Last week, I offered three reasons to give a Do-It-Yourself website builder a try. While many of the emerging builders perfectly fit the needs of business owners desiring a hands-on approach to the website design process, it’s not for everyone.

There are many reasons to consider going the custom web design route, especially if you have more complex needs and are willing to invest more resources into the overall process.

Without Further ado, take a look at three reasons to go the custom website design route:

1.) You don’t even want to entertain the thought of doing it yourself

Let’s face it. When the lawn needs mowing, you’d rather make a call to a landscaping company than head out there to start yanking on the mower chain. (I’m right there with you on this one…no judgment.) Just because you can do it yourself doesn’t mean you should.

More importantly, as a small business owner, spare time is likely something you don’t often encounter. I was talking with my hairdresser about the builder vs. custom route the other day and she said, “I have no idea where I would find the time in my day to do it. Besides, I’d rather be doing what I love…cutting hair.” Therefore, if you’re a person already pressed for time, custom is definitely your solution.

2.) You have some specific needs for your web design

Don’t get me wrong…website builder tools can meet the needs of many, but for those with specific needs, a custom design is the right choice.  Here are a few reasons why:

• You have a WordPress blog (or perhaps a Drupal or Joomla CMS) that you’d like to integrate into your website design
• You already have a shopping cart application, and want to carry it over to your new website design
• You’ve envisioned a website that has lots of advanced Flash applications
• You’d like to integrate a Pay-Per-Click campaign and need the help of a web design professional
• You need a custom database, or segmented log-in pages

3.) You’re not quite sure what you want…

If you know you need a website, but you’re having trouble envisioning the look and feel, tapping the creative mind of a professional is a very enticing choice. Or maybe you have a loose idea of what you want, but would like to see and hear some different options from a well-established web design professional. This is probably one of the biggest benefits when it comes to going the custom route, not to mention the SEO advantages that come along with seeking the expertise of a professional. P.S. If you’re looking for some inspiration to get your own creative juices in motion, this is a great place to start: www.smashingmagazine.com

Whether you go with a website builder tool like  Newtek SiteCenter, or opt for a custom solution, the fact is, there is a solution for everyone, and we’d be happy to help you.

We’d love to hear from you. If you just completed, or are in the process of completing a new website using a builder tool, do you have any tips to share? Same question goes out to those of you currently working with a custom web designer.

If you’re a loyal NPR listener, are married to your New York Times subscription or even a casual CNN viewer, you already know that small businesses are expected to be the underdog champions of the economic recovery.

As every small business owner knows, selecting the right merchant processing plan will weigh heavily on 2010 growth.

There are many merchant processing providers available to you, which is why it’s important to cut through the clutter quickly. In the interest of narrowing your options efficiently, we’ve identified five questions you need to prospective processing providers before making a decision:

1. How satisfied are your customers?
   If you’re looking for a long-term solution, this one is important. Don’t be afraid to ask for references from current customers, and search the potential provider’s website for testimonials. Your best advocates in this search are your fellow customers. And if you are handling the back-end aspect of your site yourself, or have a consultant doing it for you, these additional bonuses would be incredibly nice to have: a comprehensive developer library for quick troubleshooting and constant access to customer support (see #2 for more).

2. Will you be there for me 24/7/365?
   Many times, when things go wrong, they don’t happen between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you operate a 24-hour business and you experience a glitch at 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning, it’s essential that your provider be available 24/7/365 to you to help you through the issue promptly.

3. Are your rates competitive with other solutions?
   This is a tricky one as you need to search for the right balance when it comes to rates and fees. If fees seem excessively low, and it looks too good to be true, trust your gut because it probably is. On the flip side, for businesses traditionally viewed as “high risk” (those like travel and tourism businesses that rely almost exclusively on advanced booking), you’ll want to ensure you receive a fair assessment all the way down the line, from gateway fees to transaction fees. Look for a provider that will provide rates that can easily compete with most popular gateways, and ask if they’ll provide a complimentary cost analysis if you provide your statement. And above all, be leery of any provider that locks you into a contract or charges a cancellation fee, both of which are non-existent with Newtek.

4. Will your payment solution integrate easily with my website?
   Again, whether you’re handling the back-end yourself or have hired a consultant to do it for you, this one is incredibly important. If I had to guess, you (or your technical consultant) don’t have time to go looking around for documentation on integrating the payment solution into your custom shopping cart. Sign on with a provider that will readily provide access to web service support in .NET, PHP and more. (If any of these terms are foreign to you, you’re not alone. Click here.)

5. How quickly will I (or my client) have access to transaction funds?
   The goal of any ecommerce plan is to make the sale and see the funds hit your bank account, right? Before committing to working with any merchant processing provider, be sure to inquire about the speed of the process. With some providers it may take 4 to 5 days to see the funds hit, whereas many other programs (like NewtPay) deliver funds in as few as 48 hours. Cash flow is vital to any growth plan, so fund availability is an important factor to include in the decision-making process.

These five questions will help you find a solution that will inevitable become an integral piece of your growth plan in 2010. This list is in no way complete, but rather provides a baseline for early research. In your opinion, what other factors should be considered in identifying and implementing a merchant processing plan? Help us add to the list in the comments below…