If you are starting a business, having an online presence is key in making sure you are advertising your brand to as many people as possible. Therefore a website is a valuable asset, especially in the digital era that we live in today. According to Pew Research, 93 percent of American adults use the internet, with many more on mobile and social media. In addition, if you plan to have an e-commerce store, investing in a reliable and fully functioning website is necessary to display products and have the ability to process transactions.
The big question is – should you pay for a website? This depends if you have a spending budget to pay developers. Also, how complex or simple do you want your website to be? A decision will usually stem from two options:
Top Shelf Design recommends hiring a web developer if you want a professional and thoroughly designed website. A web developer can take the laborious work of coding off your shoulders and cover other essential areas in the process, such as front-end development, hosting, and continued maintenance. However, with the many online tools available today, such as webpage builders, plugins, and templates, you can practically build a website in one day. To know if you can take on a web project on your own, research some of the top web page builders to see which one works best for you. Before you begin developing your website, it is a good idea to do some research on how to choose the right type of IT services.
Before deciding on the route you want to take on your web development journey, it’s important to determine what kind of website you need. For example, if it’s a personal blog or a small website, you can take on the challenge of creating it yourself. But if you have a very big idea in mind that seems more technical and that you think will require the assistance of a web developer, don’t hesitate to contact one. Usually, a good rule of thumb is the more complex and intricate the website is, the higher the need is for an experienced developer.
A simple website can be easy to create; it can have one to five pages of content, a contact form, and a few descriptions of a product or service. They can usually be done using templates from a webpage builder online. Afterward, you’ll need to create and select a domain name from a hosting provider, and you can go live the same day if you choose to.
A complex website is usually larger in scope in terms of page count. It can have multiple subpages, multiple categories of a product, specialized contact forms, custom plugins, and other features. Complex design may also require knowledge of coding. Knowing how to use HTML, CSS, and Javascript are essential.
Are you considering hiring a professional for your web project? One of the first items on your list to check off will be your budget. A budget will determine the scale of the website, such as how many pages, icons, graphics, colors, tools, plugins, and other features. You need to be reasonable with your web project and think if you need a web developer. Ask yourself how much money you are comfortable spending for a web development project, and then propose your project details to your developer (or web development company). If you think it’s too expensive to hire a web developer, you can try to learn the basics of web design and try to create one yourself.
You can take the alternative route and build a website on your own, there is no shame in doing so, and it can be really fun! Online webpage builders give you a headstart with the design process and encourage you to be creative with many templates to choose from. The good news is many modern webpage builders require little to no coding skills, so if you aren’t a coder by trade, that’s okay! You can be a beginner in web design and learn your way as you go. However, this doesn’t mean everyone can create a good website; there are skills and technical knowledge still needed to create a well-developed website from the ground up. Especially for companies and entrepreneurs that desire to sell online, hiring a professional web developer is highly recommended.
