If you’ve been thinking about building a new website, you may also be asking yourself this question:

In a world where kids are now learning to code in elementary school, and web building tools are at the fingertips of anyone with an Internet connection, why hire a professional web design agency?

We are here to help you understand how online web builders, no matter how user-friendly, can easily lead to trouble down the road.

Here are five of the pitfalls of a DIY approach:

1. Falling behind the competition

With all the squillions of websites out there, how will yours stand out – especially if millions are using the very same cookie cutter? It’s as important to stand out online as it is elsewhere. A professional agency knows exactly how to appeal to your unique target audience, and put your site in front of them.

2. Wading through the tech jargon

What is SEO? What are meta tags? What is bounce rate? Sure, you can study up, but a good web agency will have already figured it out for you. Not only that, these people like to help you understand it! And let’s face it – it takes a special kind of person to find that stuff interesting.

3. Figuring out the wonderful world of Search Engine Optimization

Maintaining good search engine rankings is a tricky business. Building the slickest looking website will not necessarily grant you the ranking you deserve. Google’s search algorithms are constantly changing, and if your site isn’t built with a solid foundation and understanding of how to appease Google’s search bots, your beautiful new website will seldom be seen.

4. Moving to a new server

Many of the web building sites allow transfers from their host to another server, but often features like forums, blogging and shopping systems aren’t included. This could mean recreating everything from scratch should you need to move to a new server, which is often the case if your online business skyrockets.

5. Muddying up your message

We all know the phrase, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” There’s a science behind communicating a message effectively. Your unique business deserves unique representation. How relevant you are to your desired audience isn’t just based on your copy. There are many facets to communicating your message effectively that include layout, typefaces, colours and more. A web designer or agency will build your custom website specifically to find and appeal to your “tribe.”

While DIY culture takes the world by storm, we are the first to admit there are some things best left to the professionals. Put me in a mechanic’s coveralls and into an auto garage with all the best gadgets and tools, and still nobody gets anything but a slapstick comedy routine.