Building your own website can save you some money, but it can also cause you headaches.
Building a good website is more complicated than picking a good platform and using a template. You have to consider the technical aspects, as well, to ensure your website is fast, functioning, and optimized for search engines.
We’re a digital marketing and web development agency that has been building websites for 20 years, so we know what it takes to create a website that works and looks great.
We have also spent our fair share of time on websites that weren’t up to par—often ones made by web development novices.
Here are seven mistakes that we often see DIYers make when they build their own websites.
If you would rather watch a video of us discussing these issues, you can find it at the end of this article.
1. Building Your Own Website? Make Sure It Is Indexed
One of the most frequent errors we see is failing to make your site visible to search engines. This is a fatal mistake, as it means you will not show up when potential customers are searching for you or your services.
If you are using WordPress, double-check the “Reading” settings and ensure the option to “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unchecked.
Without this step, Google will not crawl or rank your site, leaving it invisible online.
2. Skipping Analytics Setup
Analytics are essential for tracking your website’s performance. Whether you use Google Analytics 4 or another tool, having data from day one is critical. It allows you to measure traffic growth and evaluate the effectiveness of future marketing efforts.
Without analytics, you are flying blind.
3. Ignoring Mobile-Friendliness
Your site might look fantastic on a desktop, but how does it perform on mobile devices?
Hubspot analyzed the performance of the internet’s top 100 websites and found that mobile visits were 81% higher than desktop, making this an essential step if you want to your website to appeal to the majority of people who will see it.
Luckily, many website builders offer separate design settings for mobile layouts.
Always test your site on phones and tablets to ensure it is user-friendly across all devices.
4. Choosing Cheap Hosting
Budget hosting might seem like another easy way to save on your website, but it often results in slow load times and frequent outages.
These issues frustrate visitors and hurt your SEO rankings.
Invest in reliable hosting and use monitoring tools to track downtime so you do not miss opportunities.
5. Neglecting Updates
An outdated website sends the wrong message to visitors.
If your site still says “Copyright 2023” or lists former employees, prospects may question your professionalism.
Regularly update your content—blogs, images, and team information—to keep your site fresh and relevant.
6. Failing to Maintain Plugins and Themes
If you are using WordPress or similar platforms, keeping plugins and themes updated is crucial.
Neglecting updates can lead to broken functionality or security vulnerabilities. Spend at least an hour each month maintaining these elements to avoid costly fixes later.
7. Not Promoting Your Website
Building your own website is a waste of time if you’re not promoting it.
Use platforms like Google Ads, Meta, or LinkedIn to drive traffic to your site.
Without marketing efforts, even the best-designed websites will struggle to attract visitors in today’s crowded digital landscape.
The Biggest Mistake of Building Your Own Website? Missing Out On Mediaura
If all of this sounds like a hassle, or if you need an agency to help you market your new website, reach out to us. Building great websites and marketing them is our life’s work, not just our hobby.
