Having a website made vs making your own website: Which is better?

Have a website made or make one yourself? It’s the question that many new (online) entrepreneurs ask themselves.

Today there are so many modern options, that it is certainly not always necessary to outsource the creation of a website to an expensive professional. It is therefore logical that there is more and more interest in alternatives. After all, isn’t creating a professional website yourself much easier than you might think?

To answer this question, today we will go over all the relevant information on the subject with you. At the end, you’ll know exactly what to do to get your new website online!

Why get a website made?

Let’s start with the more ‘traditional’ way of getting your own website online: having a website created for you.

Often, this is outsourced to a professional web designer or even a full marketing agency.

With this option, you don’t do anything yourself; instead, you pay someone else to handle everything for you. The main reasons for choosing this route are:

#1: Professional expertise

Do you choose to have a website created by a professional? Then you automatically benefit from their expertise and experience.

Professional web designers are generally very well-versed in the latest trends, techniques, and best practices.

They understand better than anyone how to optimize a website for optimal user experience (UX) and maximum conversions.

This means you’ll get a website that, on one hand, looks visually appealing and, on the other, is highly functional and user-friendly. Additionally, a professional can handle the more technical aspects (e.g., SEO) as well. This ensures that your website will be easily found online.

#2: Saves time

Additionally, creating a website takes a relatively large amount of time, especially if you’re not familiar with the necessary tools and techniques.

By outsourcing, you save valuable time that you can devote to other important aspects of your (online) business.

A professional generally works much faster and more efficiently than someone without this in-depth knowledge, simply because they have the skills and experience to quickly solve problems and make important progress in the right direction.

This allows you to focus on activities that are more geared toward growing your business.

#3: Access to technical support + maintenance

Finally, a professional agency often provides ongoing support and maintenance for your website. This is convenient, as technology is constantly evolving, and your website needs to stay up-to-date.

A good professional is fully capable of handling:

• Security updates
• Software upgrades
• Resolving technical issues

This means you don’t have to worry about technical ‘complications’ and can fully focus on growing your business.

Why create your own website?

So, we’ve now covered outsourcing a website, and it’s time to take a closer look at the alternative: building a website yourself.

As briefly mentioned earlier, there are now various tools available that make it much easier to build a website on your own. This is why more and more entrepreneurs are choosing this route.

The main advantages of this option are:

#1: Significant cost savings

One of the biggest advantages of building a website yourself is the cost savings involved. While hiring a professional can be quite expensive (especially for small businesses or start-ups), creating a website yourself is much more affordable.

Especially if you use a user-friendly tool like Systeme.io.

By taking on the task yourself, you drastically reduce costs and have more flexibility to invest money in other important aspects of your business.

With platforms like Systeme.io or WordPress, you can build a website in no time without breaking the bank.

#2: Greater creative control

A nice bonus when you create a website yourself is that you have full control over the design and functionality. You can bring your ideas and vision to life exactly as you want. This gives you the freedom to tailor your website to your specific preferences and needs, without having to work around a designer’s limitations.

This creative control is likely to result in a more unique and personal website that truly reflects YOUR brand.

#3: You learn and develop yourself

Another advantage is that building a website yourself offers an excellent opportunity to learn new skills. On one hand, you learn how to create a website, while also gaining insights into maintaining and optimizing it.

These skills are highly valuable in the modern era and are likely to be useful later in other areas of business.

Building your own website is, therefore, a very educational experience, giving you greater insight into digital marketing, online presence, and the tools available today.

#4: Your website is ready faster

When you build a website yourself, one advantage is the flexibility to make changes whenever you want.

Want to add a new feature or change the design? No problem, it’s done in no time!

All of this can be done quickly and smoothly, without waiting for a third party. This makes you much more adaptable, especially when responding to market changes.

If one of your clients suggests an improvement for the website, you can implement it right away!

#5: Maximum personal involvement

Finally, building a website yourself ensures that you’re personally involved in every step of the process. You feel a stronger connection to your own website when you’re responsible for creating it.

This often leads directly to a deeper connection with your brand and your audience. Visitors to your website will feel the personal touch it carries.

You gain a better understanding of what your customers want and how to deliver it.

This involvement directly results in a website that better meets the needs of your visitors (and therefore leads to more conversions).

Having a website made vs making your own website: Conclusion

In the end, it seems that building a website yourself is the best choice for the vast majority of entrepreneurs.

It offers:

• Cost savings
• More creative control
• The chance to develop valuable skills

In a world where speed and flexibility are becoming more important each day, building a website yourself allows you to quickly respond to changes and tailor your brand to the desires of your audience.

Moreover, this level of personal involvement creates a website that truly reflects your personal vision.

While outsourcing the website build certainly has a few benefits, these don’t seem to outweigh the advantages of building a website yourself with a tool like Systeme.io.

How to build a professional website yourself?

Now that we’ve established that creating a website yourself is preferable, it’s time for the next step: actually building a professional website. But how do you go about it?

Let’s look at the general steps to get your self-made website online:

#1: Determine your goal and audience

Before starting to build your website, it’s essential to have clear goals and understand your target audience.

What do you want to achieve with your website?

Do you want to sell products, share information, or generate leads?

Define these goals so you can develop a clear strategy. This will help you create a more targeted website design and select the right content.

#2: Choose an appropriate CMS

A Content Management System (CMS) (e.g., WordPress or Systeme.io) is by far the best and most user-friendly way to build your website.

Choose a platform that matches your technical skills and the functionalities you need.

Systeme.io is an excellent choice for beginners, as it offers many automatic, built-in features to help you get started quickly.

#3: Select a domain name and hosting

Next, choose a catchy and relevant domain name that aligns with your brand. For SEO purposes, it’s helpful to include (part of) your main keyword in the domain name.

At the same time, ensure that the name is easy to remember so visitors are more likely to return.

Then, select a reliable hosting provider to give your website the speed and stability needed for good performance.

#4: Design your website

Now, start designing your website. Consider elements like:

• Layout
• Theme
• Colors
• Fonts
• Images

Ensure the design aligns with your brand identity and is visually appealing and user-friendly for your audience.

With a tool like Systeme.io, it’s easy to customize templates and create a professional look without needing extensive web design knowledge.

#5: Create content

Once the website’s foundation is in place, it’s time to add content.

Create relevant, valuable content that meets your audience’s needs. Think of:

• Texts (e.g., a blog)
• Images
• Videos
• Other media (podcasts?)

Organize your content logically so visitors can easily navigate between different media types.

Be sure to apply SEO techniques to ensure your content is easy to find in search engines.

#6: Test your website

Before going live, it’s important to thoroughly test your website.

Check if all links work, loading times are acceptable, and the website functions well on different devices and browsers (including mobile).

Consider asking friends, family members, or colleagues for feedback.

This will help you identify and resolve potential issues before real visitors land on your website.

#7: Launch (and promote) your website

After testing, it’s time to launch your website. Share it on social media, via newsletters, and other marketing channels to attract visitors from the start.

Keep a close eye on your website’s performance (e.g., using a tool like Google Analytics). This way, you’ll understand visitor behavior and identify areas for improvement.

Easily build a website yourself with Systeme.io

We’ve discussed the general steps for creating your own website above.

Let’s now look specifically at how to do this with Systeme.io, as this is today’s innovative tool of choice:

STEP 1: Sign up

To begin building your website with Systeme.io, go to their website and sign up for an account. Then, follow the steps to set up your profile.

You’ll gain access to a user-friendly interface where you can explore different elements of website creation and management. Additionally, Systeme.io provides various other marketing tools for future use.

STEP 2: Choose & Edit a template

Systeme.io offers a wide range of templates you can use as a foundation for your website. This is super convenient, as it eliminates any technical work.

Simply choose a template that best fits your brand and goals. After selecting a template, you can easily personalize it with your logo, colors, text, and images.

The drag-and-drop system also makes it incredibly easy to modify the layout, allowing you to create a unique, professional look in just a few steps.

STEP 3: Personalize the features

Systeme.io then makes it easy to add different features, such as:

• Forms (e.g., for email marketing)
• Sales funnels
• A blog
• Affiliate programs

This helps make your website more functional, personalized, and appealing.

Satisfied with the setup and functionality? With just a few clicks, you can publish your website. And then it really begins — before you know it, the first visitors will be on your site!

Tips for Building Your Website with Systeme.io

As an expert in creating websites with Systeme.io, here are a few handy tips to help you. These helped me launch a faster, more effective website:

TIP #1: Use new templates

Systeme.io offers a range of pre-configured templates.

A useful tip is to choose a newer, innovative option, as this increases the likelihood that you’ll have a unique website design.

These templates are professionally designed and ensure an attractive appearance.

Don’t forget to customize the templates to perfectly match your brand identity, while maximizing the pre-built structure.

TIP #2: Focus on usability

Make sure your website is as user-friendly as possible. If there’s one thing visitors find off-putting, it’s any form of confusion or inconvenience. They’ll leave your site in no time and may never return.

The first impression is crucial.

This means visitors should be able to navigate your site easily and find the information they need.

Use clear menus, categories, and a search function.

Test your website on different devices to ensure an optimal user experience, regardless of where visitors come from (e.g., on smartphones).

TIP #3: Optimize for SEO

Don’t forget to optimize your website for search engines. Use relevant keywords in your texts, titles, and meta descriptions.

Systeme.io offers tools to help you manage your SEO settings, improving your visibility in Google search results. This organic traffic is nearly free and often the lifeblood of many websites.

Invest some time and effort into writing valuable and informative content for your audience, and you’ll reap the rewards in the long term.

TIP #4: Maintain Consistent Branding

Finally, remember to keep your branding consistent. This means that colors, fonts, logos, and the tone of your text should match across your website (and ideally your social media channels too).

Consistent branding ensures maximum recognition and trust from your visitors. Use your branding guidelines to ensure that every page on your site has the same look and feel.

This always leaves a professional impression on your audience!

FAQ: Building a website yourself