If you’re planning to launch an eCommerce store, you don’t need someone to tell you about the importance of a well-designed website. Your website is going to be the most crucial touchpoint that consumers will interact with before making a purchase. In this article we’ll compare website builders vs hired professionals and reply to whom should you trust for your first eCommerce site?
The layout, design, and navigation of your website will determine whether they complete checkout or exit after browsing a few products.
As BigCommerce’s blog highlights, a website is also an important brand-building tool. Apart from driving conversions and generating revenue, it helps you win the trust and loyalty of new customers. Also, it builds your brand reputation and credibility.
So, it’s only natural that you’d leave no stone unturned to create an awesome-looking eCommerce site that delivers a flawless purchase experience.
But when you’re building your first eCommerce site, you’ll be in a crucial dilemma. Should you use an eCommerce website builder platform, and create your website on your own? Or would it be wiser to give the job to a professional web development team?
Website Builders vs Hired Professionals: It Isn’t All Black and White
First things first – there’s no universally accepted formula to determine whether eCommerce website builders are better than professional designers or vice versa.
Modern eCommerce website builders are with features and tools. They come with a ton of integrations to help you connect your store with third-party apps.
The best eCommerce website builders even offer marketing tools to help promote your website. Also, they provide you with useful analytics and insights about a customer’s online behavior and purchase activity. You even get access to proactive and resourceful customer support.
On the other hand, a professional web designer eliminates the need for you to get in the process of creating your eCommerce site. They have the training and expertise to develop a custom-built website from scratch.
Making the Right Choice for Your Online Store
The decision to choose one option over the other isn’t going to be easy. The key is to have a thorough understanding of the unique needs of your business.
In the following sections, we’ll look at a few factors you should consider when choosing between an eCommerce site builder and a web designer. Let’s get it.
Website Builders vs Hired Professionals: Budget
If you want to hire a professional web designer, you should be prepared to pay a premium for their services. On the other hand, the best eCommerce website builders offer various affordable pricing plans.
That makes an eCommerce platform better suited for new and small businesses that are venturing into the world of eCommerce for the first time. You get to create a stellar website even with a limited budget.
Timeline
With an eCommerce website builder, you get access to a diverse assortment of attractive themes. Also, customizing the theme using a drag-and-drop builder is going to be a cakewalk. You can add and remove various elements, change the color palette, and introduce new features in a few clicks.
Building a tailor-made website from the ground up is going to take more time than that. Your designer will have to use coding to create interfaces and implement different features. Also, they’ll need to test the code and fix errors before your online store is ready to be launched.
That emphasizes the importance of considering how much time you’ve got at hand before your website goes live. If you need your online store to be up and running within a couple of weeks, you should choose a website builder. But if you can afford to wait for a few months, hiring a skilled designer will offer better results.
Website Builders vs Hired Professionals: Skill Level
No one needs to be a trained web developer to build your online store using a website builder. But you’ll still need to understand the basics of graphic design, branding, and other aspects of web development.
Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time finding your way around different widgets, APIs, and other tools, even on the best eCommerce site builder.
That’s why you have to keep your skill level in mind before moving forward with an eCommerce platform. Also, consider whether you’re in a position to spare a few hours every day for the job.
If you’re already caught up with other business operations, it might be wiser to hire a developer.
The Final Verdict
There isn’t an easy way to determine whether online store builders or web designers would be the right fit for your eCommerce business. If you’re about to launch a new eCommerce site, consider your budget, skill level, and available time before making your final decision.
