today, the internet is impacting our life in so many ways that we can hardly ignore it. if you have a business, it’s hard not to consider having a web presence because of the convenience it offers. when you set out to have a website one of the first question is; should you hire a designer or just create it yourself? with all the low-cost to free tools available, it may be a tempting option. before you make the jump, it may be good to take some time to think about it because it’s your business. your success or failure will probably depend on the decisions that you make today.
what are the advantages of doing it yourself?
on your schedule
the one thing that you have to do when you look for or hire a designer is to be on their schedule. unless you’re lucky enough to find one that perfectly fits  your schedule. you can set things off at your own pace giving you total control over the process. you collect your material and work at your own pace and giving the project the direction that you want without any shift in communication. you don’t have to worry if the designer understands well what you wanted to have implemented
you can always go to craigslist but how do you know what questions to ask and come up with an ad that’s the true representation of your objectives. how will you sort through the hundreds of responses the you will presumably receive? how do you make sure that the designer you have chosen will be up to the task?
time saving
save yourself the hassle of looking for a web designer. if you’re starting out and don’t know much about the process of finding a web designer it can be a little daunting where to look. so if you decide to do it yourself, you skip that stage. all you have to focus is what tools are there that you can use to get the job done. since you don’t have to use a designer, you save yourself some time by not having to worry about searching for one. if you are technically savvy, you know that there are a few online tutorials that may help you all the way providing you with the opportunity to learn new skills.
full control
since you’re the only one involved with the process of creating the website, you’re in full control. you can decide the layout, the color scheme, the technology used and the timing. though most of these controls you don’t relinquish when you hire a designer but you can eliminate the chain of command because you are the one executing the project. it can provide you with increased security because you’re the only one with access to server information and other critical details. you’re also totally independent to make any changes without having to deal with emails and phone calls to make the needed requests.
free website creation tools
if you want to have a website and don’t want to pay anybody, there are a few options available. you can find a webhost that provide you with free tools to build a website such as godaddy, yahoo or intuit, though their websites are powered by homestead. you can also get a free template from some websites and try to customize them to fit your needs. a third option is to get free html or wysiwyg software to literally design your site yourself. you can also try doteasy which offers free hosting and free site builder. you’ll have to register the domain with them though for $25/year. some of the free software available are nvu but you just can google ‘free web designing software’ and I’m sure you’ll find something to suit your needs. there are others that are not totally free…
low cost design tools
if you wanna pay just a little, for about $50 depending on the type of website that you’re trying to build, you can buy a template from templatemonster and either have them customize it for you for a few extra bucks, or find an affordable designer to do the customizing for about $100. you can buy some web designing software for around $50, learn how to use it and start building your website. I have never used any of those, but I got a recommendation for bluevoda. if you check craigslist you may be lucky to find a starving artist designer or design student who will be willing to do your website for just pennies.