As I was scrolling the web this morning, enjoying my morning coffee, I came across this article from Entrepreneur.com that gives a brief overview of website development options and costs associated. It was on point for the most part, but if you know me, you know I have to put my two cents in!

I talk to multiple business owners every day, and am on a constant quest to help find solutions for their marketing needs. MY job is to make sure business owners get the return on their marketing investment – and keep on growing. I see time and again where business owners think they’ve found a low cost solution, but it’s not necessarily the right solution. By the end of the project they are tired, frustrated, and then they finally call me.

I’m not saying you should never DIY your own website – I’m just saying take the time to really look into all of your options.

Here’s a few things to consider:

1. Do you have hours to invest of your time in figuring out how to build the website?

For a free site, you can pretty much rest assured in-person help from the company is highly unlikely, and other support is probably limited. Most of the “free” web builder companies do have support blogs, or people out there blogging about how-to build your own website with the programs mentioned. But you’ll have to wade through all of that. Or hire someone to do it for you.

2. Do you have professional, unique graphics and photography for your website?

It’s a proven fact that professional graphics and professional photography increase sales. These factors are imperative to a successful web presence. Pix-elated pictures, fuzzy and ill-designed graphics scream cheap. If cheap is not the word you want associated with your product, you may need to look into options of how to fix this. You may be surprised at the cost – professional design and professional photography does not have to be incredibly expensive. But, it is an investment, and it pays off in the long run!

3. What about optimization? Is your site optimized so it can actually be found online? How?
Don’t just accept a simple “yes” or “no” answer here. Your web design company should be able to explain this part. And you should see results in 6 months.

4. For the “free” sites, make sure to do your research as to what costs are really involved. As the old saying goes, nothing in life is ever truly free!

Do you need help figuring out which solution is best for your business? Call us! (912)536-4898. We’ll do a free consultation to help you make sure you are making the best decision for YOUR business!

UP Market Media, Inc. is a digitally-focused marketing agency in Statesboro, GA. We provide web design, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, digital display targeting solutions, social media solutions, graphic design and branding, and market planning to local businesses.