While drag and drop builders like Squarespace or Wix make it easier than ever to put a website out into the world, there is SO MUCH that goes into a decent website (let alone a good, great, or awesome website!) that you just can’t do as a DIYer. Here’s why you should hire a professional website designer!

Beyond the obvious reasons why hiring a professional web designer is worth it (saving you time, headaches, and actually producing a professional product), a website is literally the foundation of most businesses! If you have a crappy DIY website, any marketing you’re putting time or money into is a waste if it’s driving traffic to a website that won’t convert. Yikes!

Sure, some people are capable of using website builders to create passable website designs using templates, there are a million things that go into a professional website that make it healthy, functional, and compelling to users to make a purchase. a DIY one.

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a professional, strategy-driven website? Spoiler alert: it’s not all glam and glossy graphics! Here’s a peek into some of the unsexy but super important things I do for you as a website designer so that you don’t have to!

Why is hiring a professional web designer worth it?

Search engine optimization (SEO) 🔍

Behind every great website is a lot of nerdy keyword research and optimization magic. Many professional designers will at least give your site basic, healthy SEO, and I take it further! I make sure your site speaks Google’s language so it can charm its way to the top of search results. SEO isn’t just adding keywords to the page- it’s title tags, meta descriptions, alt next, site maps, competitor analysis, and other on and off page SEO techniques. 

Speed optimization 🚀

Ever waited ages for a website to load? Nope, not on my watch! I compress, minify, and streamline to make sure your site loads faster than you can say “buffering.” Every millisecond counts!

Plugin juggling 🔧

From contact forms to fancy sliders, there’s a plugin for everything. I test, update, and configure these little helpers to ensure they play nice together and don’t crash the party. It’s like herding cats, but with code.

SSL 🔒

You know that scary white screen that comes up when you try to go to a website that says “attackers may be trying to steal your data- go back!” That’s what happens if you don’t have a SSL certificate! Not exactly a good way to get people to trust your services or products. Setting up your SSL certificate is a technical dance with servers and certificates, but it means your info stays safe and sound.

Domain connection 🌐

Connecting your domain to your website is like giving your site its own unique home address on the internet. It involves a lot of DNS configurations and name server setups – kind of like a digital post office – to make sure your visitors land in the right place.

UX design 🛠️

Ever wonder why some websites just “flow?” That’s UX design! I spend countless hours tweaking layouts, button placements, and navigation to make sure that the user experience is as smooth and intuitive as possible. Customers will fall off when there’s friction in the purchase journey- working with a professional freelance website designer means someone with this kind of expertise is crafting a frictionless path to conversion! It’s all about making your journey through the site a breeze to make it easy for customers to convert.

What do you think? I hope this answered your questions about why you should hire a professional website designer!