The answer is of course yes. If you are starting out on your own you need a website, but you will not have the budget to build an expensive one. You may need to manage your own website expectations to ensure it is within budget. Here are a few ways you can have the website you want without breaking the bank.
1. Create a brief
This is important so that you clearly lay out what you want and do not want in your website. It does not have to be a large document, just clearly lays out your objectives of the website, the functionality which you can sometimes forget when you are in the middle of creating your site
2. Use off the shelf packages
It is not cheating if you use content management systems (CMS) like WordPress or Drupal. Personally, I would recommend WordPress as it is much easier to use than other CMS. Plus you will always be able to download the latest update so you do not have to worry about your website being out of date.
3. Keep it simple
You may want to have a fantastic website that has lots of images, videos and sharing widgets. You may also want a unique colour on your site, not one that other people have. Although this may sound good, it all makes it far more complicated and hence expensive. Choose a Pantone colour that already exists, that way you can easily recreate it off line as well, such as in a business card or any other marketing material. Use only a few relevant images, having too many on a website will slow the site down. If you want a video, don’t host it on your site, have a YouTube channel and host it there, just embed it on your website.
4. Hire graduates
If you really want to build a website from scratch, contact local Universities and ask them if they know any students who are studying web design if they want some experience working for you. Many students will have to complete a final year project as park of their degree in which they have to design and build a fully functioning website.
There are many affordable web design options out there in the market, you just have to look a bit harder to find them. Think out of the box, perhaps if you have time but little funds, work with the graduate developer you have hired. Or teach yourself how to use WordPress. There are many different themes you can use once you have got to grips with this CMS.
About the Author: The article is written by Jo Turnbull. For those in Australia, Snap provides affordable web design services throughout the country. They also offer affordable printing services in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Adelaide.