The Benefits of Creating Your Own Website
And the Disadvantages of Hiring a Web Designer or Firm
Aug 10, 2008
There’s millions upon millions of websites on the internet and many individuals and businesses alike opt to create their own site for an array of reasons. Some websites are dedicated to commerce, while others are designed to provide information about a person, location, organization, group, cause or event. And then there’s personal websites, intended as a location on the internet to display information, writings, art, and photographs. Whatever the purpose, websites can serve as an invaluable tool in a world that’s increasingly technology-oriented.
An individual, group or business has two basic options when it comes to creating a new website. One option is to hire a talented web design artist or firm to create and manage a site, but this comes at a price. Precisely how much varies on the size, complexity and function of the site. A site designed to display photographs and text is relatively simple to create, while a website that includes archiving capabilities, e-commerce capabilities and other interactive tools can be quite time consuming to create. A moderately complex site will typically cost a couple of thousand of dollars to create. And then there’s the cost of maintenance; some firms charge as much as $95 per hour to update and maintain a website.
The other option involves creating a website on your own, utilizing one of the many HTML-free website design software programs that are available on the market today. There’s a few initial start-up costs associated with creating a new website, but in most cases, the entire website will cost less than $175 to create and maintain for the first year. After the site is developed, yearly maintenance costs average less than $75 per year.
“These days, it takes only basic computer literacy skills to create a website from scratch,” explained Alan Sparks, software designer, web developer and internet enthusiast. “There may be a few questions in the beginning during the creation process concerning hosting or domains, but once you work through that, it’s just a matter of learning the program that you’re using to create and maintain your site. And most of these programs are designed for use by the average person walking down the street.”
Another benefit to opting to create a website on your own is the ability to create the site in a manner that’s consistent with your vision, whereas design elements and vision can be lost and misinterpreted when working with another designer.
In addition, creating and maintaining a website in-house allows for frequent and fast updates and alterations to the site content. Sparks explained, “Website developers and firms charge by the hour for updates and alterations, and there is typically a one-hour minimum charge involved. So you can’t make a small change when the need arises – you have to wait until you have at least an hour’s worth of work in orders to get your money’s worth.”
When a relatively small change or update is necessary for a company, individual or organization that’s hired a website developer, the other option involves paying the one-hour minimum charge for one small update that takes just a few minutes to complete. Either way, it’s not conducive to the constant evolution of a website, which is necessary to keep the content fresh, current and competitive in the realm of the internet.”
In sum, creating a website without the help of a professional website developer or web developing firm can be rewarding and conducive to maintaining a dynamic, ever-changing website. But there’s a few instances where it’s beneficial to turn to the professionals, such as in the case of an individual or company that’s looking for a complex website design or when regular updates or alternations are not necessary.
“Each company, organization or individual’s website needs are different, but in many cases, it’s better suited to your needs and budget to create and manage the site in-house. Many people assume that hiring a website development firm is the best option, but that’s not always the case. Often, doing it on your own is the better route,” Sparks concluded.
Related Reading:
* How to Create Your Own Website
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