Why Are Cheap Websites A Bad Idea?

16 July 2020

Your website is your window to the world - the very first place that customers, suppliers and business partners go to see who your company is and what values you stand for

Your website is your window to the world - the very first place that customers, suppliers and business partners go to see who your company is and what values you stand for. And with internet usage accelerating, along with the rise and rise of e-commerce, having a great website is no longer a hygiene factor - it's an important competitive advantage, both in terms of visibility and in selling products and services. The return on investment that a well-designed website populated with useful content can give to your business is significant. And that’s why it's one area where it doesn’t pay to cut corners. Your website should be the result of customer insight, careful research, design with attention to detail and continuous development. When you choose to skimp on those, the results will certainly be underwhelming - and could very well cost you sales.

Lack of Visibility

To enhance traffic, your website needs to be visible and that means getting it well indexed by search engines. Unfortunately, it isn’t a case of build it and they will come - you need to put the work in to stand out in a global marketplace. This process starts from the ground up, with user experience at the heart of a well-made design, supported with appropriate information. If you choose to cheap out on a badly designed website, these principles are unlikely to be front of mind, as they take time to develop properly. Creating a website with SEO in mind is a lengthy process, but it pays dividends.

Negative Customer Experience

They say that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and that is true when it comes to attracting customers online. If they come to your website and have a negative experience, they are unlikely to come back - let alone referring others. Branding is all about developing a relationship with a potential customer - and a poorly designed, off-the-shelf template site will not help you to do that. You are also unlikely to be able to develop your website over time, as most of these template sites are not supported with a fully flexible CMS system. That means as your business grows and develops, your site will no longer be fit for purpose. And poorly designed sites that customers can’t navigate properly also mean they are likely to leave quickly, without contacting you or making a purchase.

Bad Or Nonexistent Aftercare

As if that wasn’t bad enough, you can probably expect little or no aftercare and customer support when you buy a cheap template site. Business owners are busy people, and having to deal with technical issues, drops in service and design issues is a lot to add to an already full to-do list. Cybersecurity is also a huge issue that your business needs to be adequately protected against. Opting for a cheap website means that these issues are not likely to be covered, leaving your company vulnerable.

Help Is At Hand

At Wida Group, we know good web design inside out. Working closely with you, we can design a website that doesn’t cut corners and can help to boost your business. Our team is waiting to speak to you.