The decision to use a professional web design service is a vital, but often overlooked, one for a small business or sole trader where resources and time are often tight. There may also be the temptation to say “I can do that” without really thinking it through; even mid size business can overlook the benefit of a professional service and instead rely on internal resources. The first impression potential customers may have is your web presence so should you do-it-yourself or go Pro? With this in mind I am delighted to present this special guest post from Sharon Jackson of Bay Web Designs.

In today’s financial climate SME’s will possibly be looking to minimise their budget. Some areas may not need professional outside help but one that a business owner should not DIY is that of web design.

There are countless sites and programs out there offering the opportunity to create a free web site in minutes – you should ask yourself “Is this a waste of money?”

“Waste of money? But it’s free!”

Ah, it may be free of cost in pounds and pence but this is your time being spent in creating your ‘free’ site and it is your profits that you are affecting if it’s not done correctly.

It’s tempting to take the freebie and hope but there are several considerations you should take into account before you type your first content.

• Do I know what I want from my site?
• Can I update and upgrade my site as my business grows?
• Can I fix it if it goes wrong?

Just a few questions; but they are all situations that a good and reliable web designer will consider and be able to help you with.

Your web site is a window (sorry for the IT pun) that potential and current clients can see into 24/7 and therefore needs to serve several purposes …

• Impart information on your company, services and so on
• Enable easy contact either by providing the relevant information or using an online form
• Give customers an idea of who, what, where you are
• Do all this at a time convenient for your customer

Do you really want to risk your business by scrimping on what could be an important asset?

By using a professional web designer you can ensure that your web site is standards compliant and accessible to all potential clients. You can ensure that search engine optimisation has been considered and applied to your site – you do want people to find your site don’t you?

Employing a professional web designer frees you up to concentrate on the other aspects of your business that you are good at. Why spend time learning new skills as a web designer when you can get a professional to do it? This gives you time to do all the other one hundred and one things your business demands.

A web presence need not cost the earth, Bay Web Designs ensures that attractive and effective is also affordable, but is money well spent. Think about how much you will spend on advertising over the coming year – newspapers, phone directories, flyers and so on. Now go research how much a web site would cost and then consider all the benefits of an online, 24/7, interactive advert for your business. It’s a bit of a no-brainer that you’d want a professional in charge of all that potential isn’t it?

This article was written by Sharon Jackson; check out her services at http://www.baywebdesigns.co.uk/