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