Websites and Houses - Part 2 of 3

Posted 01/24/11

The first installment of websites and houses covered the differences between Domains and Hosting. I wrote that because I often have clients who are unsure of what those two terms mean. You don't have to have a domain or hosting plan purchased before hiring a designer. I would recommend waiting on securing hosting until you've spoken with your web designer. But domains are cheap and easy to register, so go ahead and snag one if you have one in mind.

Now, let's get down to the business of building a website. Just like when building a home, you need to know what style, size and upgrades you want (and can afford) and who you want to build it for you. This article will cover some useful tips for pre-build homework that you can do before having a website made. The next installment will cover the choosing a designer part.

Most likely you will be hiring a designer (like me) to build your website. Just like in home building the average person doesn't have the skills or the time to devote to building their own website. Before you hire a designer, it's a good idea to know what you want to accomplish going in. Just like when you're house hunting, you should have a lists of "must haves" and a list of "nice to haves" that you could possibly do without if they cost to much. You probably already know what you can afford to spend on your website, but if you don't now is a good time to think of your budget. You can expect to spend at least a $1000 for a very basic website unless you have a friend or family member doing the work for you.

The bigger your website, the more expensive it will be. Just like the bigger the house, the more it'll cost. A website with a lot of detail work will cost more as well. If you're trying to keep your costs down decide on a simpler design and less bells and whistles. You're not going to be able to get granite counter tops with a laminate budget and you're probably not going to be able to get a website that looks high-end for a few hundred dollars. Remember, you can always add and change websites down the road. Adding additions to a website is much easier than adding additions on to a house. But please, for the love of cupcakes, do not choose a Flash website. That will completely negate what I just said.

Take a look at websites you like. Take a look at websites you hate. Doing this will help you discover what style you want for your new website. Find a website that closely matches in function the website you need. Use this as a guide for the types and number of pages you will need. Write a list of the pages you want. Order them by priority. Asking yourself questions like, "Do I need a blog or do I just want a blog? Will I really keep it updated?" is a good way to weed out unnecessary (and costly) pages. Just like I might really want a wrap-around porch, without unlimited funds, I can do without one.

Once you've figured out what pages you want, figure out what's going on them... otherwise you're just going to have a bunch of empty pages. Just like you'd fill empty rooms with furniture, your website pages will need content. This might range from a logo, product photographs to written copy. Most likely your designer will not be able to provide you this content, or will charge you extra. Also, be prepared (if you're getting a Content Management System) to "move" or input the content into the website. This can be time consuming. Having all this content ready to go before hiring a designer will save you time and money.

Once you know what type of website you need, what your priorities are, what your wants are and what is going into the website, think of a launch date. Just like move-in dates are important considerations with house shopping, launch dates can dictate the price of a website. If you need a website launched in 5 business days, you can expect to pay a rush fee. If you can wait several months, you might be able to get a discounted rate.

Next up, picking a designer; what to look for and what to run from.

Websites and Houses - Part 1 of 3

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