Web Site Development - Small Business Owner Education Series - Part 3
Jargon - HTML
HTML is Hyper Text Markup Language. HTML is used to develop web pages. HTML will determine how text and items are displayed
in a browser.
Should I develop my own site or hire someone to do it for me?
In most cases, the answer to this question hinges whether or not you can write HTML. If not, I would suggest hiring someone to
develop your web site for you. It is possible to use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) HTML editors to create web pages but in most cases, those pages will not display correctly in different browsers. Most of the WYSIWYG editors favor Internet Explorer.
If you are comfortable with HTML, you have probably already made your decision. Good Luck and be sure to test your site in many different browsers. You don't want to lose a sale or business because your site looks terrible in Firefox or Opera! I am sure that most fall into the category of having to hire someone. Here are some recommendations:
- Hire someone don't let a friend do it. It is nice if you have a friend that can do the development for you but be aware that it could take quite some time before it actually gets completed.
- Try Freelancers! - Freelance developers will develop your site for very little in order to stay competitive. There are several freelance sites available today. One of the best I have seen so far is Guru.com. You can also try Contractedwork.com. Both sites offer free subscriptions for people buying services. The services are a reverse auction style service where you submit your project and providers bid on completing it for you. One thing to keep in mind is that you need to stay away from anyone that requires a complete up-front payment. It is standard for the providers to require a percentage up front since they are also at risk. After the initial payment, be sure to pay only after you can see completed work.
- Go Local - Check with your local chamber of commerce to see if they can recommend a web design/development company for you. Local is always the best. It is nice to be able to meet face-to-face even if it costs you a little extra.
- Know your price range - By this time you should have a pretty good idea of what you want on your site so you should be able to come up with a ball park figure for cost of development. Below are some average prices:
- Basic informational web site - 5 to 10 pages should be around $500.00
- Basic database driven web site should fall within $800-$2000.00
- Custom e-commerce web site will start around $2500
The most important thing is that you get several estimates and compare! Don't forget to ask about services included like on-going maintenance, etc. Those can really increase the value of the development. Shopping for a web developer can sometimes feel like buying a car. Sales people will often tell you that you "need" certain things when in reality you don't. If you are not sure, ask around.
Well, check back in a day or two for the part 4 of this series where we will discuss the pros and cons of Freelance designers and Web Design Companies.
Aaron Davis is the founder of PrayerChain Software, LLC. He has been a web/application developer for more than 12 years. His specialty is .NET development with C# and SQL Server. PrayerChain is about to launch their new site as well as Web Framework 2.0. PrayerChain Software develops custom application frameworks designed to aid in rapid web/application development. http://www.prayerchainsoftware.com