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/documents/167.html?%20web%20authoring%20software[Publish |
