Should you DIY your Squarespace website or hire a web designer?
Is it a good idea to design a website yourself?
Website builders like Squarespace and e.g. WIX promote themselves to the DIY market. There is nothing wrong with creating a website yourself when you are just starting out and your budget is tight and you still have a lot of time. Maybe you are not sure about the direction of your business and are ‘testing the market’. Businesses, especially in their first year, often go through significant changes- good reasons not to spend money on a website or even full branding, yet.
But it’s not quite as straightforward.
Here's how most DIYers build their websites:
Signing up for a website platform
Trying to learn the new tech tool. It often takes more time than expected.
Going down the Google and YouTube rabbit hole.
Trying to find the right photos- formatting, wondering about the right size, optimizing photos for Google?
Writing the copy. But how to find the right words?
And all of this at the same time! It can quickly feel overwhelming.
I’m not saying you can’t do it and that the result won’t be worth it. I’ve seen some amazing websites and maybe you want to learn and develop a new skill. It really depends if you feel it’s a smart use of your time. You could be out there getting clients instead.
Based on your current hourly rate, how much is this (free) website costing you?
If you are determined to soldier on, consider the following before you start
Your business foundation
Sometimes the reason for overwhelm and frequent design changes is a lack of research, or not having a solid foundation. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes BEFORE you can get started. What do you know about your ideal customers? What are your values and how do you want to be perceived? So much flows from clarity and better, defining your business and your goals. Investing time on this will make a huge impact.
Website branding strategies
I’ve noticed that many when building their own websites, get stuck when it comes to branding. Colour palettes keep changing, and I see posts in Facebook groups about which logos and colours other members prefer. It really is overwhelming when you have so much choice. I believe when your foundations are solid, the choice is so much easier. For my brand, I knew I wanted colours that reflected calm, friendliness, maturity, and depth. Did I go for a bright pink? No, that wasn’t even an option when I thought about the aesthetic.
Of course, it was a process and I spent time on it, but when I got there, I knew it was the perfect fit. If I just ‘played’ with colours combinations on Canva or other tools it would have been very different. Brand colours, logos and fonts are all a result of the work you do before you start or sign up for a website. It’s not just about what looks pretty or what colours you like. Branding is also an entirely different skill set to designing a website. You are doing the job of a web designer and a graphic designer. Read this post if you want to know more about branding for your Squarespace website.
Do you understand the customer journey?
Behind every successful website is a well-planned strategy. Do you feel confident designing a website in a way that guides visitors towards your website goal and ultimately business goal? This is a combination of design elements and words. Ideally, you have the help of a copywriter, but there are also great templates like the Promplate Shop
For my clients, I provide resources and templates to help write the copy.
I’ve prepared a Free Content Blueprint to help you tackle web content writing. You can sign up for it in the footer below.
Website structure for search engines
SEO (search engine optimisation) is another challenge.
In nutshell:
Google needs to understand what your website is about.
Google assesses if your website is relevant and valuable to come up in search queries.
It’s important to set up a website for SEO from the start. It’s not an afterthought! SEO is ongoing but the website structure, e.g. the heading hierarchy or page titles are part of the basic setup. The most common mistake I see on DIY websites is using headings mainly for styling purposes. Or adding Canva-created pictures with text in custom fonts which is not good for accessibility or Google.
Customisation
Squarespace is easy to use but has some restrictions. There are good reasons for not letting you use unlimited fonts, colours or layouts that might not work on mobile. It creates consistency and a more professional outcome, even for non-designers. Using custom code to achieve design features that are not part of Squarespace like adding custom layouts e.g. for specific devices only, fonts or colour changes for certain sections is part of the designer toolbox. There are so many possibilities to take a design to the next level using custom code but still keeping it simple for the user.
Are you still unsure if you should DIY your website?
I understand it’s confusing, especially when some of your business friends might say it’s easy. But you don’t always know their background. Decide what’s right for you and your skill level plus the time commitment. One thing is for certain, a website is never 100% done and changes with your business. Whatever you decide to do, it’s important that you learn to create basic updates yourself so you are not dependent on the schedule of your web designer. Squarespace is very easy to update once we set everything up and I’ll teach you how.
What about third-party templates?
Apart from the more basic templates you get when you sign up for Squarespace, there is an increasing number of (DIY) templates sold by various designers. It’s certainly budget-friendly and a timesaver, but like all templates, they are not designed with YOUR business in mind. The combination of words, design, and how it’s laid out strategically will give you the best outcome. A website is the home of your business where you connect with your perfect-fit clients and ultimately make your sales or bookings. My one-week website premium templates are designed for your industry (currently, interior design/home staging and wellness/health). I put in a lot of time researching must-have features and elements. I will design the website for you so you have a guaranteed outcome. All you have to do is provide me with your photos and words.
If you are still unsure, reach out and book a free, no-strings-attached consult. I promise I’ll give you the best advice for your situation!
Or if you’ve already designed your own website, a second pair of eyes can make a big difference. My website audit might be the perfect fit for you.
