Get the Website You Want Virtually Free

Now that I’ve changed my focus from political, social and economic commentary to web development issues, I figured the best way to begin my first post on this subject is to start where beginners start: at the beginning.

After a 25 year broadcasting career, a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to start my own business. What was I thinking! I mean after years of free t-shirts, concert tickets and all the CD’s I could want (I didn’t want many because unfortunately, it was a lite rock radio station), all I had left to show for quarter century of slaving over a hot microphone was a mortgage, car payment and an account with U-haul on a first name basis. Well, to be honest, the groupies were a nice perk too. Ahem. It was time for a change.

After a bit of research, I settled on ecommerce. I mean after hearing about the gazillions of dollars Larry Page and Sergey Brin made with Google during their initial IPO; or the fortune Tom Anderson made on My Space by selling it to Fox News, I thought, “hey, show me money.” Right. Not so fast, first things first.

First and foremost, how much does a website cost? Who’s going to build it? And, when they build it, will they come? Answer: depends, me and who knows? Let me elaborate on these answers.

During my research on starting my first website, I discovered that there is really no uniform pricing structure for web development and design. Pricing is very convoluted. There are so many variables that price really depends on who’s building your website. Prices vary widely from developer to developer. Some charge by the page, others charge by the hour. If you choose a web design firm to build your website, many have package deals.

There are advantages and disadvantages to all these pricing options. For example, if you choose a developer that charges by the page, make sure you know what you’re getting. Do the pages include static or dynamic content? How about interactivity such as download capabilities, software functions or something as simple as a calculator? If you go with this option ask before you sign.

Being charged by the hour can be very pricey. Again, price depends on what you want from the developer. Let’s say you want some kind of ostentatious flash header, with streaming video, a chat box, scrolling text along with your static content that includes a shopping cart for your online store. You could be racking up anywhere from $25.00 to $50.00 per hour, for a site that could take months to build and cost thousands. Do the math. Keep in mind that prices will vary widely and you may be able to get it done for less. Just make sure you get a written estimate and review the developers’ previous work and get references.

Package deals are good because companies usually spell out, in writing, exactly what you get for your money. If you want to add on to your site at a later date, they will list what an element or function would cost `ala carte.

Obviously, before you consider getting a website, knowing how much you can spend is key. Remember, you get what you pay for. If your budget is $200.00, you will get a two-hundred dollar site. Don’t be surprised if it looks like your Uncle Joe did it in his basement on a vintage IBM 486 computer using a point-and-click program.

But, to be fair, there are some very good do-it-yourself programs out there that rival professionally built websites. In fact, there is free software you can download and build a site with virtually no web design or coding experience. But before you go scouring the internet for these applications, and although they may be free in terms of cold hard cash, consider the time you have to spend learning the software and building the site. In other words, how much is your time worth? Or, what do you have more of, time or money? First rule of thumb: If you've got the bucks, hire a professional. Otherwise, read on.

The fastest way to get a website up and running is with point-and-click so-called website builders. These applications come bundled with a variety of templates, themes, wysiwyg editors and even content for even the most inexperienced. There are literally hundreds of these tools available. Some of the better known applications are Intuit, Wix and Homestead. Godaddy also bundles a hosting package with their website builder and you can have a website up and online in minutes.

No matter how easy these applications are to run, the downside is that there is always a learning curve—however short, and you are limited with what you can do. Don’t expect to start the next Facebook or Overstock using these applications. But take heart; there is a way to get a professional, high-end website with all the bells, whistles and social media for just a few cents a day.

The actual cost you will incur are for hosting. A web host is where your website will live. All your files, images and applications will be delivered to your visitors from your web hosting company. Choosing the right web host depends on your needs, such as the amount of space you will need, bandwith usage and other factors. There are companies that offer free web hosting but these companies require that you display their advertising and limit features. More on choosing a web host and my recommendations as we get closer to launching your new website In the meantime, I highly recommend building and testing your site locally (on your computer) before going live. I will address these issues in my next post.

To get the website you want, all you need is a little ambition, a significant amount of patience and a willingness to learn. We are not talking about learning HTML, JavaScript, PHP (although becoming familiar with these languages can only help) or any other complicated computer language, we are talking about Open Source Software applications.

Now wait. Before you start groaning and close this blog, this is not as complex as it sounds but, alas, I will have to ask you to wait until my next post the give you the skinny on the Open Source Content Management System. It will be worth the wait.