By Scott McIntosh
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26 Apr, 2021
If you’re ready to grow your business online you’re going to need more than just a landing page. What you need is a website that turns casual visitors into raving fans. With all the DIY methods and hacks out there, it’s tempting to think building a website is a simple, straightforward process. While you don’t need to know how to code to use some website builders, their drag-and-drop tools can still be tricky and confusing. There’s a learning curve to these platforms, and that’s something they never mention when they talk about building successful websites with their software. And why would they? The truth is, building a website on your own can become a major time-suck and cause a great deal of stress. You might have every intention of building a simple website, but if you’re not careful, you can end up going down rabbit holes that cost your business precious time, money, and resources. This is especially true if you’re planning to build a professional-looking website that visitors will enjoy using. It won’t be as easy as choosing a template, uploading photos, and providing text. The good news is : building a website from scratch doesn’t have to be a headache. When you have a clear picture of the scope of work it takes to build a website, you can make an educated decision about what’s right for you. That’s why we’ve broken down what the actual cost of a website is – from sheer time to technical skills. When you use this guide, you’ll be equipped to choose the best process to build a website that converts casual visitors into buying customers. Building a Website: The Scope of Work Building a website isn’t as simple as dropping some headlines into a WordPress template. It actually takes a massive scope of work to create a website that grows your business. When you’re building a website, you’ll need: Branding Copywriting Web Design Web Development Images and Graphics Technical Support Depending on your website’s specific needs, you could get into a whole list of other add-ons. For example, setting up an ecommerce store or enabling online booking can require some heavy-lifting from a tech standpoint, which will add time and money to your bill. The process can be pretty intense, so you must determine exactly what you’re looking for before you begin your website journey alone. Should You Build Your Website On Your Own? If you need a website, you have a choice to make. Do you build your website on your own, or do you hire someone to do it for you? Let’s take a closer look at how much time and money it will actually cost you to build a website on your own. If you choose to build a website on your own, you’re going to reap the benefits of full customization. You get to handpick the fonts, words, design, layout, and functionality on your own. At the same time (unless you’re a tech-wizard), you’re signing yourself up for months of frustration. You’ll have to resize images, build graphics, create compelling copy, and you may even end up having to learn to write some code! Building a website on your own is doable, for sure; you can learn virtually anything you need online. But the entire experience can become a bit of a nightmare, and the technical difficulties that you will inevitably encounter can become overwhelming. Let’s compare the costs of using some of the most popular website builders right now.