DIY Website vs Hiring a Designer: The Honest Breakdown

So you need a website. You've probably spent some time going back and forth on whether to build it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. Your cousin says you're crazy to pay someone when there are so many DIY tools available. Your business mentor says you get what you pay for and should hire a pro.

They're both kind of right, and they're both kind of wrong.

I've seen amazing websites built by complete beginners using drag-and-drop tools, and I've seen expensive custom sites that look like they were designed in 2005. The decision isn't really about which approach is "better" - it's about which one makes sense for your specific situation.

Let me break this down honestly, because there's a lot of BS floating around on both sides.

The DIY Route: When It Works

Building your own website makes sense if you have more time than money, you're comfortable learning new things, and your needs are relatively straightforward. Most small businesses fall into this category, which is why DIY website builders have gotten so popular.

Modern website builders are genuinely impressive. You can build a professional-looking site in a few hours without writing a single line of code. The templates are way better than they used to be, and most of the technical stuff is handled automatically.

If you run a local service business, restaurant, retail store, or professional practice, you can probably build exactly what you need yourself. These businesses usually need the same basic things - information about services, contact details, maybe an online booking system or basic e-commerce. Nothing revolutionary, just functional.

The biggest advantage of DIY is control. You can update content whenever you want, add new pages, change photos, or tweak the design without waiting for someone else or paying hourly rates. For businesses that need to update their sites regularly, this is huge.

Cost is obviously a factor too. You're looking at maybe $20-30 per month instead of thousands upfront plus ongoing maintenance fees.

When DIY Gets Messy

DIY starts falling apart when your needs get complicated or when you don't have time to learn the tools properly. If you need custom functionality, complex integrations, or something that doesn't fit into standard templates, you're going to hit walls fast.

I've seen people spend weeks trying to make a template do something it wasn't designed for, when a designer could have built exactly what they needed in the same amount of time.

The other problem is that building a website takes longer than most people expect, especially if you want it done right. You're not just dragging and dropping - you're writing copy, sourcing images, figuring out navigation, testing on different devices. It adds up.

And here's the uncomfortable truth - most people aren't great at design, even with good tools. You might build something that works fine but doesn't look particularly professional or trustworthy.

Hiring a Designer: The Real Deal

A good web designer brings skills you probably don't have. They understand user experience, conversion optimization, current design standards, and how to make your business look credible online. They can also handle technical stuff that might be beyond DIY tools.

If your website is a major part of your business - like if you're selling products online or competing in a crowded market where first impressions matter a lot - professional design can be worth the investment.

Designers also save you time. Instead of spending weeks learning how to build a website, you focus on running your business while someone else handles the technical stuff.

The best designers don't just make things look pretty - they think strategically about what your website needs to accomplish and build accordingly.

When Hiring Gets Expensive (And Complicated)

The biggest downside to hiring a designer is obviously cost. You're looking at anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands depending on complexity. Then there are ongoing costs for updates and maintenance.

But cost isn't the only issue. You lose control over updates and changes. Want to add a new service or update your hours? You're either learning how to do it yourself anyway, or paying someone else to make simple changes.

There's also the communication challenge. Explaining what you want to someone else is harder than you think, especially when you're not sure yourself. Lots of projects go over budget and timeline because of miscommunication.

And here's something nobody talks about - some web designers are just not that good. Expensive doesn't always mean better. I've seen $10,000 websites that look worse than templates you can get for free.

The Hybrid Approach

Here's what actually works for most small businesses - start with DIY, then hire help for specific things you can't figure out.

Build the basic site yourself using a good website builder. Get your content up, basic design in place, all the essential pages created. Then if you need custom functionality, better copywriting, or professional photos, hire specialists for those specific pieces.

This gives you the cost savings and control of DIY while getting professional help where it actually makes a difference.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Do you have 20-40 hours to spend learning and building? If not, hire someone.

Is your website going to be a major source of customers? If yes, consider professional design.

Do you need anything beyond basic pages, contact forms, and maybe simple e-commerce? If yes, you might need custom work.

Are you comfortable learning new tools and troubleshooting problems? If no, save yourself the headache and hire help.

How important is having control over updates and changes? If very important, lean toward DIY.

The Bottom Line

For most small businesses, DIY makes sense as a starting point. Modern website builders are good enough to create professional-looking sites that work well for straightforward business needs.

But don't let pride or budget constraints keep you from getting help when you actually need it. If you're spending more time fighting with your website than running your business, that's a problem.

The goal isn't to prove you can build a website yourself. The goal is to get a website that helps your business succeed. Sometimes that means DIY, sometimes it means hiring pros, and sometimes it means a bit of both.

Choose based on your actual situation, not what someone else tells you is the "right" way to do it.

Last updated: March 18, 2025