You know the value of having a web presence for your business – but you can’t afford to register your domain, find a host and hire a designer. Two of the three are must-haves – and it’s not the web designer. If you hire an agency to design and build your entire site, it can be very expensive. Luckily, there are tools you can use to build a professional website yourself.
First things first, you’ll need to find a web host and register your domain. Look for a web hosting company that will provide you with plenty of space and support. Shop around, web hosting companies offer many different prices and different packages. You can usually pay monthly or for an entire year. Just start with the most affordable web hosting option. As a small business, you probably won’t need more space. The exception would be if you’re interested in selling your products online. Then you’ll need an ecommerce host. Many hosts will also include your domain registration. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to shop around for a registration service, too.
Once you have your domain and registration taken care of, you’ll need to consider how to approach your web design. The easiest way to get a professional-looking site is to hire a professional, but if you can’t afford one, these are good alternatives.
HTML/CSS
If you’re familiar with HTML and CSS, you can code your site yourself. If you don’t have great graphic-creating abilities, consider hiring a design student to make your graphics for you. The project will look great in his or her portfolio, and you’ll get custom artwork for your site.
This is the most cost-effective solution for small businesses because the actual design doesn’t cost anything except time – but if you’re the business owner, you’re already putting in a large amount of time anyway. This will give you full control and allow you to take advantage of the most features. However, if you’re unfamiliar with writing HTML and CSS, it can take a while to learn to build an entire site so it will be more efficient for you to consider a template.
Templates
Instead of coding your site yourself, you can use templates. Purchase high-quality themes and add those to your site. You can also download free templates and customize them with minimal HTML and CSS. Keep in mind that most free templates look generic. If you don’t have any HTML or CSS abilities, you may want to look for a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor instead of using a free template. You could also learn basic HTML and CSS to customize your template.
WYSIWYG
Some web hosting companies offer WYSIWYG. Even if you have no knowledge of HTML and CSS, you can use one of these to build a professional website. Keep in mind that WYSIWYGs may not have all of the capabilities and features of templates or building it yourself. For someone with an exact idea of what they want, a WYSIWYG might be a frustrating option.
With any of these options, you can get a great looking site without investing a lot of money. Keep in mind that when your business grows, hiring a professional might be more feasible. Your website may not look exactly the way you want it to, but it will look good enough to attract your first few customers.
Originally posted on July 18, 2013 @ 12:43 pm