Oct 15, 2010

Three Reasons to Consider a Custom Website Design

There are many reasons to consider custom web design services, especially if you have complex needs and are willing to invest more resources into the overall process. Here are three reasons to take the custom website design route: 1. You don’t even want to entertain the thought of doing it yourself. Let’s face it. When the lawn needs mowing, you’d rather make a call to a landscaping company than head out there to start yanking on the mower chain. Just because you can do it yourself doesn’t mean you should. More importantly, as a small-business owner, you value your time. If you’re already pressed for time, you may be more inclined to take the custom route. 2. You have specific needs for your website. Don’t get me wrong—website builder tools can meet the needs of many, but for a business owner with specific needs, custom design is the right choice. Here are a few specific needs that may push you toward custom design: • You want to integrate a WordPress blog (or perhaps a Drupal or Joomla CMS) into your website design • You already have a shopping cart application, and you want to carry it over to your new website design • You’ve envisioned a website that has lots of advanced Flash applications • You’d like to integrate a pay-per-click campaign and need the help of a web design professional • You need a custom database or segmented login pages 3. You’re not quite sure what you want. If you’re having trouble envisioning the look and feel of your website, you may want to tap the creative mind of a professional. Or perhaps you have a vague idea of what you want, but you would like to see and hear some different options from a well-established web design professional. This is probably one of the biggest benefits when it comes to going the custom route, not to mention the SEO advantages that come along with seeking the expertise of a professional. If you’re looking for some inspiration, this is a great place to start: www.smashingmagazine.com. Whether you go with a website builder tool like Newtek SiteCenter, or opt for a custom solution, the fact is that there is a solution for everyone, and we’d be happy to help you. We’d love to hear from you. If you just completed or are in the process of completing a new website using a builder tool, do you have any tips to share? The same question goes out to those of you currently working with a custom web designer.