If you’re launching your business with a loan from the bank or using a bootstrapped approach, chances are that you’ll be looking for ways to keep your web development budget relatively lean without sacrificing aesthetics and functionality. But is it possible to build an appealing website without spending a fortune? The answer is yes. Once you've invested in a professional business plan, there’s a whole host of sites out there that can help you build your own eye-catching website or find the right web developer to work with – all at reasonable prices.
The Plan Writers has a few tips to help you learn the ropes of web development on a budget.
Use an affordable host
Many domain register and hosting companies are reasonably priced. Typically, you can register a domain for approximately $10/year with hosting services priced at around $100/year, depending on the provider. Additional features such as added pages, search engine optimization, or Google Ads credits may cost extra. FatCow and GoDaddy are some of the more popular hosts that offer free drag-and-drop web builders that allow anyone to build an attractive website from scratch or by using one of hundreds of available templates. No programming or web development skills needed!
Use free stock images
Saving on stock images is another way to reduce your web design budget. Wikimedia Commons provides a number of royalty-free pictures, clipart images, and videos. However, the use of some content comes with restrictions. For instance, you may be required to cite the author’s name on your website or provide a link to the author’s page. The same goes for Flickr’s Creative Commons section. Pixabay, on the other hand, hosts images that are in the public domain, meaning there’s no need to cite the author or include a link to his or her web space.
Hire a graphic designer from Fiverr
If your website requires custom graphics, then check out Fiverr. Fiverr is a global online marketplace that offers up jobs and tasks starting at $5. There are many graphic designers offering their services who are skilled with Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDRAW, and other industry-standard program. They’re available to design logos, infographics, vector images, graphics, etc. Be sure to check out profile reviews of applicants prior to hiring.
Enlist a web developer from oDesk
If you’re looking for advanced functionality to be added to your website but you can’t afford a $5,000 web developer, then check out oDesk. Like Fiverr, oDesk is an online marketplace where business owners hire freelancers from around the world to work on a wide range of projects. The main difference between Fiverr and oDesk is that Fiverr is geared towards short-term tasks while oDesk jobs tend to require more involvement. So, if you want to create a user login or build-your-own-pizza tool for your website, then post it on oDesk. As with Fiverr, stay on the safe side and only hire an applicant that has lots of positive feedback on their profile.
We at The Plan Writers are big fans of collaboration. After hiring us for our business plan services, we encourage our clients to join forces with the right graphic artist or developer to bring your website to the next level. Best of all, it can be done on a shoestring budget – a must for any bootstrapped business. So get collaborating now to get the most out of your company!
-Matthew Khalili, CEO, The Plan Writers