So, you’ve decided to build your own website. You’ve heard it’s easy! A few clicks, drag-and-drop some pictures, and—voilà—you’re the proud owner of a professional website. Your Aunt Karen might be impressed, but your clients? Not so much.
Let’s take a ride on the struggle bus, led by our favorite passengers: GoDaddy and Wix. Buckle up!
1. “It’s so easy, anyone can do it!”
If by “easy,” you mean staring blankly at your screen, clicking the same button 17 times, and still wondering why your header is hanging out halfway down the page like it’s had a few too many at happy hour… then sure! Totally easy.
What they don’t tell you is that “simple” doesn’t mean “functional.” The templates? They’re beautiful—until you try to add a custom feature. Then it’s a game of choose-your-own-adventure, where every path leads to frustration. Need a cool, interactive feature for your clients? Not without a trip down the rabbit hole of endless plugins (that either don’t work or break your site).
2. SEO? What SEO?
GoDaddy and Wix tell you that SEO is built-in. Which sounds great—until you realize the only thing being built is your confusion. Sure, you can put in keywords, but good luck ranking for anything more competitive than “obscure hobbies involving rubber bands.”
Without proper optimization tools, you’re likely to end up on page 10 of Google, right next to that article from 2007 about penguin fashion trends.
3. Mobile Optimization: When Your Site Goes on Vacation
“Don’t worry!” they say. “Your site will look perfect on mobile!” Spoiler alert: it won’t. Somewhere between desktop and mobile, your carefully curated design goes on an unannounced vacation. Text boxes float into the void, images stretch into surreal art, and suddenly your site looks like it was put together by a blindfolded toddler.
You’re left scrambling to fix it, which leads to more hours in the platform’s maze-like editor. Who needs sleep, right?
4. Customization? Ha! Good One.
You want your website to stand out from the competition. Well, tough luck. GoDaddy and Wix offer about as much customization as a fast food burger—sure, you can add extra cheese, but that’s about it.
Want to integrate with the latest marketing automation tool? Hope you like 2007 technology because that’s what you’ll be working with. The truth is, you’re boxed in with limited options, and your “unique” website ends up looking like everyone else’s. But hey, at least the colors are different!
5. Help? Hello? Is Anyone There?
When things go wrong (and they will), you’ll need help. And that’s when the true horror begins. Good luck finding a customer service rep who knows more than, “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”
With support systems as slow as dial-up and about as helpful as a shrug, you’ll find yourself scouring the internet for solutions that don’t exist—or paying a freelancer to bail you out.
There’s a Better Way
Why do this to yourself? Yes, GoDaddy and Wix are tempting with their shiny, “easy” promises, but when you’re serious about your business, you need a professional solution. A website that’s not only functional but also flexible, optimized, and actually works. Let’s face it, you deserve more than a “DIY disasterpiece.”
So, ditch the drag-and-drop and let the experts build you a site that doesn’t break, get lost on mobile, or rank dead last on Google. Your business will thank you—and so will your sanity.