Can I make my own website?

Written by

Theresa Woodward

Read it in 6 minutes

How hard can it be to create a small business startup website?

Starting a new business in today’s fast-moving digital world almost always means one thing: you need a professional website.
But how hard is it really to create a startup website?
Can you write and build it yourself?
Or is it better to use a DIY drag-and-drop website builder?
At Bluewaterbytes, we specialise in WordPress website development for startups and small businesses, and this article is based on real experience — not theory

Here is my experience of setting up my own website design business.

I’ve spent many years working in IT, using a wide range of programming languages. When I started my own website design business, I assumed building websites would be straightforward.

After all — how hard can it be?

HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript all look manageable on their own. There are countless tutorials online covering every aspect of web design and development.

What I hadn’t fully considered is that modern website development is not about individual skills — it’s about how they all work together seamlessly.

That’s where most DIY website attempts fall down.

Can I create and write my website?

It is a bit like saying although everyone can paint to some extent, not everyone will be a Picasso.

A few years ago I thought it would be easy to transfer my tech skills to writing websites. How hard can it be?

CSS looks simple enough together with PHP, HTML, and Javascript

There appears to be a myriad of online tutorials out there to help with every aspect of web design and development.

What I had not considered was that these new skills are all used together at the same time. They are codependent. It is a seamless implementation of this that works behind the scenes.

The myriad of online tutorials are also similar to deep rabbit warrens at the beginning where you get led down with unhelpful content until you reach a point In your knowledge that you can safely navigate your way through.

Why I Use WordPress for Startup Websites

For professional web development at Bluewaterbytes, I use WordPress as the core content management system (CMS).

WordPress allows:

Fully responsive website design
Easy content creation and updates for business owners
Scalability as your business grows
Clean, structured code that search engines understand

Each website I build is bespoke, designed and styled specifically around the client’s business — not forced into a generic template.

Writing Your Startup Website: The Real Risks

Creating the website is only the beginning.

The real question is:

How will customers find it?

Just because a website exists doesn’t mean Google will rank it. Without proper structure, optimisation, and content, your site will simply sit unnoticed among millions of others.

The Hidden Complexity of Website Development

Web technologies are codependent:

HTML structures content
CSS styles it
JavaScript adds interactivity
PHP connects everything behind the scenes

They must all work together flawlessly. Tutorials rarely show the full picture — and beginners often fall into deep rabbit holes of incomplete or outdated advice.

Until you reach a certain level of understanding, it’s hard to know what’s correct, efficient, or even safe.

SEO: Why Your Website Needs to Be Built Correctly

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a specialist skill in its own right.

To help your website rank, you need to:

Write clean, efficient code
Structure content correctly
Use relevant keywords strategically
Make it clear to Google what your business offers

SEO is vast — entire careers are built around it. While free tools can help you get started, experience and strategy make the real difference.

At Bluewaterbytes, SEO is considered from the very beginning of the website design process — not bolted on later.

Market Research: Know Your Audience First

Before writing a single line of code, you should understand:

Who your customers are
What problems they need solving
How they search for solutions

Your startup website should anticipate those needs and present clear, helpful answers immediately.

Good market research leads to better content, better structure, and stronger conversion rates.

Content Matters More Than Design (Yes, Really)

From Google’s perspective, content matters more than visual design when it comes to ranking.

This is often difficult for business owners to accept — most people focus on how their website looks rather than what it says.

If your website exists purely as a digital “business card” and you’re not relying on organic search traffic, SEO may not matter as much.

But if you want customers to find you through Google, content quality and structure are critical.

WordPress vs Drag-and-Drop Website Builders

Drag-and-drop website builders can be tempting.

They’re quick, intuitive, and require little technical knowledge. You choose a theme, add content, and publish.

The Downsides of Drag-and-Drop Websites

One-size-fits-all themes
Bloated, unnecessary code
Limited flexibility
Difficult to scale as your business grows

These platforms are built to appeal to the widest possible audience, which means your website carries a lot of unused functionality — digital baggage that slows performance and confuses search engines.

This can negatively affect your Google rankings over time.

Why a Custom WordPress Website Is the Better Long-Term Option

A professionally built WordPress website:

Contains only the code your business needs
Is optimised for performance and SEO
Grows with your business
Gives you full ownership and control

For startups with limited budgets, drag-and-drop builders can work in the short term. But most businesses eventually outgrow them — and rebuilding later often costs more.iness. invariably you will need to revisit this decision in the future, as your business grows and outgrows this option.

Final Thoughts: What’s the Right Choice for Your Business?

If you have the time, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn, yes — you can create your own website.

But if your goal is to:

Rank on Google
Attract the right customers
Build a website that grows with your business

Then working with an experienced WordPress website developer for startups and small businesses will save time, money, and frustration in the long run.

At Bluewaterbytes, we design and develop WordPress websites that are fast, SEO-friendly, and built specifically for small businesses that want to grow.