simplicity, the decision to hire a skilled web developer for crafting a custom site is a strategic investment in the long run. The unique vision, tailored design, and optimized performance that a professional developer brings to the table can set your website apart, instead of it being a boring, one-page “just another business site” flop.