Articles > Beginners Guide > Web Design > Make a Website
Need A
Website? You Have 3 Options
by: Joel Walsh
When it comes to building a website, most individuals and small business owners
think you either have to do it yourself or hire someone to do it. Web builder
software is often the better option for this group by far.
Even if you're a seasoned web professional, you should know what web builder
software can offer private individuals and small businesses. Designers regularly
waste time fielding inquiries from small-time website owners who don't realize
the time, effort, and therefore cost involved in making a website from scratch.
Or your brain may be picked endlessly by a would-be developer. Recommending a
good web builder program is a great way to help this group--you can even
monetize these non-prospects by reselling web builder software or referring it
as an affiliate.
The 3 Web Design Options
DIY (design it yourself), usually using software such as Dreamweaver or
FrontPage.
Pay someone else to design it.
Use a "website builder" that includes everything you need and builds the website
based on a setup wizard that asks questions about your website goals.
Most people just stumble into one of these three options without really
comparing. In fact, if someone is even considering whether to try to do it
themselves, hire a pro, or use a website builder program, it's extremely likely
they really do need to start with a website builder program. After all, with the
small investment required by web builder software, you can easily decide to go
the DIY or professional design route later. But the money and time spent on
professional services or DIY cannot be un-spent.
If you don't have the web design skills that would lead you to make your own
website without questioning, or the budget to hire a designer just as easily,
your time, money and other resources are probably better spent on other aspects
of your website--such as promoting it, planning it, or getting content for it.
Website Options Comparison: Cost
: Cost of software (Dreamweaver, the most popular, runs about $300) + many hours
of your life--what is your time worth?
Web Designer: $500-$5000
Website Builder: $100-200 (if a software package); $15-40/month (if a
subscription service)
Time
DIY: Depending on your skill level, a week to a few months.
Web Designer: A few weeks till completion (but little time on your part).
Website Builder: Five minutes to an hour (depending on how much you want to play
with the options).
Graphic Design: Most people who build their own websites use graphic design
templates, or at least ready-made graphics. But there's still the problem of how
to bring the elements of the design together into an attractive whole.
Web Designer: If you want to be taken seriously, a graphic designer will go a
long way. Still, many people manage to sabotage the designer's work with too
many demands. Also, some designers are really programmers rather than graphic
designers, and will use templates anyway. In the end, though, the biggest
drawback is cost: graphic designers can do it better, but can you afford them?
Website Builder: The advantage of a website builder over DIY templates is that
the builder will save you the time of coding the website to stitch all the parts
together.
About the author:
Joel Walsh recommends you check out
http://www.ezgenerator.com/
