The Pros and Cons of Designing My Own Website

Building a website from scratch felt like a huge challenge when I first started. I wanted a space that truly reflected my style and work, but I wasn’t sure if I should hire a professional or try to do it myself. After spending weeks designing my own site, I learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. If you’re a maker thinking about creating your own website, here’s a look at the good and the bad sides of doing it yourself.

Why I Chose WIX to Design My Own Website

I’m someone who enjoys hands-on projects, so designing my own website seemed like a natural step. I wanted full control over the look and feel, and I liked the idea of learning new skills along the way. Plus, I was curious about platforms like WIX, which promised easy drag-and-drop design without needing to code.

I also wanted to keep costs down. Hiring a web designer can be expensive, and I wasn’t sure if my site would need constant updates or changes. Doing it myself meant I could tweak things anytime without waiting on someone else.

The Benefits of Designing My Own Website

Full Creative Control

One of the biggest advantages was having complete control over the design. I could choose every color, font, and layout detail. This meant my website felt personal and unique, exactly how I imagined it.

Learning New Skills

Designing my own site pushed me to learn about web hosting, domains, and basic design principles. For example, I had to understand how to connect my domain name to the hosting service, which was a valuable skill for future projects.

Cost Savings

Using platforms like WIX helped me avoid high upfront costs. WIX offers affordable hosting and domain registration bundled together, which made managing everything easier and cheaper than hiring a developer.

Flexibility to Update Anytime

Since I built the site myself, I could update content or change the design whenever I wanted. This flexibility is great for makers who often add new products or projects and want their website to reflect those changes quickly.

The Challenges I Faced

Time-Consuming Process

Designing a website took much longer than I expected. Even with WIX’s user-friendly tools, I spent hours tweaking layouts, testing different fonts, and fixing small issues. If you’re busy making, this time investment can be tough to manage.

Limited Technical Knowledge

While WIX simplifies many tasks, some things still required technical know-how. For example, setting up SEO features or customizing certain design elements pushed me outside my comfort zone. Without coding skills, I sometimes felt stuck.

Design Limitations

Although WIX offers many templates, I found some design options limiting. If you want a very specific look or advanced features, you might hit a wall. Custom coding or hiring a professional might be necessary for more complex needs.

Managing Hosting and Domain

Even though WIX bundles hosting and domain services, I had to learn how these work behind the scenes. Understanding domain settings, SSL certificates, and hosting plans was confusing at first. Mistakes here could cause my site to go offline or look unprofessional.

What I Would Do Differently Next Time

If I were to design another website, I would:

• Plan the design more carefully before starting. Sketching layouts and choosing colors upfront saves time later.

• Use tutorials and forums to learn more about technical aspects like SEO and domain management.

• Consider a hybrid approach: start with a WIX template but hire a designer for custom touches.

• Set realistic time expectations to avoid frustration.

  
  

Tips for Makers Designing Their Own Website

If you’re a maker ready to build your own site, here are some practical tips based on my experience:

• Choose a platform like WIX that offers easy drag-and-drop design and includes hosting and domain services.

• Register a domain name that matches your brand or business to make your site easy to find.

• Focus on simple, clean design that highlights your work without clutter.

• Test your website on different devices to ensure it looks good everywhere.

• Backup your site regularly, especially if you update content often.

• Don’t hesitate to ask for help in online communities or hire a professional for tricky parts.

  
  

Final Thoughts on Designing Your Own Website

It took me approx. 30 hours to get the website to the point where I felt it was ok to publish.

There is considerable fine tuning that still needs to be done. Like becoming a home owner there will be continual maintenance and upkeep.

I have learned a lot over the last couple of weeks, but I am sure this is only the tip of the iceberg.

I hope this blog is helpful or at least entertaining in someway.

Future blogs will continue as I share more experiences both from the past and present.

Thanks

Tim The Hobbyist