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
1.
DIY (design it yourself), usually using software
such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage.
2.
Pay someone else to design it.
3.
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.
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