Get our Newsletter!Although websites are the easiest way to attract new customers to your business, roughly half of the small businesses in our country do not have a website. That’s an amazing statistic considering how many people use the Internet to connect with friends and search for products/services in their local area.
Over the past two years I have developed a number of websites for small businesses in my area. When I ask why they never had a website, the excuse I hear most frequently is that websites cost too much.
To be fair, many small business owners have a hard time finding the extra money to build a website — particularly nowadays with the bad economy.
So what are your options?
Option #1: Build the website yourself.
Domain names and web hosting are pretty cheap, and most personal computers come with do-it-yourself software. You own a business. Building a website can’t be that hard… right?
The problem with this approach is that you probably don’t know what you’re doing. Do you buy a Linux or Windows hosting plan? Do you need PHP or .NET support? Do you even know what HTML is?
Assuming you even get the website up and running… how can you be sure if it works in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and every other web browser?
More importantly – will it look professional? Your customers will judge your business when viewing your website, so you definitely want to make a good impression.
Option #2: Contact a web design firm.
Web design firms obviously have the resources and experience to build your website. The problem is that they’re expensive. (Can you afford to spend $5000 or more right now? I definitely can’t.)
Web design firms have to charge higher prices in order to cover their operating costs (salaries, benefits, utilities, etc). They will also try to sell you features or services you don’t need; things like Flash intros, Search Engine Optimization, and a slew of other things. They’ll even charge monthly maintenance fees on top of their development costs.
Although it’s true that those extra services are worth something (Search Engine Optimization helps your website appear at the top of the search engine listings), the fact is that most small businesses don’t really them. Will a cool Flash video on your homepage make your customers say “Wow”? Maybe. Will that video influence them to buy your product or service? The answer is almost certainly “no”.
Option #3: Hire a freelance developer.
Freelance developers are often the best choice to build a website for your small business. We have the necessary experience it takes to write the code and the knowledge to help you make informed decisions. Our prices are much more affordable than web design firms because we have virtually no financial overhead.
Some freelancers even accept bartered services… it’s win-win! (Note: be prepared to offer something worthwhile.)
Some things you should consider.
At this point, you’re probably leaning towards hiring a freelance developer. But if you’ve never worked with a freelancer before, there’s a few things you should know:
- Freelancers won’t work for peanuts. Just because we charge less than design firms doesn’t mean you can get a quality website for $50. We are experts in our field, so expect to pay a fair price (or barter for equal services).
- Freelancers don’t work for you 9-5. Many freelancers have regular jobs, so be prepared to meet with your freelancer on nights or weekends.
What are your thoughts?
In case you haven’t figured it out yet… I’m a freelance developer! I’d like to think that I’m not too biased, but I want to know what you think.
Have you ever worked as a freelancer? If so, what was your approach to working with small businesses?
Have you ever hired a freelancer? If so, what was your experience like?
