Getting Started: Which Option Is Best For You?

OK. You’ve just come up with the perfect idea for a website and you’re all jazzed and ready to put it up on the web.  Now comes decision time.  Just how are you going to turn this idea into a bright and shiny new website?  Well, you really only have three options.  You can hire a designer to build it for you.  You can use one of the many “site designer” packages out there.  The third option is doing it yourself.  Obviously, if you’re reading this site, option three is probably where you’re leaning, but let’s just see if that would be your best choice.

OPTION 1 – HIRE A DESIGNER.  This is an option that a lot of new aspiring webmasters choose.  After all, it’s easier to hire out the technical stuff so that you can concentrate on writing your content.  Let’s look at a few of the pros and cons.

PROS: 

• It’s a lot less work for you.  (At least, it should be.)
• You will probably have your site more quickly because the designer has done this before and doesn’t have the “learning curve.”
• The site should have a very professional look and feel.

CONS:

• This is usually the most expensive option.  Having even a small site custom built, can cost hundreds of dollars.  I know because I’ve been known to build sites for other people 
• You’re at the mercy of your designer’s schedule.  If your designer is sick or on vacation, you’re not getting any updates.
• You never learn how to do it yourself in case an emergency need should ever arise.

OPTION 2 – USE A SITE BUILDER.  There are many great site builders out there.  Perhaps the best known is SBI – Site Build it, but there are others.  Let’s examine this a little closer.

PROS:

• They usually have an automated system so you can build a site without having to learn coding in-depth.
• You can control the look and feel of your site, without having to try to relay your vision to a designer.
• You can make updates whenever you want.
• Many site builders have features to help you with site promotion as well.

CONS:

• Many of these site builders are still more expensive than the do-it-yourself option.
• Since most site builders use GUI (Graphical User Interfaces), you still don’t get experience editing the basic code yourself.  Should the site builder service be down, you’re out of luck.
• In many cases, you are limited in your layout to whatever stock layouts the service happens to offer.

OPTION 3 – BUILD IT YOURSELF FROM SCRATCH.  This is the option for the hearty souls out there. 

PROS:

• You have complete control over the look and feel of your site.
• It’s usually less expensive than the other two options, at least in terms of initial out-of-pocket expenses.  Of course, the learning curve and “incidentals” may eat into this, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
• You get a feel for the actual inner workings of the site, thus you are able to make updates when you choose. 

CONS:

• There is a learning curve.  Even if you are building a simple HTML site, there can be a substantial time investment in learning proper HTML coding.  If you get into forms, javascript, ASP, PHP, etc., your learning curve increases.
• You are totally responsible for the look and feel of your site.
• The entire responsibility for promoting your site is up to you.

So, which option is best?  Well, that, my friend, depends on you.  There’s not right answer that is right for everyone.  It depends on many factors such as your budget, your available time, your desire to control every aspect of your website. 

Personally, I prefer the do-it-yourself option, but then again, I am a control freak.  Only you can decide which option will work best for you.