Why You Should Build Your Own Website

"Average cost of website design small business" is one of the rising search terms on Google, showing there is demand for website building, yet here at Mpowering Solutions, this is not a service we provide. Here's why we have deliberately chosen to not offer this, and why we encourage you to give it a go yourself!

Michele Li-Fay

5/6/20246 min read

In this modern age, a website is probably the #1 requirement for any business. Gone are the days of the Yellow Pages; now it's all about whether or not your business can be found online. So if you are looking to start your own business, you need to build a website. But if you have no experience with this, you might feel like only tech geniuses can achieve that. You must need to know HTML, CSS and other coding languages to build a functioning website.

We're here to tell you that this is no longer true. In fact, you should try to build your own website rather than asking someone to do it for you, and here's why.

turned-on MacBook Pro wit programming codes display

Reason #1: You can't get it wrong

Let's get one thing straight: there is no such thing as a perfect website. Send the exact same brief out to 10 different web design agencies and you will be given 10 different websites. Perhaps they are similar in many ways, but they will not be identical. That's because design is creative, and creativity is subjective.

With that in mind, that means you can't really get it wrong! Every website's design can probably be improved, but very rarely can you say a website's design is wrong. So hopefully that dispels the notion that, if you design a website with no prior experience, you will get it wrong.

Reason #2: Website creation is much easier than before

Once upon a time, you probably did need to know HTML and all that fancy mumbo-jumbo lingo to build a website. Nowadays, it's actually very easy. There are plenty of web hosting platforms that have a website builder (Mpowering Solutions use Hostinger) which allow you to create your website like it's a Powerpoint presentation: you can drag and drop your text, images and other bits to execute your ideal website. Some particular functionalities may require some HTML coding, but the fundamental basics such as putting up text and images can all be done by using these web builders.

Reason #3: Outsourcing website construction is expensive

According to Checkatrade, the cost of a website design ranges between £495 (even we think that's a bit too cheap) to £15,000. There are plenty of factors that determine the final cost of your website, such as how many pages your website is, whether it's just an informational site or requires eCommerce setup, and so on, so it's difficult to put an exact price on it. Nonetheless, web design and digital marketing agencies tend to charge a relatively steep fee, and when you're starting out with your small business, this may not be money you have to spare.

Yes, agencies and experts may be able to do some fancy animations and slick functionalities, but take a step back and think if your website genuinely needs it. The chances are, you don't. A website doesn't need smoke and mirrors to attract visitors; it needs accurate information and smooth user experience. In fact, some functionalities can frustrate visitors and ultimately cause them to leave, so less is truly is more. If you agree and are happy with this approach, there is no reason you can't do it yourself.

In contrast to hiring an external agency, it is much cheaper to build your own website. Here's a list of prices for the top website builders on the market, and some of the features that are included. Please note that:

Prices quoted are accurate as of May 2024
Prices quoted are after any joining discount, ie the regular monthly cost after x months of discount
All platforms have different tiered plans at different prices; we have only selected one plan to highlight
Lists of services included in the plans are not extensive; they are merely a small selection

The costs do go up slightly year on year, as then you have to pay for your domain name (but this is minimal, roughly £8 a year) and prices may increase, but you can see that it is much cheaper to give it a go yourself, since all the platforms above come with templates and website builders in the plan.

Reason #4: You know your brand best

Whether you plan to sell tennis equipment or cat treats, or if you just want to advertise your electrician or tutoring business, you know your brand best. Every person has a preferred look and feel, even if you don't realise you do.

In my previous jobs, I used to mentor junior associates, some of whom were still figuring out their career paths. I used to say to them, you may not know exactly what you want to do, but you know what you don't want to do, and that is equally as valuable. Or think of the time you planned your wedding or a party. You may say (as I certainly did), "I don't know anything about flowers. Anything will do", but then you're shown a bouquet design and you go "Oh, I don't like that". You have personal preferences in your head, even if you didn't know you did.

That's the same with brand building, which includes your website. You know what you like: do you prefer serious serif fonts like Times New Roman, or sans serif fonts (fonts without 'tails') like Verdana? What colour do you associate your brand with? What services or products do you want to proudly display onsite?

You have a vision in your head, even if you don't think you do. Start with your homepage: what do you want your above-the-line banner (the message your visitor will see without scrolling down) to say? Then add another element, then another, then another... Not only will you slowly bring your vision to life, you will also learn a lot about your own business and how you want your brand to be portrayed.

Reason #5: It's a great way to learn!

In the words of the formidable Steve Jobs:

"Stay hungry, stay foolish"

It means to always stay curious by being hungry for more knowledge, and avoid declaring yourself an expert and instead be a fool who always needs and wants to learn more.

We often shy away from wanting to learn, especially as we get older. We hide behind the adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks". We quickly admit defeat when we believe that area is not of our expertise. I have seen this to be especially true in the face of technology and the digital world. And sometimes you can get away with it, when you have a tech team at work to take care of that side of the business, or you have your kids to help you with your latest smartphone.

But when you're running a small business? You should strive to have a bit of knowledge of everything, including the digital side, because every little helps when something goes wrong. And the best way to learn is to do. You don't have to go from 0 to 100; you don't have to suddenly know how to write complex Javascript codes or fix a motherboard. But by taking a small step such as building a website, especially when the tools are readily available and very affordable, you start to learn a bit more of the world you fear without even realising, and as you learn, you start to feel more comfortable and realise what's possible, what you features you'd like to add, and your confidence builds. And that's what we're all about at Mpowering Solutions: we want you to feel empowered when owning your digital space, and the best way is to just start doing!