A website is one of the best marketing tools for a small business or brand. It gives you visibility on the web and helps in attracting potential users.
Once you decide to go online, the next thing you do is search for “Web Design Companies in Kenya” or something like “Web Design Kenya”.
The search results give you many options and just before you click on the catchiest headline, you see a “better” option – “How to Build your website in just a few minutes”.
This new option leaves you wondering whether to hire a professional Web design company or to Do-It-Yourself.
Technology has made it easy to DIY and almost anyone can create their own website. All one needs is to buy a domain name and hosting service, install a CMS like WordPress, customize it, and in a few minutes, the website goes live.
This path has its own benefits and downsides compared to going the professional way.
If you are stuck between hiring a professional web designer and DIY, keep reading.
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This article will outline the pros and cons of either option to help you decide what best suits your website needs and budget.
Benefits of DIY Web Design in Kenya
Cost
The Cost of DIY websites is lower compared to that of a professional web design company. This is mainly because there are many builders to help you get started fast. Some of the commonly used web builders include Wix, WordPress, Joomla, and Magento. However, if you are inexperienced, there will be more costs to incur after launching such us for regular updates, backup, and fixing bugs.
Quick Launch
The biggest benefit of DIY Platforms it that they have made it easy to do-it-yourself within a little time. This lets you finish up and have your business website up and running in minutes.
CON’s of a DIY Website
Time
In the long run, The DIY option will cost you plenty of time. Launching a website can be quick but customizing, maintaining, and running updates may end up taking more of your time and money.
Professionalism and expertise
Most of the available DIY website builders have limited customization options making it hard to change things in the future. Also, as a DIY developer, you might not be conversant with some of the best practices and your website ends up getting no traffic.
Some of these practices include;
- Visible call to actions (CTA’s).
- Simple navigation.
- Mobile-first design.
- Accessibility and User experience.
- Mobile-friendly design.
- Site security.
- Page loading speed
Benefits of Professional Web Design in Kenya
Experience and Quality
If you take a look at websites and blogs designed by an expert company and those that are designed through DIY, you will notice a huge difference. The professionally developed websites by a reliable web company incorporate professional elements into the design. Layout, color combination, logo, banner design, site speed, SEO, and many other parts are carefully implemented to give your brand uniqueness that makes it stand out from the rest.
Best practices and security
One of the benefits of hiring a professional web designer in Kenya is its ability to develop a website that is secure and adheres to the web’s best practices.
It’s now important to ensure that a website adheres to laws such as GDPR, Advertising Standards, and Copyright. Also, security features such as SSL certificate, Antispam code snippets, and safe logins should be included from the start.
Customized Website and Scalability
Another benefit of working with a professional web design company is the ability to give your website a custom look.
If you are an inexperienced DIY designer, you will most likely use a free tool with pre-designed templates that you don’t have much control over.
This means that you can only have the functionalities included in the template and makes it harder to achieve your website goals.
Custom designs give you room to add new features to your website and allows you to scale faster.
UI/UX – User Experience
Nowadays people are browsing the internet using devices of different sizes. These devices range from large desktops to small screen smartphones. With this in mind, it’s necessary to make sure your website is customized according to these devices. A reliable company, offering web design services in Kenya like Quest Web Designers, will keep this in mind while implementing your digital ideas.
Cons of a pro web designer
Time to Deliver
Depending on the needs of your website, a web developer has to consider and implement factors that may delay the launch of your project. For example, if you need a custom eCommerce platform with features such as Mpesa payment integration, Search optimized content, and great user experience, it can take more time than using a template.
Cost of Services
One of the main reasons why you would want to go the DIY way is the high cost of most web design companies in Kenya. Developing a website through an agency can cost a lot more although this depends on your needs. It is critical to find the right company to build your website. This can be done by researching on what extras they offer besides design. Some companies are expensive because they offer you other after-sales services like backup, maintenance, and SEO services.
What to consider when hiring a Web Design Company
A functional and user-friendly website is the foundation of your online presence. If you have decided to work with a web design agency, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Your Needs: It is necessary to first figure out what your goals are before approaching a web design company. Do you want to increase traffic? Is it about sales? Do you just want a nice looking website? This will help you pick the right path to take.
Company Experience: A company’s portfolio will give you a hint of what they do. This will help you decide whether their values and work experience align with your needs.
Cost: Do they give you value for money?
After Design Services: A reliable web design company aims to retain its customers by offering support, maintenance, and other after design services. Make sure they are reputable and have the future in mind from the start.
Now that you know the pros and cons of each approach, we believe that it’s easy to decide either on the DIY route or hire a professional web designer in Kenya.
Whichever road you take, make sure your website is responsive, user-friendly, search engine optimized, and shareable on social media.
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