The prevalence of large stock libraries, easy to use and affordable drag-and-drop visual and web design tools paired with inexpensive freelance marketplaces have led to questions around the necessity of hiring a professional designer, developer or agency. Obtaining original design, smart strategy, and high performing digital is unlikely without investment.
You can pump out social content with Canva but it will look generic and derived from stock imagery. You can use a logo generator like Tailorbrands but they are built on a limited library of trendy font/graphic combinations. which are un-unique and when that trend falls out of fashion, the design becomes dated.
Global freelance marketplaces like Fiver lead to foreign outsource and an over-reliance on stock by designers so they can quickly turn the project around and move on to the next paying client. The continual rip and remix of other peoples work leads to a lack of innovation and originality causing your brand to blend in with everyone else.
If you need a simple landing page, then yeah, you can make one through Squarespace or WIX, but at what cost? Platforms like these rely on templates for optimal conversions using limited content. If you put too much diverse content in, it breaks the user experience. For small portfolios or to sell a few simple products, it can make sense but keep in mind that in the long run, it will cost more than hiring a developer to custom make a site for you. These sites have a medium to high monthly cost. Building a custom site usually has a high initial investment cost but monthly costs are usually lower. A strong designer and developer with be able to tailor the project to your specific needs yielding higher conversions than a template site.
When you invest in an agency, you’ll get a good designer and developer. You will see higher brand engagement and higher return on investment. You shouldn’t be designing a logo or establishing long-term brand strategy without at least consulting with an agency. Agencies take the time to provide unique deliverables that maximize long-term impact. Our expertise is in solving business problems creatively. How can your company afford sub-par work in that area? The best thing you can do as a business is to establish a working relationship with an agency.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments beneath.
