| There's no shortage of companies out there offering | | | | the bill, or to try and get you to buy extras you |
| low cost website design for small or medium sized | | | | don't need when you contact them. |
| businesses. But how can you spot what's best for | | | | The classic extra is search engine optimization. This |
| your business? As well as the obvious factor of low | | | | generally involves things like submitting your site to |
| cost, it's important to work out exactly what you're | | | | dozens of search engines plus various directories, |
| getting for your money - and whether it meets your | | | | adding a sitemap, generating a few backlinks and |
| needs. | | | | 'optimize' your various tags. |
| There are a number of criteria you need to take into | | | | For that, you'll often pay around a thousand dollars |
| consideration. Here are the most important. | | | | minimum (or here in the UK, anything from several |
| The cost of the website itself | | | | hundred to well over a thousand pounds). |
| It's possible to find websites out there that cost | | | | But you know what? You needn't. |
| next to nothing. They're the ones that are made | | | | A good small business website design company will |
| from cheap, basic templates. The problem is that | | | | include things like a sitemap in the cost of your new |
| they nearly always look exactly that - cheap and | | | | website. They'll also write the tags, or tell you what |
| basic. | | | | you need to write for the tags if you have a CMS. |
| Alternatively, you could opt for a fully customised | | | | (Tags are of almost zero importance when it comes |
| site. This takes a little longer and costs a whole lot | | | | to optimization anyway.) |
| more. Beyond the budget of many small businesses in | | | | Other things, such as submitting your site to lots of |
| most cases. | | | | different search engines just aren't necessary. And |
| A good compromise is to go for a template site, but | | | | still others, such as checking your ranking, are easy |
| one where the design can still be personalised to | | | | to do yourself. |
| some extent. Look for a small business website | | | | The only thing that's worth paying extra for with |
| provider with a good variety of templates to choose | | | | most small businesses is for a search engine |
| from, and which has a track record of creating | | | | optimization copywriter. That's because the content |
| attractive, individual looking sites. | | | | of the site is the single most important factor in |
| The cost of the hosting and content management | | | | where it will rank on Google and the rest. Plus, you |
| This is very important to bear in mind. Some small | | | | want your text to read well to potential customers. |
| business website providers will include the cost of | | | | Often, the best deals are to be found where you |
| hosting in the design for the first few months. But do | | | | opt for both website design and optimized copy as a |
| check what it will cost when your free period is up. | | | | single package. It's a service I offer myself, and it |
| Others will have a straight monthly fee. That's fine | | | | costs less than if you were to pay for the writing |
| too. Though make sure you check out what it | | | | separately. |
| includes and what it doesn't. | | | | How search engine friendly will your new website be? |
| Whether it's included or not, you'll always need to | | | | How Google-friendly is the design you're thinking of |
| pay some kind of hosting fee. But it's essential to find | | | | buying? Is it well laid out and easy for customers |
| out where you stand with content management. Will | | | | (and search engine spiders) to navigate? Does it use |
| they add technical improvements to your site as time | | | | search engine friendly coding? Is there a sitemap? |
| goes on? Will they charge you for them? | | | | (Sitemaps help visitors and search engines alike.) Is it |
| Most importantly, what if you want to change a | | | | compatible with all browsers and does it look good in |
| page or add new ones? That great five or ten page | | | | all of them? |
| website deal suddenly starts to look not so great if | | | | These are all factors in designing a successful |
| you're going to be charged every time you want to | | | | website. Read the detail and check your prospective |
| change a page or add a new one. | | | | web designers are up to speed with them. Take a |
| The most cost-effective deals are generally those | | | | look at sites they've done for others. (What do you |
| which give you your own content management | | | | mean they don't show sites they've done for other |
| system (CMS). If it's a good company, your CMS will | | | | people? Why ever not...?) |
| be easy to use and will let you upload copy and | | | | Choosing a small business website design company - |
| images in next to no time. | | | | conclusion |
| Not only will it save you the cost of paying to | | | | For most small businesses, the success of their |
| change content or upload a page, it will often be far | | | | website with both customers and search engines is |
| quicker than if you had to brief someone and then | | | | going to be crucial to the success of the business as |
| check and amend their work. | | | | a whole. There's no shortage of small business |
| Don't pay for what you don't need | | | | website design companies out there to choose from, |
| Whatever website design and hosting you choose, | | | | but be aware of what to look for and the pitfalls to |
| beware of the company which is reluctant to tell you | | | | avoid and your business will be halfway there. Good |
| the cost upfront on their own website. They're the | | | | luck! |
| ones who are likely to make last minute additions to | | | | |