So You Want Your Own Business Website (SYWYOW): Where do you begin?

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I have met several local business people that either want or need a business web site beyond a brochure site. This post is aimed at those people so this category is not for techies per say but is a forum to discuss the client side of the business.

Let's assume the web client needs to be able to

  • Introduce Company and People
  • Provide contact information and previous work bonafides
  • Provider specific and detailed information about the products or services they provide to local clientele
  • Provide access so that company person can manage site's information
  • Show enough design thought that customers don't think someone's eight-year old just learned HTML

So why pay a programmer (like me) upwards of $60/hour for this. This is basically a web site builder. You can buy this for around $10/month with more features and designs than you need. What skills do you need to be able to do this yourself?

  • Able to use a computer browser
  • Able to type/edit on keyboard
  • Able to read and respond to email

The downside of this, and it's huge for any small business owner, is that now there is one more thing you need to take care of. Is it worth it to hire another person to do your typing when there are changes? Sure, but that's not a web programmer or web designer. That's usually called a secretary and they are inexpensive compared to a programmer. Always ask yourself are you hiring the right person for the job.

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