Hiring a website designer can be expensive, this is why some choose to design their own websites. There are several factors to consider before you decide to hire a professional web designer or whether you decide to do it yourself. It is important to consider the level of expertise that you or the person you plan to hire have in web technology in order to create an attractive, and professional looking website that functions in sync with your goals. It all comes down to skill levels- the ability to add features you want or need, the image you want to project for your website, and the amount of free time you have to devote to building a successful website.
Here are some skill you need to have when building a website:
1. Knowledge in HTML coding
This may or may not require some training courses on basic HTML. You can also make use of a good web design software to help you with HTML coding.
2. Creativity
A good eye for color combination and general good taste are important for a web designer to create an aesthetically attractive website.
3. Expertise in graphic software
Knowledge in graphic software such as Picasa and Photoshop is needed to produce clean and attractive photos and site graphics. It is also needed to optimize the pictures from the smallest possible file size for quick loading.
4. Expertise in site navigation
Some knowledge in web development such as functionality and usability as well as website navigation design and implementation is an important skill.
5. Programming Expertise
Basic knowledge in CGI, JavaScript, or database programming is needed so you can add interactive web pages or integrate it with an online database.
6. Experience in internet marketing and business experience.In building a personal website or a business website, some major business and marketing aspects are need to be taken into consideration right from the beginning of the design stage of the website.
Are You Capable of Building a Website on Your Own?
Ask yourself if you have the time or the skills to build your own website. If you don’t then you can hire a professional to do it for you. You can find a list of professional web designers on the Internet. There are freelance boards that allow you to hire individuals with the expertise you need: web designers, programmers, SEO specialist, copywriters, and more. They can be part of a team or they can work on their own. You also have the option to hire a local web design firm, although free lancers are cheaper to hire because they live in countries where there is a 5:1 ration in salaries. This means that $1 USD is equivalent to $5 USD in their country. So paying a freelancer for $5 an hour is equivalent to paying $25 an hour.
As for web content writing, you can hire a native English speaker for $0.05 per word and up, while non native speakers can be hired for around $0.02 per word.
You have to ensure open communication between you and the web designer and the web developer,as well as the copywriter. A good web designer knows how to include web marketing into site design to make it search engined optimized.
How Much Does Out Sourcing Cost?
You can expect to pay anywhere between $100 up to $1, 500 for a simple five or siz page website including the entire site with graphics and content. A more complex interactive site would cost you around $599 for programming,to about $10,000 and up for the entire website.
Your time will also be spent as well. The project will need some managing so expect to write the project specification, spend time writing to freelancers via email, doing some assurance testing, and many more. There maybe cases that developing a website on your own is cheaper than hiring others to do the job.
It’s not about the money you’ll spend, but about keeping your reputation professional. Hiring a professional web designer can help you maintain the image of professionalism.
It’s all about dedication. The decision of whether to outsource or not is based on your dedication to make the most out of the website. If you think you can do a better job than a professional web designer then by all means, D-I-Y is the way to go. Thought Mechanics specializes in Austin Web Design and is ready to tackle your next project!
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