Why Hiring a Local Web Developer Who Knows Your Community Beats Using a Website Farm
In today’s society, when people Google just about everything, having a website is essential for any business. But it’s not just about having any website—it’s about having the right website. A site that connects with your audience, reflects your brand, and meets your specific business goals. When it comes to building that perfect website, the choice between hiring a local web developer who understands your community and using a large agency with a mass-producing “website farm” can make all the difference. Here’s why going local with your web development is a smarter choice for your business.
Personal Connection to Your Community
One of the biggest advantages of hiring a local web developer is that they live and work in your community. They understand the local culture, know the trends, and are aware of your audience’s preferences. This connection to the community helps them create a website that resonates with your target market. When your web developer knows the intricacies of your region, from the small-town charm to the local events that drive traffic, they can tailor your website’s tone, language, and imagery to match your business’s true personality.
A website farm, on the other hand, is often located in a different state or even a different country and does not have an understanding of your community. Your website may well completely misrepresent who your business is and what you offer simply by using imagery and text that do not appear to be your community. The website farm will not know about community traditions, landmarks, events etc and can therefore not represent you as an active member of the community.
Authentic Representation of Your Business
A local web developer takes the time to get to know your business. They’ll work with you to understand your brand values, goals, and vision for the future. This collaboration results in a custom-built website that authentically represents who you are and what you offer.
Website farms, however, typically rely on pre-built templates and cookie-cutter designs that don’t account for your business’s uniqueness. The end result is often a site that feels disconnected from your business and may fail to engage your audience meaningfully. Do you use conversational language or polished, “big city” language when you speak to a prospect? Do you work with a team of seven people in business suits or are you a sole proprietor who is often found in jeans and cowboy boots? A web farm may lose the authenticity that you have by using stock templates and verbiage.
Customized Content Over Stock Images
Images play a crucial role in making a website stand out. Local web developers often work with professional photographers or use your actual business photos, capturing your products, services, and team in action. If need be, they can find stock images but since they know you and your community, the images they find will be more appropriate and representative of your business.
Website farms, by contrast, frequently use stock images that don’t reflect your business at all. Your potential customers can often spot these generic images, and this may lead them to question whether they’re seeing the real you. For example, do you work out of your home or a high-end office space? Do you have a local storefront or a large shopping center in a mall? Are you a real estate professional who specializes in Colorado ranchland or Florida beachfront? It is not uncommon to see the same stock photos being used on a competitor’s website further diluting your brand’s uniqueness. We’ve even seen obviously foreign locations featured as “local” places.
SEO Tailored to Your Local Market
Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for helping your website rank higher in search results. A local web developer understands the nuances of local SEO and can optimize your website for your specific geographic region. They know which keywords are popular in your area and how to optimize for services that people in your community are searching for.
Website farms may use basic SEO practices but often miss the mark when it comes to targeting your local audience. Their broad, generic approach fails to capture the specific needs of your community, meaning you could lose out on potential customers who are searching for local businesses like yours. They may optimize your website for general terms like “shoes” but miss the more specific and important ones like “bedazzled high heels” or “business cowboy boots”.
Ongoing Support and Personalized Service
When you work with a local web developer, you’re building a relationship. They’re not just designing your website and walking away—they’re there for you when you need updates, technical support, or changes down the line. You may meet in the produce section of the grocery store but you can also schedule time to meet face-to-face, discuss your ideas in person, and rely on ongoing, personalized service during normal, local business hours.
In contrast, website farms tend to have limited, often impersonal support. Their business model relies on high-volume, low-touch interactions. This means that once your website is launched, you might find it difficult to get the help or customization you need. You’ll likely end up in a ticket queue waiting for responses, often at strange hours of the night, from an ever-rotating team of overseas support staff, none of whom have a vested interest in your success.
Flexibility and Customization
Local web developers offer flexibility in terms of design, functionality, and growth. They build your website with your long-term business goals in mind, providing room for future updates and expansions as your business evolves. Whether you need a custom feature or a complete redesign down the road, your local developer is there to help.
Website farms, however, operate on a rigid, templated system. They might offer some customization, but it’s often limited to simple color or font changes. If you need more complex features or want to evolve your website over time, you’re stuck within their limited framework—or worse, forced to incur unreasonable expense to make your website fit your business. Frequently, the template websites built by web developer farms use rigid content frameworks and obscure plugins or themes that nobody else uses, that will necessitate a significant rework if you want to go further than what the original template was made for.
Your Business Deserves a Personal Touch
Your website is often the first impression people have of your business, so why settle for something generic? Hiring a local web developer who understands your community, knows your audience, and can deliver a customized, authentic site is a better investment in the long run. It’s not just about having a website—it’s about having the right website that reflects your brand and helps your business grow. So, skip the cookie-cutter website farms and choose a partner who truly cares about your business’s success.
The team at Wild Iris Marketing is ready to assist you with your website. We are happy to meet over a cup of coffee to discuss your needs and what you need in the perfect website for your business!