The Right Answer Depends More on You Than Your Website
One of the questions I hear most often is:
“Should I hire someone to maintain my website, or should I update it myself?”
The honest answer is:
It depends.
Not every business owner should update their own website.
But not every business owner needs to pay someone else to do it either.
After building websites since 1993, I’ve learned that the decision has very little to do with the website itself and almost everything to do with the person sitting behind the keyboard.
Some People Should Absolutely Update Their Own Website
If you’re comfortable with technology, learning new software, and working on a computer every day, managing your own website may be a great choice.
Many business owners enjoy having complete control over their content.
They can publish articles, announce new services, update photos, and make small changes whenever they want without waiting on anyone else.
If your business requires frequent updates and you have the time and ability to make them well, a Content Management System (CMS) can be a tremendous asset.
That’s one reason every website I build includes a Content Management System—even if the client doesn’t plan to use it immediately. If your needs change later, the capability is already there.
Time Is Often the Bigger Issue
Technical ability isn’t the only consideration.
Many business owners could learn how to update their websites.
They simply don’t have the time.
Running a business already requires wearing enough hats. Spending an hour trying to remember how to update a page may not be the best use of your afternoon.
For many people, it’s simply more valuable to focus on serving customers while someone else handles the website.
Knowing How Isn’t the Same as Knowing What
Updating a website involves more than typing words onto a page.
Every change affects how visitors experience your business.
Questions that professionals naturally think about include:
- Does this page remain easy to read?
- Is the layout visually balanced?
- Are the images properly optimized?
- Is this helping or hurting SEO?
- Does the page guide visitors toward taking action?
Someone can learn where to click in WordPress.
Learning how to build pages that inspire confidence is a different skill entirely.
Infrequent Updates Become Difficult
Here’s something I’ve noticed over the years.
Many clients initially want to update everything themselves.
Then life gets busy.
Three months pass before they need to make another change.
Now they’ve forgotten the process.
They’re searching through old notes or rewatching tutorial videos just to remember where everything is.
Eventually, updating the website becomes something they avoid altogether.
The website stays outdated—not because they can’t do it, but because they don’t do it often enough to stay comfortable with the process.
Consistency Matters More Than Capability
Even highly capable people sometimes struggle with consistency.
One page uses large images.
Another uses small ones.
Headings follow different styles.
Spacing changes from page to page.
Calls to action disappear.
The website slowly loses the professional appearance it had when it launched.
For clients who want to manage their own content, I often create page templates that provide a consistent starting point. They make it easier to maintain a professional look, but they still require discipline to follow.
My Philosophy Is Simple: You Choose
Many web designers insist on handling every update themselves.
Others build a website and disappear.
I’ve chosen a different approach.
When I build a website, you have options.
- I can handle all of your updates.
- I can teach you how to manage your website yourself.
- We can even collaborate while you’re learning.
I’ve found that collaboration often requires more time because I’m reviewing and correcting work along the way, but for some clients it’s the best path toward becoming confident and independent.
My goal isn’t to lock you into a service.
My goal is to help you choose the approach that fits your business, your schedule, and your comfort level.
Conclusion
The question isn’t whether you can update your own website.
The better question is whether you should.
If you enjoy technology, update your website frequently, and have time to learn the system, managing it yourself may be the right choice.
If your time is better spent running your business—or you want the confidence that every update is professionally designed, optimized, and consistent—having a trusted web designer maintain your site may be the better investment.
Neither answer is right for everyone.
The right answer is the one that helps your business succeed.
