Ways to Save Money on Websites

Ways to Save Money on Websites

We'll give you insider tips on how to save money on creating and changing your website to keep it up-to-date and attract more visitors.

We're starting the conversation. Give advice on how to save money on a website. And read what other people say by using the tabs on this page. The MarketingZone Editors will use this input to continuously update this article.

Tips for saving money on a website

Use a template or tool
- These are designed for people who aren't computer programmers. If you can use a word processing program, you can learn how to use these tools.
- A huge benefit and cost savings of doing this is that you will be able to update, add to and delete web pages yourself without having to pay a website designer or agency.
- Templates for Marketing explains the pros and some cautions to be aware of.

Free options
- If you need to get a website out there for the least amount of money possible, then use one of the free blogging platforms like WordPress or Blogger. They're designed for bloggers who post frequently, but they can certainly be used to create a professional-looking site. They offer hundreds of templates and "plug and play" features that you can easily insert. Best yet, it's free and there are no hosting fees. You will need to register your domain name (website address) and configure it to point to the site. The downside is these blogging tools aren't designed to be easy to navigate.
- Google also offers a free site builder tool. We haven't used it yet. It appears to have lots of pre-set templates that have been contributed by users, and a WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") editor to let you build pages. If you've used it, please give advice or add a comment below to share your experience with the rest of the MarketingZone community.

Use a template that's part of software or a website service. Nearly every do-it-yourself website application offers hundreds of templates, and some of them you can even configure to include your logo and colors.
- How to Create a Website Yourself reviews the options for software and companies that offer templates as part of their service.
- Top Suppliers for Creating Your Own Website lists the top suppliers and their costs.

Know this: With any of these options, you'll need to select and register a website address and figure out how and where to host your site. Hosting is like "renting space" so your website will appear online.

Shop on price when you can (but know when you shouldn't)
- Domain name registration is a commodity, so find the best price and buy there. Then move to an appropriate host. This article might help: How to Register a Domain Name (website address)
- If the domain name you want is already owned, try and find another name that you can buy rather than buying from a private seller. These "resellers" always charge a premium (in some cases a very large premium). If you do decide you want to try and purchase from a reseller, consider working with a service that specializes in this and can act as your agent.
- Only pay enough to host the site you have. If you have a simple site, your hosting costs should be very low. If your site is large, has a lot of visitors, or is an ecommerce site, you'll need to pay more. Keep in mind the really inexpensive hosts ($3.99 per month) are not a good choice because they likely don't offer the support or performance you'll need. Learn more in the MarketingZone article Website Hosting.

Look for package deals that include your domain, hosting, and access to a website development tool. The article Top Website Hosting Suppliers lists some of these "one stop shops."

Know this: Always confirm that the provider you go with for a self-serve website development application has sufficient customer service to meet your needs. Confirm their hours, and method of communication (some may only provide support via email with a 24-hour turnaround ... not very helpful).

Leverage existing design elements. If you have marketing materials already made, then have your designer "lift" individual graphic elements for you so that they can become part of your website image library.
- Tips on Website Design, Navigation and Structure
Use stock photography and graphics
- There are thousands of images to choose from, all at very reasonable costs.
- Top Stock Photography Suppliers can help you find photos and graphics available for purchase. Remember to purchase only the "web" version and rights. This will be the least expensive.
Use Google. They have set the bar for user-friendly, accessible and free tools.
- Marketing with Google
Write your website articles and text to avoid paying a copywriter
- Writing for Websites will give you tips on writing effective website copy.
Use Google Analytics
- It's a best-in-class (and free) tool you can attach to your website to analyze what sites people are coming from before they enter your website and how people are moving around within your site. See Web Analytics.
If you will be hiring a website designer or a developer:
- Do as much of the legwork as you can on your own. Plan your content, find a number of sites that appeal to you, and be extremely prepared when you do bring in expert help.
- Look for a freelancer. They'll be much more affordable than an agency. This article might help: Best Sources for Marketing Freelancers
- Consider going offshore. If you've got the nerve and the inclination, you can save a lot of money by using "offshore" resources for web development. These are generally people in countries like India, China, Singapore, or even Argentina where labor is far less expensive. The risk is they may charge less per hour but may take more time to get the job done because of communication issues and your time to specify exactly what's required.

Know this: Whatever you spend in time and money to create your website, it won't be a worthwhile return on your investment unless you get visitors and customers. Many small businesses rush to get a website online and think the Internet works like the phone book. It doesn't. You need your website to be "found" by people searching and that requires what's called SEO (search engine optimization) and other activities to attract website visitors. How to Increase Website Traffic (visitors) explains how to do this.

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