How do you know at which stage your startup needs a website? Is outsourcing web development a good option?

Be honest. What is the first place you visit when you hear about a business/startup? We’re sure at least 90% of us directly jump on the first link we get on Google.

In this digitally dominating world, a business is lost if it doesn’t have a website. You get conversions and recall when you give a simple-to-understand, hard-to-forget online experience to your customers. Till a couple of years ago, this only applied to B2C brands but today a website unlocks many doors for B2B companies too.

However, when you’re running a startup, every dollar counts. Every day is an uphill battle to figure out the right investments during this nascent stage of your business.

So let’s find the answer to this question – what is the right time for your startup to get a website?

To really know if your startup is ready for a website you first need answers to some important questions. One simple way to do that is by comparing spending on website development to any other important expense you can think of – like buying a car. What questions would you ask yourself before you make the final decision of investing in a brand new car? The answer isn’t supposed to be the same for every situation, but most of the time it boils down to a few questions:

• Why do I need a car? (convenient and saves time, facilitates daily tasks, beneficial during emergencies, personal mobility, and independence, etc.)
• How will I be using a car? (commuting to work, traveling, long drives, etc.)
• What are the most important things I look for in my car? (style, reliability, comfort, space, quality, etc.)

We’re sure there are other questions you’d ask, but you get the point. Unless you have a lot of cash to burn, you wouldn’t buy a car without a reason or a plan. The formula is the same for websites. Let’s ask the same questions, but this time let’s replace the car with a website:

• Why do you need a website? (increase brand visibility and awareness, generate sales, get leads, increase customer base, build credibility, increase accessibility, etc.)
• How will you be using a website? (showcase and market your products, build relationships with existing customers, inform and educate potential customers, deliver excellent customer service, etc.)
• What are the most important things you look for on your website? (appealing visual design, easy navigation, contact information, security, etc.)

Developing a website for your business without structuring a plan is more likely to fail in achieving your goals if they are anything beyond just having a website.

Once you know what you need, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to get it. This means deciding whether you should build your website on your own or outsource it to a company you trust.

Building Your Website vs Outsourcing Web Development

Building a website on your own totally depends upon the type of business and the level of knowledge you have within the area of technology. You obviously wouldn’t fix an underground water line without having any idea about what you should be doing. Or perform a LASIK surgery without having any proper training.

We rely on expertise only when we require things that are way beyond our area of knowledge. Plus it takes away a lot of time from your hands which you could’ve spent focusing on other macros of the business.

Let’s contemplate both options.

Developing Your Website

This is something that every entrepreneur, blogger, start-up owner, etc has at least thought of once in their lifetime – so yes, you’re not alone. You could be someone who doesn’t like working at someone else’s pace, wants to do the best for your brand, maybe want to save some extra bucks, or maybe it’ll be all of these things.

That’s completely fine!

There are various resources available online that can help you get some basic knowledge about web development. But remember that even after signing up and spending big bucks on courses online, not all of us end up having a good relationship with coding! In that case, numerous CMS (Content Management System) platforms are at your service. Following just a few simple steps, these platforms can easily help you create and build your own website.

Does that mean CMS is a sure-shot winner for developing a website? Um, not really. While CMS can be a champion in getting a cost-effective website made without taking too much time, it often loses the battle with SEO and core user experience. Visual design and search engine ranking are two important factors that, when done right, help in generating quality leads for a business. In this case, it is a wise option to outsource web development services and get in touch with an experienced team of developers who have a deeper understanding of what exactly needs to be done.

If you’re bending towards hiring a team of professionals, keep reading!

But if making it on your own makes more sense for you then WordPress and Squarespace are a couple of user-friendly website-builder platforms that let you create your website without spending too much.

Outsourcing Your Website’s Development

While using a CMS may sound simple, it isn’t the best outlet in many scenarios. In some situations, these free website builders can be a perfect choice. A quick simple website for a conference or an event? CMS platforms are all you need! However, when it comes to running a full-blown online store, or leads-generating business website, it is a smarter bet to hand it over to a professional web development agency.

A web development company comes with a varying number of professionals working under different aspects of developing a website. All with one aim – to build a high-quality, highly converting website for your business. Here is the list of professionals you join hands with when outsourcing web development:

Together, a web development company is an all-in-one package of experienced individuals. Another of the various other benefits of outsourcing website development is that it allows you to deliver something that is more aligned with your business goals without any hassle of doing it all yourself.

Cost and time are seen as important determining factors between DIY and web dev outsourcing. Indeed, outsourcing development is more expensive than building a website on your own. But when you look at the broader picture, you’ll understand why:

• This is the cost you pay to the experts to manage your website. In this constantly shifting & changing landscape, you are hiring a team of individuals who are knowledgeable and always up to work on the latest developments.
• Other than just designing and developing your website, they’re also working towards planning out ways on how you can achieve your business goals through it.
• There are constant revisions before the website is finally presented. Sometimes even the smallest of change involves many layers and masks that need to be altered.
• Outsourcing web development company also means that, even after launch, your website is maintained time-to-time for all security updates. Thus, saving you and your customers from any future problems.

Instead of seeing your website’s development as an expense, look at it as a one-time investment. After all, running a startup is no joke. There can be numerous potential risks that can come your way – don’t let a DIY website be one!

We know how crucial a role your website can play for your business in today’s time. We’ve spent the last 9 years solving problems for startups and businesses across the world through technology and design thinking. Need a little help with your website? Just drop us a message, the coffee’s on us!