Using free templates or a 'Do It Yourself' job may appear to be the way to go when first thinking about a website for your business. However in long run this may have a negative effect on your business.

For businesses your website is the face of your business on the internet. It will give your visitors an impression of what your business is like and how it operates. If a web site is designed poorly, looks un-professional or doesn’t work properly, your visitors may not choose to use your services because of this. A well designed site from a professional web designer can give your company the edge over your competitors by making your website stand out from the rest.

It is also important to keep your website up to date. Your website may have looked good a few years ago but trends and fashions are constantly changing and some websites can appear out-dated so it is best to bring your website up to speed with a fresh, new modern design to make sure that you don’t get left behind your competitors.
Some websites are not used to their full advantage. Having a website is a unique marketing opportunity for your business by allowing you write as much as you like about the services you offer. There is no point paying to advertise your site in adverts, leaflets etc. if the website does not contain any more information about the business.

Adding new features to your site such as contact forms, flash animations, photo's, video's can help. All of these features can help improve the website in terms of visual appeal and ease of use for your customers. However caution must be used as over use of animations can start to annoy your visitors, take people's eye away from what your website is trying to say or take too long to load which most people will not wait for.