Not sure what's involved in getting a web site started? Well,
there are really only three ways to go about it. In this
article, I'll provide an objective review of the strengths and
weaknesses of each approach.
(a) The DIY solution: Create and maintain your web site yourself
by using software such as Microsoft FrontPage or by writing the
HTML directly.
(b) The half-n-half solution: Have an external party create the
web site. You then do the regular updating of the site yourself.
(c) The full outsourcing solution: Have an external party create
and update the site.
(a) THE DIY SOLUTION
ADVANTAGES * This is the cheapest solution. You don't need to
pay any fees to consultants. * If you enjoy being creative this
could be an enjoyable and rewarding activity. * You'll have
complete control over your web site's "look and feel." * There's
no chance of a consultant handing you a site that isn't what you
wanted.
DISADVANTAGES * DIY sites often look amateurish. This can turn
away customers. * DIY sites often have poor navigation controls.
In a well-designed site, the user should be able to find what
they want in seconds. Achieving this is not as easy as it
sounds. * You'll need to obtain some suitable software and then
spend time learning how to use it -- perhaps a lot of time. *
You will need to learn the arcane secrets of effective META
tags, JPEG compression, browser compatibility, FTP clients,
loading speed and more if you want the site to perform well.
SKILLS NEEDED * Patience: This will all take time. * Good PC
skills; e.g. a familiarity with both text and graphics
applications. * Technical skills or the willingness to acquire
them. * Graphic design and page-layout skills.
(b) THE HALF-N-HALF SOLUTION
ADVANTAGES * You'll need far less technical knowledge. * The
graphic design, page layout and navigation elements of the site
will all be done for you thus avoiding many of the pitfalls that
strike amateur designs. * A consultant will probably produce the
site faster than you can. * If you have the skills (and the
desire) to update the site yourself, this may be the best
trade-off between price, speed and professionality.
DISADVANTAGES * You'll still need to have (or learn) some
technical skills, but not nearly as many as with the DIY
solution. * Consultant's cost may be hundreds of dollars even
for a small site. Larger sites will cost more, of course. * You
run the risk of the consultant not providing the design that you
were looking for. * Major changes or upgrades to the site will
probably need to be done by the consultant. * When you update
the site yourself you risk "breaking" something or just "messing
it up."
SKILLS NEEDED * Some technical skills or a willingness to
acquire them. * The ability to liaise with the consultant about
how you want the site to look and what you want it to achieve.
(c) THE FULL OUTSOURCING SOLUTION
ADVANTAGES * You are not required to spend time and effort
learning technical skills that other folk already know and
(let's be honest here) can probably do better. * This requires
the least effort on your part. * A consultant will produce the
site faster than you can. * This should produce a professional
looking site that navigates easily, loads quickly, is compatible
with all browsers and works well with search engines.
DISADVANTAGES * This is the most costly solution. * You have
less control over the content of the site.
SKILLS NEEDED * The ability to liaise with the consultant about
how you want the site to look and what you want it to achieve.
CONCLUSIONS Choosing between these solutions comes down to two
main issues: your budget and your skills. If you have the skills
needed (and the free time), you can save yourself hundreds of
dollars in consultants' fees. If not, consider bringing in a
consultant to design the site for you and, perhaps, to do the
updates as well.
About the author:
Tim North info@scribe.com.au http://www.scribe.com.au/ebooks.htm
