As a small business owner it might be tempting to take a do-it-yourself approach towards your website, but ultimately the end product often lacks several key components that a successful website should have. Web Developers, on the other hand, have years of training in implementing some of the key components of success, such as Scalability, Security, and Accessibility, in each of their client’s website. The decision to take a do-it-yourself approach towards your website could result in unclaimed profits at best, and at worst could result in a lawsuit.

Scalability

A successful website will be scalable; the ability to expand and grow along with your business. This factor will determine the platform, the website, the hosting, how the content is organized, the plugins used, etc. With the DIY method, you’ll have to determine all of that by yourself and, if you’re wrong, could result for you paying for more than you need or a website that just slows to a crawl as your business grows.

Security

If you run a shop online without proper security, it’s very easy for someone to steal your customer’s private information. If that happens, you can be held liable for any resulting damages to your customer. To avoid this scenario you need to purchase and install an SSL Certificate. Doing so will encrypt your customer’s data so even if it is stolen, it can’t be read. It’s a detail that is easy to miss, but a Web Developer will make sure everything is setup and secure.

Accessibility

Accessibility is by far the biggest factor in a successful website. A successful website will be accessible to as many people as possible in its target demographic, which means you’ll have to consider quite a few things, such as:

1. Avoiding downtime due to traffic spikes by getting the right hosting service.
2. Optimizing the website for different traffic sources, such as mobile phones.
3. Optimizing performance so the website runs fast on all types of computers.

That’s a lot to consider with no experience in Web Development, but there’s still more.

There is currently a law in place, that makes sure commercial websites are accessible to those with disabilities, called The Americans with Disabilities Act. There are three levels of compliance and, at each level, there are various different requirements in order to achieve that level of compliance. The type of business you have determines the level of compliance you must achieve. For example, financial institutions must be have at least Level 2 (AA) compliance.

There are many requirements for compliance, but a few of them are:

1. Images and videos must be accompanied with descriptive text.
2. Videos must have a full transcript of dialog.
3. Website background and foreground colors must meet a minimum contrast ratio.
4. Links must be descriptive so the user can determine what the link is user for.

Without prior web development experience, it would be extremely difficult for someone to achieve ADA Compliance, and without it you can be sued for violating the law.

Thankfully, we can help you avoid that trouble. We are experts at Web Development and can make sure your website is as Scalable, Secure, and Accessible as it needs to be. Contact Utah Media Group today to learn more.