Top Five Reasons to Avoid Wix (and similar) for your business website
Reading the title of this blog post would be enough to make even the most casual reader look up and say “Well, of course you are going to say that! You build websites for a living!”
True, but if you look beyond my aspirations to become your web developer of choice, there are a lot of perfectly valid reasons why you should avoid free website builders for your business or organisation. In this post, I will list a few of the most important however with a little more research, you can discover dozens more.
#5: We actually give a damn about you and your business.
It might sound a little clichéd however our business is based on the success of your site. If we fail to build a site that works for you, we are not doing our job properly and you won’t hesitate to go somewhere else, and you most definitely will not refer us to your networks.
A local web development cares enough about doing the job right that they will consult with you at every stage of the game plan – design, development, content, social media, and SEO. On top of all this, you will have the local support you need at the end of the day if things aren’t going to plan.
The only people that wix.com, GoDaddy, Vistaprint and other online site builders care about are their owners/shareholders.
#4: Most of these website builders sell (and pride) themselves on the short time frame that it takes to create a site and get it online.
Build a site in 20 minutes! Be online in less time that it takes to bake a cake. Doesn’t your business deserve a little more attention, time, and effort so that you can create a worthwhile and effective online presence? A website is your business’ public face, a portal where your potential customers can visit 24/7 and see what you are all about. A reliable website that is spot-on designed for your individual brand is no doubt going to take longer than just 20 minutes!
Invest the time and you will most definitely reap the rewards.
#3: Wix.com brands each of its website with its own logo and link at the very bottom of every page – “THIS SITE WAS CREATED WITH WIX.COM CREATE YOUR OWN FOR FREE.”
Each Tropical Coast Web Design site has our name at the bottom however we aren’t doing it for our own gain – though we are proud of our work.
The linking between sites is especially important for SEO purposes and we link to each and every one of the sites we create on our portfolio page. Having links working in both directions is great for the SEO of the sites involved. But we definitely are not doing a hard sell by having our link on your page.
#2: In cyberspace, no-one can hear you scream.
That includes the boffins from Wix, Facebook or any of the online site builders. You get absolutely no personal support. If you have questions, and are incredibly lucky, you may receive an email response, but you can pretty much guarantee no phone calls.
By contracting your own designer, you have access to personal support for your website. Tried an update and crashed the site? Your designer will have you back online within the day (if you have a good one!). Need to expand your website with a minimal of hassle? Use your developer.
Don’t like the service you are getting? If you are locked into a contract with an online site builder, you can’t just jump ship. With a developer, your site can move with you.
#1: Domain names ordered through an online site builder can cause absolute nightmares should you wish to move away and build a site.
A recent client contacted us to build a website that would allow her to expand her business. Her previous site, built online, was inadequate for her current requirements. When we contacted her online site builder to arrange transfer of the domain name, it was discovered that her domain name was tied in some sort of contractual hell. In the end, it was simpler to register a whole new domain name (the other name will eventually expire and drop away). Not an ideal solution but a good reminder to be sure that your domain name is registered to you, not your web developer.
Conclusion
When it is all said and done, you should just remember the old saying – “Don’t build your home on rented land.” If you build on any of the online services, your site is essentially being constructed on borrowed land. If these services crash tomorrow and disappear forever, your site is gone too – quite often without the chance of a backup.
This applies to the new templates that you can use with your Facebook Business page. Sure, it looks like your business website but don’t forget, Facebook lays claims to anything on its network and that includes your pages as well!
The alternative from online site builders should be noticeably clear from this discussion – go and hire a trustworthy developer to design a website for you to meet your custom needs. This includes branding, imagery, content, and SEO requirements. Along with all the facts presented before, contracting a professional web developer to build your site ensures that you are personally consulted along every step of the design, and you own the work when it is completed.