DIY Website Problems & Solutions

Website builders like WordPress, Wix, Weebly, and GoDaddy make creating your own website easier than ever. That is way so many individuals and businesses opt to create DIY websites for to promote themselves, especially if they’re just starting out.  While this may be cost-effective there are many common mistakes that can occur when building your own website.  

In order to help you avoid these mistakes, we’ve complied the following list of mistakes we’ve seen on DIY websites and ways you can fix them. Some solutions you be able to do on your own, others may require the help of a professional.  

Mistakes a Professional Can Help With: 

Website Security:  

Template websites are less secure, because hackers can gain access to one template that then gives them access to others. Also, if you mess with the coding of your website it will open doors for security breaks. But, professionally developed websites will have an SSL certification that helps assure user that their information is safe on your website. 

Mobile-Friendliness: 

Many website templates are not built with responsiveness in mind. They focus on the desktop experience and forget that most users will probably be visiting their site on a mobile device. Fixing this issue may require the help of a professional web developer.  

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): 

Most template designs are not search engine optimized. This means a template website will appear lower in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo, making it harder to find. Professional web designers and developers focus on coding, content, and more so that your website is optimized for all major search engines.  

Branding: 

Most website templates are fairly generic, an make it hard to incorporate your brand. With some templates you may not even be able to upload your organization’s logo. But, a website designer can custom design a site built entirely around your brand, to meet your needs.  

Mistakes You Can Fix on Your Own: 

Text: 

It’s very common to see website text aligned in the center of the page or bolded in places it shouldn’t be. The text on your website needs to be aesthetically appealing and easy to read. Choose a simple font, regular case, aligned left, and makes sure the font color contrast the background enough.  The only exceptions to this are page headings and subtitles, which may be bolded.  

Page Titles:  

When someone shares a page of your website what will the post say? Will it have a nice image? You need to include pages title and featured images on your website. Try to think of page titles that are interring rather than generic. For example, at MIBS, Inc. instead of titling a page “Home,” we might choose a title like “MIBS, Inc.: Experts in Website Design & Development.”  

 Editing: 

If you are designing the website yourself, odds are you’re also writing the content yourself.  Makes sure that you take your time and read through everything carefully before you publish it. Have a friend or coworker go through it too to help catch any typos and make sure it all makes sense.  

Clutter:  

While it is good to have titles and descriptions, you don’t want to overload your website with text. Your home page should include an attractive image that showcases your brand, and a simple description about what you do to draw in customers. You also don’t want to have too many thin content pages. Rather than creating a page for every element of the website, try subdividing content within the overall site.  

Forgetting the User Experience: 

When setting up your website it is good to identify goals, but it can also be easy to think more about what you want from the website than about what users need. You may choose a layout that you like. But you need to ask what will your website visitors like. What will help create the best user experience?  

Unknown CMS: 

Obviously one of the appeals of creating your own website is the cost. But remember that by doing it yourself you are already saving money. So, use a well-known CMS like WordPress, rather than some unknown platform. 

MIBS, Inc. will work with too to find a professional and affordable website design solution. Contact MIBS, Inc. to learn more about our affordable web design process.