The pros and cons of setting up a personal website (and why it's worth the effort)

Freelancers and small business owners have so many options for advertising their business — there's Etsy, eBay, Fiverr, Upwork and, of course, social media. 

With all these different marketing options open for many different sectors, it’s easy to question whether it’s actually worth setting up your own website as well.

When you’re running your own business –– especially if it’s a side hustle –– you need something easy, cost-effective, and not too time-consuming.

So is a website worth it? Let’s go through the pros and cons.

Why invest in a website for your business?

Gone are the days when websites were a pain to manage, and even harder to keep up-to-date. Today, even the most tech-nervous people can easily set up and maintain a website with just a couple of clicks. Sites like Squarespace and Wordpress make it super easy — even if you have barely any time to dedicate to it.

A website really is an investment in your business. It makes you look like a legit, professional brand — more trustworthy than a random side-hustle Instagram account. Plus, having your own website lets you create a branded email address (e.g. stacey@handmaderesins.com) which adds a level of professionalism to all of your correspondence.

Having a landing page for your business makes a lot more of an impact than just sharing a link to your social media or your Etsy shop. Even if your site just consists of a shop page and a contact form, it does wonders for your optics.

The pros of selling via your own website

Financial

This is the big one. If you’re selling your goods or services through a third-party marketplace like Etsy or eBay, you’ll lose a chunk of the profit. In fact, many creators complain about just how much of a percentage is taken by the selling platform. 

If you set up your own site, you get to set your price and receive the full amount for your work (minus domain fees).

Creative control

It’s hard to make your brand memorable on a website you don’t own. 

You have little to no control over what your shop page looks like, what colors are used, how images are displayed, and sometimes even the price. With your own website, you retain full creative control — everything is tailored specifically to make your products “pop” on screen.

That’s great for aesthetic reasons, but it’s also good for keeping your brand identity consistent across all your platforms. Your branding is one of the most important parts of your business, so it’s important to keep all your online content looking the same –– we’re talking fonts, color schemes, logos, and messaging.

There’s no competition

You’re surrounded by competitors on third-party marketplaces. And unless your products are visibly unique or special in some way, it’s hard to really stand out and make an impact. 

On your own site, there are no other brands to compete with and your products can really shine. 

SEO and extra content

Your website isn’t just a portal for selling, you can use content and SEO to drive more traffic to your business. Set up a blog, use keywords, maybe even consult an SEO specialist to help get your page up high in the search results –– this can make a huge difference in bringing in a new audience. 

You’ll have tech support

It depends on what website-building tool you use, but most good site builders provide you with support if anything goes wrong. 

Even if you have no idea how to code or what an embed is, you can rest easy that you won’t be left high and dry if you encounter an issue.

It can be a business-boosting tool

You don’t have to start selling exclusively through your website straight away. If you’re already making sales on a third-party site, there’s no need to give it up. Your website can be a way to slowly transition –– build your site, link to it from your current marketing platform (if allowed), then eventually when you've created enough of a presence, you can move everything over.

The cons of selling via your own website

While there are a lot of good things about making and selling through your own website, there can be a couple of drawbacks as well. 

We believe it’s still well worth investing in your own website, but it’s good to keep in mind some of the speed-bumps that might come up (and how to overcome them!).

Getting started

Websites don’t launch to the first page of search engine results right away. It may take some time to see traffic coming in, and that can feel pretty disheartening at first. 

But… if you keep marketing yourself on social and through other platforms, eventually you’ll be able to grow your traffic and make your site a sustainable income source. Keep going!

Cost

Unfortunately, good websites aren’t free. They’re definitely worth investing in, but it can be hard to outlay your hard-earned cash with no guarantee on return. The initial start-up cost of establishing a sleek, professional-looking website can be enough to turn people away from ever doing it, but try to think long-term whenever you can.

It’s possible to get started with a basic template on a small budget too — all you’ll need to pay for is hosting and domain fees. If you’re worried the investment won’t pay off, start small and grow your confidence from there.

Where do you start with building a website?

Okay so there’s Squarespace… there’s Wordpress… there’s Wix… how do you know what will be best for you and for your brand? It can be so overwhelming to make the right decision, especially if you don’t have a background in coding or graphic design.

And that’s where we can come in! 

No matter what vision you have in mind for your website, Street Designed is here to make it a reality. Together, we can set you up with a stress-free personalized site for your business needs.

Book your free consultation chat today!