In the last few years it has become easier for individuals or organizations, with no web coding or developing skills, to create their own websites, basically eliminating the need for the middle person (the web developer). This is in part due to software like Microsoft FrontPage, allowing individuals to use software they typically use everyday (such as MS Word) to create web pages. There is also a trend in the website industry where, for a monthly fee or a set-up fee, you can develop your own website using template web pages you can then customize.
The good news is that these options can be cheaper (at least on the surface), than the traditional
way of contracting a web designers and developer to create the pages for you. However, despite the fact that these companies promote themselves as the easy and cheap way to create your website, there are a lot of things you have to think about before deciding to go this route.
Before I talk about the questions you should be asking yourself before using these software or ‘do-it-yourself’ websites, I would like to point out the obvious: As a web developer and designer, I am biased, yes. I believe, however, that these questions are valid. I highly recommend you consider the answers all of the questions below before deciding on what road you take.
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Questions you should ask yourself:
1. Will your website be optimized for search engines?
2. Will the code be validated to be able to work in all browsers?
3. Does it give you exactly what you want?
4. What about originality?
5. Is it really economical?
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1. Will your website be optimized for search engines?
Search engines have become an integral part of the internet: without them the internet would not be the amazing tool that it is. If people can’t find your website, they will never know what you and your organization are all about. In order for popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN Search to find and rate your website, your site has to be set up in a way that makes it easy for them to track. All search engines have their own way of indexing websites, but there are lots of things you can do to ensure your site is open to them all.
No search engine optimization is a guarantee that you will be indexed highly, but why would you want a site that does not even allow for that possibility?
If you go the do-it-yourself route, make sure the company you are doing it with develops their template sites to be optimized. Of course, if you go with a web developer you can be assured that your website will be created to allow all search engines to index your site.
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2. Will the code be validated to be able to work in all browsers?
The internet was first conceived as a source of information for everyone. To ensure it stays that way, organizations such as the World Wide Web Consortium have worked hard at standardizing the code in which web pages are created, so regardless of the browser you use (Explorer, Firefox, Netscape etc.) you can view pages as they were meant to be viewed. Microsoft, and their software such as FrontPage, however, tends to have proprietary code. This means that the code the web pages were created in, are meant to be displayed in the Microsoft Explorer, and may or may not work in other browsers. Yes, MS Explorer is still the most popular browser, but in recent years, browsers such as Firefox and Netscape are gaining ground and are being used by more and more web users. As well, Microsoft has been promising for some time now that they would develop Explorer closer to the international standards (less-proprietary). If Microsoft does what they promised, website code will have to be re-written for websites written with Microsoft applications to adhere to the new rules.
So the question you have to ask yourself is; do you want to ensure that everyone (not just Explorer users) are able to view your website as it was meant to be viewed?
If the answer is yes, ensure that the software or the do-it-yourself website company you use is using non-proprietary code (Strict or Transitional HTML 4). Most web developers do not use proprietary code, and ensure that the code of your site is up to the highest and latest standards.
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3. Does it give you exactly what you want?
Software that develops a website for you, or do-it-yourself web based applications, are created based on anticipation. They create functions and possibilities that they think you would want in your design and applications. These companies are always developing their applications based on the demands and needs of their customers. When you think about it, these applications are always a step behind. Will you get the exact color you want, and will you be able to match colours to images such as your logo? Will you get the exact format you want? If you can’t get what you want, how long are you willing to live with a website that is not exactly what you wanted?
When you work with a developer, however, you tell him or her what you want it to look like, you give them examples, and they are able to go away and create it for you. You are able to make changes to the resulting design, with one simple step: you tell them to change it.
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4. What about originality?
The whole idea of templates is that you start with a design that is created for you without any thought to what your organization is all about. This cookie-cutter method means that it is likely that other websites, in fact many other websites, has the same design as you.
Do you want your organization to stand out? Using these templates to build websites is like using a template to develop your logo, or an ad campaign; you are almost assured that there is an organization out there that remarkably resembles yours.
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5. Is it really economical?
First off, be careful about these do-it-yourself websites when they say the words ‘starting from’ or just ‘from’ in front of their price. That means that for the price listed, you are getting the most basic website available. As you increase the complexity of the design and the applications, you could be spending a lot more than you first anticipated.
Second, how valuable is your time? In order to get a real idea of how cost effective it is to use these applications, you have to factor in the cost of you or your employee’s time. For most organizations, time is extremely valuable, and time spent on build a website is time not spent on meeting the demands of your customers or members.
Working with a website developer or/and designer can take care of all aspects of designing and developing your site. The only time you will spend is telling the designer/developer whether you like it or not.
The initial set-up cost for your website when you use a developer can seem like a lot of money. But in the end, it could save your even more. And ask your developer what can be done within the budget you have, and ask them about payment plans to ease the burden a little.
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Are all these questions making you feel overwhelmed? If you say yes, don’t worry, it is perfectly understandable. There are a lot of things to think about when you develop a site that is meant to be user-friendly, stunning, and representative of your organization.It is always good to save a buck or two, but remember that you get what you pay for.
Is a ‘Do-it-yourself-website’ right for your organization? - To learn more about this author, visit Kevin Virtue's Website.
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Kevin Virtue
(Visit Kevin's Website)
Kevin Virtue is owner and operator of Virtue Creative Designs. He focuses
on helping others express their vision
through the internet, and aiding
organizations make the most of the data
they collect. Through his database,
website, consultation and workshop
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