Sigh! Where do I begin? As I sit in my hammock at the beach with the skies so bright, I can literally see the heavens. Sipping my cold pineapple juice with a wide smile on my face knowing I’ve got millions of dollars in the bank from my web development services. Yes, you know in these times of covid-19, every business needs a website and that can only be done by nerds like me. Sike! Of course I’m day dreaming! [insert sad song here].
Web development used to be and in some aspects, still is a complicated task that requires great technical skills and knowledge to execute. In this post, I’ll attempt to convince my fellow nerds (yes, you web developers and designers, except cool nerds like me. 😉), why DIY website builders like, WIX, Weebly , SquareSpace and Shopify shouldn’t be viewed as a threat to web developers but rather, another tool for your projects.
1. Don’t hate the player, don’t hate the game
We all know technology is ever evolving and at a very fast rate. It’s pretty hard to keep up these days but that’s never an excuse. For example, just imagine how hard and annoying it’ll be if we have to write machine code in this era of dynamic content and 40+ year olds doing dance routines on TikTok. (Ok this part wasn’t necessary but oh well, go GrandPa!). Modern technologies seek to make things easier, faster and “better”. For web design projects that are less complicated and do not require complex integrations and systems, DIYs are a great way to get things up and running.
2. You get paid for your time, really?
Most freelancers charge by the hour and that’s pretty much an industry standard but what can’t be measured is your knowledge and skills. A well versed developer or designer can create an amazing website in 1/4 of the time an inexperienced designer can. Your knowledge, skills and experience are your most valued assets. If a business owner who isn’t a professional web developer can create a well put together website because it’s easy with a DIY platform, they probably don’t need your services to begin with. My point is, the fact that it’s easy doesn’t mean it can be done well. It shouldn’t be valued less or be seen as a threat to you the professional either. It should be seen as another tool for some of your projects because most businesses would rather hire a professional anyway.
3. If you can’t beat em, join em
Most of these platforms have other ways for professionals to make some extra money. Just like the WordPress eco-system allows for plugins and themes, you can earn some decent cash by developing tools for these platforms. This is passive income if you really know what you’re doing. All the same, you can still get hired to design websites using a DIY platform. Some people just prefer them because it’s easier to update the content themselves down the line.
In summary, nobody can fight technology. Not Thanos, and definitely not The Avengers. There probably will come a time when we wouldn’t even need to touch the keyboard, you’ll just have to say to the computer, (((“let there be a website for my business” ))) and then boom! A website appears.
To be continued….
