It's tempting to hire a web designer to build your website for you but in this article I want to explain why hiring a web designer is usually a bad decision.

1. It's expensive.

Web Designers typically charge anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars just to initially create a website. Once you start asking them to change or update things the price tag becomes astronomical. I once read the price to have a web designer build your website for you was similar to that of a car. You can buy a car for $500 or $50,000. So unless you can afford to put a web designer on your staff full time I don't recommend hiring one simply because it's not cost effective.

2. They can't get things done in real-time.

The internet is powerful because it allows us to efficiently communicate information in realtime. When you have to rely on a web designer you're not going to be able to leverage this primary benefit. For example_ If you're selling a product and you want to try a different product image or sales pitch and you're paying to send advertising to your website. You're not going to make micro adjustments in realtime through a web designer. Typically with a web designer you're going to have to submit the work to them and wait for them to make the requested change on their timeline.

3. It's difficult to convey your vision.

Nobody knows your business or organization like you. In the past when I've hired web designers I've found it very difficult to communicate what I'd like my pages to look like and how I'd like them to feel. This results in higher costs and takes even more time to get things accomplished. Typically with a web designer you'll find yourself doing several revisions before you have something which pleases you.

4. You're not in control of your own domain, design, and files.

If you trust a web designer with your domain name, your files, and everything else you need to make a website you may find yourself beholden to them. If you can no longer afford what they're charging or simply want to try working on the site yourself the process of getting control of your property can be complicated. If the web designer gets angry or is flaky they can disappear with your critical data or your domain name. It's best when you retain full control of your most critical business elements.

The good news is with WebStarts.com you can create a free website and be in full control. WebStarts is easy to use, has tons of how to videos and articles, as well as a helpful staff. You can start out with a free account and upgrade to one of the paid packages at any time. If you just want to maintain the features of a free account there's no trial period. It's free for as long as you'd like to use it.