| Most business owners today know that having a | | | | the help of a programmer. Some site builders include |
| web site is an essential component of marketing. In | | | | ecommerce, but they do not all do it the same way. |
| the past, the choices were to hire a professional web | | | | A few utilize PayPal (TM) - but not credit cards. |
| designer, hire a local teenager to create a site for | | | | Some use a particular credit card processing service |
| mall money, or learn to do it yourself. Often the last | | | | and won't accommodate anything else. The bottom |
| two options, which were the least expensive, were | | | | line is that it is important to look at sites that were |
| how small businesses had to go. The results are | | | | built using the tool you're considering and research all |
| often not what businesses need to grow, reach, and | | | | of the features that are included; to be sure that |
| impress new potential customers. | | | | everything you want to do is possible. |
| In the last few years, the options for small | | | | There is also a possibility that the service will require |
| businesses to get a site developed have changed | | | | you to keep some branding on the site telling people |
| dramatically. There are now sophisticated "site builder" | | | | that you used their tool. This is more common with |
| tools available to small business owners, bundled with | | | | the free site builders - which pay for themselves by |
| many web hosting packages. By using templates, and | | | | putting ads on your site. If your goal is to build a |
| a content management system to manage updates | | | | business web site, it's really not worth sacrificing your |
| to the site, it became easier to set up and maintain a | | | | professional image by getting something free, which |
| web site, and many development companies have | | | | screams CHEAP. |
| canned this functionality, for a fee. Hosting providers | | | | The biggest downfall to using a site builder and doing |
| are increasingly offering tools to automate the web | | | | it yourself is that it really isn't quite as easy as they |
| site building process, and with good reason. This new | | | | say it is, to do it right. A tool can make things happen |
| option has many benefits, as long as the business | | | | - but if you don't know what to make happen, it is |
| owner recognizes that there are trade offs and | | | | either a useless tool or a dangerous one. There is a |
| limitations to getting a web site this way. | | | | learning curve to knowing how to present information |
| One of the biggest attractions for site building tools is | | | | online, as well as for using the site builder. In other |
| the cost. It won't necessarily cost less to get your | | | | word, the fuller featured the tool; the more there is |
| site this way, but it does provide a way to spread | | | | to learn. If you aren't familiar with color theory, use |
| the cost over time. It still costs money - for | | | | of typography, information architecture, layout and |
| example, you can pay $50 per month for the next | | | | design, you can potentially make something that will |
| two years, or $1,200. But this cost very often | | | | hurt your business more than help it. So, unless you |
| includes hosting, and a domain name, along with a lot | | | | are already computer and web savvy, figuring out all |
| of features which would cost more individually, so it | | | | the features within your web hosting and site builder |
| really can save money. For a small business wanting | | | | package can be time consuming and frustrating. |
| ecommerce, it can be even more attractive because | | | | Fortunately, there are ways that a small business can |
| to have a custom built, full featured e-commerce site | | | | take advantage of these new options and still create |
| can easily cost thousands of dollars. | | | | a functional and professional web site. One way is |
| For the "do it yourselfer," site building tools are a | | | | simply to take the time to research the available |
| boon because they make web site building seem so | | | | tools, and find the one that has the most features |
| easy - just click here, enter that, and voila - you | | | | and flexibility, meeting your functional requirements. |
| have a web site. At least, that is the perception! Of | | | | The internet is a massive library of "how to" |
| course, professional web designers know there are a | | | | information, where you can literally teach yourself |
| few more things to know, but we do find some | | | | anything - and with enough time spent, you could |
| irony in the fact that web developers, in their quest | | | | potentially learn how to layout information, what |
| to improve and better the web, have made | | | | colors and fonts work well together, how to conduct |
| themselves optional. Most site building tools today are | | | | your marketing online and optimize the site for |
| very robust, making it simple to add forms, searching, | | | | search engines. Another approach would be to hire a |
| maps, guest books, calendars, and a whole variety of | | | | professional designer simply to get you "off the |
| elements to a web site. Even better, the hosting | | | | ground" by handling the administrative set up of your |
| company sometimes offers an entire suite of | | | | new site package, creating the look of the site and |
| services - the site builder, email marketing, search | | | | developing the initial structure. That person could also |
| engine optimization and statistics, all in one package | | | | teach you how to manage the content and make |
| along with the hosting. | | | | changes yourself going forward. This middle ground |
| So, why would anyone hire a professional? First, the | | | | approach ensures that your site benefits your |
| site building tools, though increasingly robust, often | | | | business and puts a good image forward, while taking |
| lack in design and layout flexibility. For example, they | | | | advantage of the "pay as you go" budgeting and |
| might depend on a standard layout that has a banner | | | | easy content management features of a site builder. |
| across the top, menu down the side. If you want to | | | | The first step for a small business owner thinking |
| have your navigation across the top and perhaps a | | | | about having a web site needs to be an honest |
| sub banner under it, you might not have that option. | | | | assessment of how much time, money, talent, |
| Many businesses have already outgrown their first or | | | | patience and computer savvy he or she has, with a |
| second site, and want something customized to their | | | | clear understanding of the available options. Once this |
| business. Since all site builders differ, it is possible that | | | | is determined, any small business which needs to be |
| you could want features and functionality within your | | | | online can be. |
| site which is not available within the system. Still, | | | | ### |
| some site builders support development languages | | | | © Eileen Parzek, SOHO It Goes! |
| like PHP, making it possible to customize the site with | | | | |