When contemplating the design of a web site , people often get surprised when they discover how much a professional web site designer charges to create a site. When that occurs, the question becomes whether or not the web site can be made with a DIY approach. Here are some factors to consider when deciding to design a web site yourself, hire a professional , or choose a compromise between the two. Do It Yourself Considerations Realize that there may be some costs involved even if you design the website yourself. You'll probably need to acquire numerous pieces of software. Some cost nothing, some cost a lot . As is typical , it's sometimes a matter of "you get what you pay for" ( though not always). You'll at least need 3 essential software apps : * An image editor like Photoshop (around $700) or one of the no-cost alternatives like Gimp * Some type of HTML and CSS editor like Dreamweaver (approximately $400) or one of the low-cost or no-cost alternatives such as CoffeeCup or Notepad++ * An FTP app like Filezilla ( free) Even if you choose only free software programs , there are additional cost-related factors . As the saying goes, "time is money", and if you aren't already a professional web site designer, then you'll need to invest plenty of time to acquire the skills required to build your site. Factor in anywhere from many weeks to many months to obtain the expertise you need. How much will that time cost you? If you have more time than money, then this might be the way to go, but if all that time spent is stopping you from making money, then it may not make sense at all. Hiring A Pro Obviously, it's going to cost money to hire a professional web site designer, but you'll end up with a web site that is online within a much shorter period of time, and it probably won't look like something that a 13 year old created in 1999 . The factors to consider here are brief . If you have more money than time, and want a web site done well and quickly, hiring a professional is the wise choice. The Other Choice: Customizing A Template There is a choice that lies somewhere in the middle between Do It Yourself and Hiring a Pro. The key to this choice is to begin with a pre-designed template and then customize the colors, pictures , and logos to make it uniquely yours. Basically , you're using the best of both possibilities ; no-cost or cheap templates from professional designers, plus your own Do It Yourself elbow grease to customize it so that it is unique to you (and not exactly the same as everyone else who picked that same template). Template customization is often the best choice because it reduces both the actual costs as well as the softer time costs. You end up with a good design, at a very low cost, and it's finished in a short frame of time, which is not a serious compromise!
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