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Can you build your own website?

/ marketing, small business, web design, web development, websites / By

We need a website but we don’t have the budget for what we need. What can we do?

We hear you. New business. Small marketing budget. It’s a dilemma for small business owners or startups.  But you need to be able to market your business. And the most efficient way to do that is with a website.

The Cost of a New Website

Generally, you can expect to pay a minimum of $6,000 for a standard 6-10-page professionally designed  website. No e-commerce.
But what if you can’t afford that?
You have some options:
  • You could build your own…. if you know enough about coding.
  • You could use a platform like SquareSpace or Wix which makes it easier for non-professionals to create a website 
  • You could take a class to learn web design…if you have the time.
Odds are it will look like you built it rather than the professional look you’re aiming for. So one more option:
  • You COULD opt for a customized template.
Since we believe an amateur website does more harm than good, we recommend the latter. And of course hiring us to build your site.

Why, you ask, should you pay us to build a site that uses a theme?

Simple answer.
Even when we work with a theme, we’re still using our design chops (well, Iris’s).
And a designer brings skills to the table that you don’t have. Unless you’re a designer.

The Benefit of Working with a Designer.

Among other skills, a designer knows how to:
  • customize a theme so your site doesn’t look like it started with a template.
  • customize navigation so visitors can easily find what they‘re looking for. 
  • use plugins for added functionality.
  • Introduce a custom color palette and fonts that make your product or service shine.
  • work with a developer to customize additional features (think popup boxes, CTAs, forms, contact pages, etc).
  • suggest  other options you never thought of.
The benefit to you opting for a professionally designed custom template?  Considerable savings since we’re not building a site from scratch.
Take a look at EdgeIQ one of the sites we built using a WordPress theme which we customized.

Other concerns if you’re building your own website.

Let’s play Devil’s Advocate. Suppose you decide to build your own website. What do you need to know?

Concern #1: We’ve heard about websites crashing due to bad themes that aren’t updating.
WAGW: Make sure you buy your theme from a reputable company with lots of users. Satisfied users.

Concern #2:  How do we know which webhost to use?
WAGW:  Same way you research themes. Read reviews to see what people are saying about the various hosting companies. Look for one that’s robust, dependable and keeps you informed about updates.

Concern #3:  What about email setup? Which email program should I use?
WAGW: Hopefully you have an IT person who can help with that.

Concern #4:  How do I coordinate all these moving parts?
WAGW: Spreadsheets are great for keeping track of all the elements you need to complete a site.

More complicated than you expected?

Don’t forget that you still need to write the site content and do SEO (search engine optimization).

That’s why people hire professionals to design and build websites.

The time you’ll save by hiring experts is the time you’ll free up to do what you’re good at. Refining your product, service or sales process. Hiring an assistant or an intern. Marketing your business.

The tasks for a small business owner are endless. Smart entrepreneurs delegate whenever they can.

Read more about marketing your business.

7 easy-to-implement tips designed to help you stay top of mind with clients.

Why marketing matters more than ever

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