Websites are an essential part of any marketing effort today. You can’t start a modern business without an online presence, and your website is the core of that. Even a small local business needs a website to stay competitive. However, many business owners hesitate because they think it will be expensive.
High-quality websites have a high price tag, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here is a closer look at three essential parts of owning a website and doing it all on a budget.
Building the foundation
The beginning of building a website requires two things. One is the domain, which is your address on the internet. While it is possible to build a website on free platforms that supply everything from domain to design, that is not optimal for a business. Those services will have too much control over your website, and you won’t technically own it. You need to get an independent domain and hosting if you don’t want future problems.
Fortunately, the most economical choice is to get both from one source. Several services out there offer both domain and web hosting for a reasonable price. Your focus should be on what features each service offers. For example, a simple information website about your business doesn’t need much. This situation allows you to choose the barest and lowest-priced option. However, if you plan an ecommerce website, you need to spend more. It is to secure any transactions and data that pass through the site. The decision will be up to you on which domain and hosting service to use.
Site design focus
With the foundation ready, you should then consider the design of your website. You have two choices when it comes to websites. One is to hire a website designer to do all the work. You still have to specify what you want, but it will mainly be expensive. Another option is to build the site yourself. This approach is cheaper but will require skills to pull off. Hiring a designer to do the work is a better option if you are in a hurry.
Besides who will do the design, there are other choices you need to make. Different websites have various features. For example, you might want your website accessible to individuals with disabilities. This can be a major undertaking. While you can launch the site now and use an accessibility overlay to add the necessary features, you’ll still need to do a lot of work. This includes changing colors so the color blind can see things, and adding keyboard access to the site which allows those who can’t physically use the mouse to access it. The overlay shouldn’t be permanent, but it should get you through the final design changes.
Affordable maintenance
Once you have everything set up for your website, you should also consider maintenance. You cannot leave it alone, or your website will become obsolete. The most affordable maintenance choice would be to have a freelance maintenance team oversee the site. The team can ensure everything is running right and it has constant updates.
Your website is the face that you present to the world. Therefore, ensuring that it looks good is a priority. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to spend too much on it. The advice above should help get you a decent website within your means. Start working on your website now to have a visible online presence.
