Need a website - DIY or pay someone?

[Rids64]

I am in the process of setting myself up as a freelance/sole trader and part of that process involves creating some sort of website. Unfortunately I have spent the last 20+ years employed by companies with their own separate IT depts. and consequently have no real idea what I should be doing.

I will not be offering any e-commerce, the site will be purely explaining what I do and to contact me for further information (the services will be bespoke). I would want to be adding testimonials once they start coming in.

Is this something I could do with one of the many free templates available, or would that prove to be a false economy and I would be better off paying someone to design something? Maybe a package that involves design/hosting/SEO?

[Simpo Two]

Depends how good you are at (a) tecchy stuff (b) graphic design, copywriting and possibly photography.

Have a go and see if you like what you create. If you don't, get a man in.

[DSLiverpool]

If your serious about your new business then make the (probably) first point of contact for a potential customer to be one that conveys your quality and professionalism.

Also a pro will set up the tech SEO within the build, you wont do as good a job.

[MrOrange]

WordPress.com - sorted in an hour or so. If you're a Freelancer that should be all you need.

[DSLiverpool]

Its generally the quality of images and speed to load that a DIY site fails on, also as I said before the ingrained SEO is an acquired art.

[Simpo Two]

DSLiverpool said:

Its generally the quality of images and speed to load that a DIY site fails on, also as I said before the ingrained SEO is an acquired art.

But do we think that a one-man band is ever going to win the SEO smoke/mirrors game? It might be better to have targeted advertising that leads people to your site. At least, it worked for me.

[sidicks]

I would have thought that a weekend spent using the (simple) templates on Go Daddy or SquareSpace etc would give you a respectable business in the short term at a very reasonable cost and you can consider a professional 'upgrade' if the business goes well.

Sidicks

[sc0tt]

Wix

[LDN]

Wix or https://about.me/ for a simple smart one page site.

Wordpress for something a bit more advanced...

[Frimley111R]

Pay someone, do not DIY it unless you know how to design a website. I've yet to see a good website from someone who has DIYed it.

[DSLiverpool]

Simpo Two said:

DSLiverpool said:

Its generally the quality of images and speed to load that a DIY site fails on, also as I said before the ingrained SEO is an acquired art.

But do we think that a one-man band is ever going to win the SEO smoke/mirrors game? It might be better to have targeted advertising that leads people to your site. At least, it worked for me.

Not SEO as in an ecommerce SEO but the ingrained "Wirral fencing contractor" type SEO you want Google to see that you are a fencing contractor based on the Wirral.

[maffski]

If you're going freelancing the whole premise of your business is it's better to pay a specialist (me) rather than do a half ad job yourself.

So if your website looks like you knocked it up yourself cos you don't think it's worth paying for a specialist to do a good job...

First thing is to decide if you actually need it. If so get it done properly.

[Rids64]

Thanks for all the replies, interesting to see the wide variance in opinions.

My website will be my main marketing tool and I hope to attract clients on a global basis, it's beginning to feel like I need to get it done properly.

I appreciate this may be a 'how long is a piece of string' sort of question but any estimate on costs?

[DSLiverpool]

Rids64 said:

Thanks for all the replies, interesting to see the wide variance in opinions.

My website will be my main marketing tool and I hope to attract clients on a global basis, it's beginning to feel like I need to get it done properly.

I appreciate this may be a 'how long is a piece of string' sort of question but any estimate on costs?

Get three quotes, look at previous work and when you see something that appeals to you then try and emulate it. Paying for the best maggots gives you a better chance of catching the best fish.

[budfox]

Rids64 said:

Thanks for all the replies, interesting to see the wide variance in opinions.

My website will be my main marketing tool and I hope to attract clients on a global basis, it's beginning to feel like I need to get it done properly.

I appreciate this may be a 'how long is a piece of string' sort of question but any estimate on costs?

£500.00

[Leithen]

Take a look at Squarespace.

Good support and good designs at your fingertips. You really don't need to be an expert for something simple.

[jammy_basturd]

What services/products are you going to be offering?

[andy-xr]

Rids64 said:

Thanks for all the replies, interesting to see the wide variance in opinions.

My website will be my main marketing tool and I hope to attract clients on a global basis, it's beginning to feel like I need to get it done properly.

I appreciate this may be a 'how long is a piece of string' sort of question but any estimate on costs?

There's 3 possible routes you can take on this

1) You hire someone. They'll do it for £500 and charge you £x pa to maintain it, you either send them your updates for them to add, or they give you a login where you can add bits and pieces

2) You DIY it with some hosting from a decent company (Vidahost are good) a Wordpress template and a flat easy nice design. Cost will be about £50 for the template, £75/yr for the hosting

3) A premade site from a Wix type place

I'd go with option 2, only because I know it's easy to do and doesnt really require any partcular skills other than a bit of Google and some time.

If your plan is to use it as a referral piece from email or links that you're putting out, it doesnt need SEO. You can get Adwords on for pennies, and spend £50/month or so targetting specific things if needed. But Google and Google alone being your main source of traffic is dumb, you really want to have the site as a reference and a landing point for other activity you're doing rather than getting in search

Unless your new business is search, in which case that's a bit different and you need more help than anyone here would be reasonably expected to offer

[jammy_basturd]

It really depends on how much of a marketing tool you want the website to be.

If the sole purpose of the website will be to add some credibility to your business and as a basic web presence in case someone checks the URL on your business card, then by all means do it yourself.

If your products or services have to look great, high end design or aesthetics, etc, then you need to make sure your website conveys this also. If you don't think you can achieve this DIY, then start to look for freelancers who can help you ( ).

If you're going to be spending money on marketing to drive traffic to this website, what is going to make the most of that spend. No point in spending X hundreds or thousands a month in driving traffic to a site that then doesn't convert those visitors into paying customers.

I'd be inclined to agree with those that say go with a templated Wordpress site, but without knowing what services or products you're going to be offering, and to who, it really is just all guess work.

[buggalugs]

Leithen said:

Take a look at Squarespace.

Good support and good designs at your fingertips. You really don't need to be an expert for something simple.

Squarespace is a good shout, it's faster & simpler to get an above average looking result than Wordpress, if you don't need Wordpress's flexibility.

Try to change the templates as little as possible, unless you have design skills, as you will not make it better.

Consider sitting down for a meeting with an actual web & marketing company as soon as you're able as they will look at the website from a wider perspective as part of an overall marketing strategy.