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Dot-Dot.Com Web SolutionsFree Delivery Magazine: "Ready to build a Web site? Do it yourself? Outsource it?" by Becky Barnett, March 1998 |
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Ready to build a Web site? Build it yourself? Outsource it? The 'Net Opportunity Online Marketing Services Portfolio Customers |
You have seriously
evaluated the opportunity of a site on the World Wide Web, and have decided it will
positively affect your company’s bottom line. Building and marketing a global path to
your door is not a sideline effort. How much of that work can you do in-house, and how
much should you hire a web firm to do? To answer that question, you'll need to assess the
time, skills, and financial resources at your disposal as you consider the four parts of
the Web development process identified in my last article and detailed below. If you've
got time and skills to spare, this article will help you identify ways you can trim the
cost of developing your Web site.Content Development
Your site's offerings
should be guided by the goals you establish for your Web site. Once you've set those
goals, you'll need to determine the site's features and functionality, and prepare some
clear, effective text. That planning and writing is labor many small businesses find they
can handle in-house.
Do it
yourself.
You'll need strong writing skills or
great materials developed for another medium that you could modify for the Web. You could
stop there, and hand off text in electronic format to a Web developer, or you can keep
going.
Turning your copy into Web site text is easy with Web authoring tools such as Coffee Cup HTML Editor; Hot Dog Pro; Symantec Visual Page for PC or for the Mac ; or Microsoft FrontPage which can help you convert electronic copy from Microsoft Word or WordPerfect into HTML. Additionally, the templates and wizards packaged with many software packages, as well as the thousands of living examples across the World Wide Web, can help you with the fundamentals of presenting information on the Web. (Note: Most of these software packages have a free trial available by download.) Outsource it. If you need help, be brave and admit it. Most Web firms offer the services of a professional writer who is adept in the clean, informal style of writing that works best on the Web. A Web firm could also make recommendations about the architecture of your site for easy access to information. Design and branding The graphic design and marketing component (sometimes called the "look and feel") is essential for an attractive, professional-looking site that sends a powerful message about your company's offerings. Do it yourself. If you're skilled with Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, you'll be more likely to produce a successfully designed Web site. But even without a design degree and Photoshop, if you've got a good eye for detail and understand what your customers find visually appealing, you can design a respectable-looking site that incorporates high-quality, well-chosen clip art and/or has many template choices that are great starting points for clean Web site design. There are plenty of other third-party templates available, too. And of course, the Web offers a wealth of design ideas.Outsource it.If all of this sounds like more than you care |
to wade into, or if a
sophisticated online image is too important for experimentation, then look to Web graphic
design and marketing professionals who can position your business effectively and exploit
the visual medium to fullest effect.Programming
If you plan to create a
dynamic and data-driven Web site (one that offers a searchable product catalog or
up-to-the minute pricing information, to name just a couple of possibilities), you'll need
some programming to make it happen. If your goals for your site are more modest, then skip
this component.
Do it yourself.If you're a hot-shot programmer (or mediocre, but with some time on your hands) try doing this yourself. If you have simple goals (e.g., a customer satisfaction survey or a simple order form), then take advantage of a Web authoring tool. Most have built-in macros and wizards allow a non-technical person to create reasonably useful "interactive" components in a Web site.Outsource it.If you're not a programmer, or if you don't have the time to learn all the latest and greatest development tools, you should hire someone to help you turn your Web site into a dynamic, automatically updated, functionally diverse business tool. Hosting your Web site.Once you've developed a design and the pages of your Web site, you've got to put them somewhere! Of the four elements, hosting is the one most often outsourced.Do it yourself.This is a three-part effort: pricing the various levels of leased-line connections (ISDN, 56k, T1, etc.), which will cost anywhere from $150 to $3000 per month; getting the server hardware ($1,500 to $15,000 or more); and installing the necessary software (free to $10,000 or more). Setting up the machine and installing software is relatively easy; the stumbling block in do-it-yourself hosting is the high cost of connectivity. Outsource it.When you outsource this component, the hosting company will usually provide the hardware, software, and Internet connectivity necessary to put your site on the Web. Site hosting costs anywhere from $20 to $2,000 per month, depending on whether the hosting company is a nationally renowned ISP or a local firm, and on what functionality you want with your Web site. When looking for a Web hosting company, it's critical that you ask them whether they can handle your specific functional needs! Database connectivity, electronic commerce, secure and encrypted transactions, and dynamic Web pages are all functional enhancements, and they come with higher price tags. If your Web site is simply a collection of a few pages describing your company and its services, you probably can find a solution even on a very modest budget.My next article in this series will be on selecting a Web site developer. However, I do feel a case of Spring Fever coming on and April’s article will be about fun Spring and Easter resources on the Internet. Until then, as always, I wish you 'Net success! |
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