Just want a simple website… Any advice?
I recently received this email via my freelance website question/comment submission page and I thought I would share my response, as I get this alot.
Hi-FrontPage is frustrating me. Just want a simple website for my new business. I hate to waste my software, but can’t take any more time. I already have hosting & domain elsewhere. Any suggestions? Thanks!
My response:
Suggestions? Well that’s easy. I would recommend letting a professional handle your simple website for your new business.
Many small business owners today highly underestimate both the advantages of a well-constructed web presence and the difficulties involved in its creation. I believe this is because of a simple lack of precedent. What I mean is that leaving web development to professionals has not made it into the realm of “common knowledge.” In contrast, take something like construction. Rarely does a business owner decide that they need a small patio behind their building of business and immediately set off to home depot to buy concrete, a trough, 2×4’s and plywood for framing, etc. and then head back to attempt to pour the patio on their own. No, most business owners would hire a contractor for this job, as they do not have the necessary expertise to do the job themselves. This seems like good common sense.
For whatever reason, people seem to think that building websites is easy. It is not. Sure, you can get some words to show up on a screen. But then, I can simply pour a bunch of concrete on the dirt and call it a patio as well. That does not make it a good idea.
To put it mildly, FrontPage sucks. I quit using that software as a web development tool nearly a decade ago (I have been building websites since 1995).
I think it is good that you have decided not to waste any more of your time. Now, like you would with the patio job, you need to figure out what your requirements are and what the budget for the project is. I can build a $1200 site in a night or two. I have also been contracted out in the past for 6 month jobs – where the full payment was equivalent to some people’s annual salary. So you need to figure out what you are willing to spend on your web presence. Then I would get bids from several contractors and/or web development companies based on your requirements and your expected costs.
If all of this seems too heavy for your business, then it is probably a VERY small business, which is okay. I would just try to find a cousin or a nephew that perhaps has some skills in building web pages and have them do it for you. Or put an ad on craigslist to try and find a student who is learning to build websites. They are often eager to work on small projects for little money.
Hopefully some of this advice has been useful. Good luck!
Danyell
June 16, 2009 at 12:20 am
Good article.
There was one point I would disagree with though; I don’t believe that having a client determine their budget in advance is helpful.
In following with your patio analogy, it really doesn’t matter what your budget is if it’s not sufficient to cover the costs dictated by your requirements. That is, you can’t get a 12′x14′ patio for $50 just because you decide that’s what your budget is. On the other hand, you would almost certainly invite gouging (or even fraud) if you announced to contractors that you had a $20,000 budget for a patio and then asked them for an estimate.
Setting a budget in advance is okay for discretionary things like how much you intend to spend at the casino this weekend, but in a supply and demand market you should shop around for estimates that are based on the specifications and requirements for your website. Once you know the estimated costs, then you can compare those costs to your budget.
If, after securing a few estimates, you find that you cannot afford to have a website built the way you would like, then you may go back to consult with the people who gave you the estimates, and solicit their suggestions for ways to cut costs.
One additional point that I might make is that the references and reputation of the person giving out the estimate is of critical importance. If a developer cannot show you an active portfolio of completed projects or satisfied customers, then you have little assurance that your work will be completed. A low estimate does not translate into a savings if your website never gets completed or never functions properly.