Did you know that it could cost you as much as $15,000 to have your website built? A simple WordPress site could still set you back $3,000 if you don’t do it yourself. This is why many people turn to self-building tools. These tools help you create a professional looking website without shelling out thousands of dollars. Here are five things to look for when considering the options available to you.
1. There’s Still a Price
Even if you are building your own website, there is a cost. You must pay for your domain name and your Web host, but many hosts offer a website builder as part of their package. Look into each package to see what’s included for your money, and then look at how they will bill you. Many require payment for a year’s worth of hosting upfront, others may accept monthly payments. Whatever you do, stay within your budget.
2. Can You Use It
According to Forbes, website functionality will advance to greater heights in 2017, and if you’re already unsure of how to navigate through the technology, simpler is better when it comes to selecting a builder. You want to work with an interface that will code for you. In other words, drag-and-drop and other functionality that helps you build your new online presence using visual cues instead of trying to figure out HTML and CMS.
3. Will You Get Help
Face it, you’re going to need help, and that’s okay. You run a business; you’re not a website developer, and your builder’s designer should understand that. Work with a company that provides customer support 24/7. You might not have time to build your website during the day when you’re building your business, and if you’re burning the midnight oil to get your website up and running, somebody should be there to help you if you have questions.
4. What Do Others Say
There’s no way of telling if a company’s customer service is good unless it has client feedback that reflects that. Client testimonials will also give you an indictor as to whether the website builder interface is user-friendly. You need to appeal to large and small screens, as people view sites on their phones now, so read the testimonials to see what others are saying about the builder. You’ll be surprised how much a little feedback will help with your decision.
5. Is it SEO Friendly
Finally, you cannot build a website today without being concerned about SEO – search engine optimization. This is how people find you on the Web. Their online searches are keywords that you must implement into your website and social media pages in order to get higher rankings. You need – not want – need to work with a builder that has SEO tools, so you can include the necessary optimization to get your business on the first few pages of search results.
There’s a lot of coding that goes behind all of the above, and fortunately, you don’t need to worry about that. All you need to do is find a website building tool that works well for you. Once you’ve done that, you can create and update your own professional-looking site to draw in more customers.
