RSS FeedsWant A Website?: Your Quick Guide to Getting Started
Want A Website?: Your Quick Guide to Getting Started
There are several reasons to have your own website these days. Maybe you have a business and you want to promote your services or reach a worldwide client base. Maybe you’d like to showcase your photography, literature, art, or other work. Or perhaps your real interest lies in using a website to earn money through advertising and internet marketing strategies. Whatever your personal reasons may be, one question remains: how should you go about getting your own website? The answer to this question will not be the same for everyone. We’ll take a look at the options you have available to you and the questions you’ll need to ask yourself in order to make the best decision to fit your personal website needs.
Your Options
There exists three optional routes that can bring you to having your own website. The first of these is very time-consuming, it is to learn how to build and maintain your website on your own. This route is fitting for anyone attracted to the idea of eventually starting your own web development business or possibly performing freelance work as a web developer. However, developing these skills could take several years.
The second route available, a much shorter process, is to use a web design/development company’s services. This will allow you to incorporate a highly advanced design and an unlimited amount of web functionality. Your website could be completed and published online in a matter of months. The disadvantage here would be the price, which would increase with your website needs and most often ranges from $500 to $6,000+. To find out the kind of costs associated with your specific web needs you can visit the websites of various web design/development companies and you’d be sure to find a form that you can submit to request a free quote.
The third and final optional route, the quickest and cheapest, is to use an “easy as 1-2-3” website builder. These kind of service providers may charge as little as $5 a month. The way this “1-2-3” approach works is, first, you select a professionally designed pre-made template. Subsequently, you make changes to the website by adding your text, graphics, and logo, if you have one. Finally, you publish it, and there you have it–your very own website in a matter of minutes. However, as with anything, there is always a disadvantage–this approach is limited on both advanced web functionality and design.
Which Option is For You?
Now that you know what your choices are, there are some questions you will need to ask yourself in order to help you determine which of them is right for you.
You should be aware of your budget and ask yourself what amount of money you are aiming to spend and accordingly, what range of creative control on your website design you would be able to yield in exchange for saving time and money.
If you have a limited budget, you may want to use the easy and economical “1-2-3″ website builder approach. Although, if you are not willing to negotiate complete design control, the only option you are left with is to take the time to hunt down the more suitable deal with numerous web design/development companies.
You will need to ask yourself what kind of functionality you need your website to have. For example, will you be requiring an email sign-up form or perhaps blogging capabilities? Again, if you do not find yourself concerned with cost, you would be better suited to take the option of going to a web design/development company. But, if you’re concerned with cutting costs, you can first decide whether or not a “1-2-3″ website builder can meet your web needs. These days it is even possible to handle an online store using a simple website builder. It is best to do some investigation into the capabilities of a website builder rather than making assumptions it’s limitations.
As with anything, you always have the option to learn how to make a website on your own. If you have the time and will to put in the effort, this can also prove to have a great return. Obtaining these skills can allow you to turn into a freelance web developer, get signed on to work with a web design/development company, give you that technical advantage that any company is looking for in a potential employee, receive money with advertising on your websites, and more.
Whether you want to obtain new skills, give your business a web presence to boost sales, or just have the freedom to post your content, having a website can open up many opportunities for your venture. Take the time to recognize your requirements and select the most reasonable approach to satisfy your website purpose.
