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Original poster

Websites - should I try and design my own?

21 replies

slipperandpjsmum · 06/09/2012 20:41

Been on a few design your site for free sites but my efforts are not looking particularly impressive! If I were to get someone else to design one how much would it cost roughly? I am trying to keep my outgoings as low as possible.

OP posts:
maybenow · 06/09/2012 20:44

What do you do? I mean, is it in any way related to art/design/writing/photography? People whose work relates to that sort of thing will be judged more on their website than, say, a plumber...

What do you need your website to do for you? sell products? show a portfolio? or just provide your contact information? - again, all depends what you need and therefore what it will cost...

Original poster
slipperandpjsmum · 06/09/2012 20:50

Oh no I am nothing to do with design, currently a social worker. Its to list the services I offer, prices, how to get in touch etc but I still want it to look good and the ones I was coming up with certainly didn't. I have no idea of costings but as I say keen to keep them low as just starting to set things up.

OP posts:
maybenow · 06/09/2012 21:36

A good graphic designer should cost about 200-250 per day, i would imagine that getting them to do you a site on one of those diy platforms would be less than a days work.

I don't know what actual webdesigners charge but I think it would be easier for you to use a diy platform so that you can easily change the details (once somebody has made it look pretty for you).

I use a wordpress blog and had a graphic designer friend do a logo and banner for me.

maybenow · 06/09/2012 21:37

[ps. that price is where i am - a big city but not london]

TalkinPeace2 · 06/09/2012 22:18

start with a free wordpress one - if nothing else so you can start to get a feel for what you want ON the page.
Have you set up on Linkedin and Facebook as they also give you space to decide what is important permanent information in your web presence

TellyBug · 06/09/2012 22:32

Hire a designer who can build you a basic website but also train you on how to update it with new content once it's done.

It does cost a bit but bad websites are so off putting. It's a legit biz expense.

Pay a professional Smile

Machadaynu · 06/09/2012 22:34

second (or third) vote for wordpress. It's free, stable, easy to update and has lots of free themes.

My own site is wordpress based, and IMHO looks great - and I did it all myself for nowt (and I'm not a programmer or IT expert)

Himalaya · 06/09/2012 22:36

Wordpress - they look good and are very flexible.

Pay for a domain name and 'no ads' customise one of their themes and there you go.

mum2mummarkets · 06/09/2012 23:14

Do it yourself and be satisfied when it's 80% right. You can tweak it over time, and once you have a better understanding of what you want to improve/ change you can get a pro to sort it.
I'd say the most important thing to get right from the start is your SEO- naming your pages right and being conscious of getting your keywords in when writing the copy- much harder to sort out later than getting the 'look' right.
I am not artistic at all. I found it helped to make a kind of mood board of websites I liked and tried to work out what it was- colour, text etc I liked. There is also an amazing book called 'design for non designers' or something which was fantastic for cleaning up the scruffiness of my site by making me aware of text not lining up right etc.

DolomitesDonkey · 07/09/2012 15:03

I tried a free wordpress one and didn't have time to sit and figure it all out. So I went to themeforest and paid $45 for one which had a "menu for eejits" function. Within about 45 minutes of using that I'd feel very confident about going away and using a free one - but that $45 saved me hours and hours of frustration so worth its weight in gold!

DolomitesDonkey · 07/09/2012 15:04

PS I should add, I come from a software development background - and it's more financially beneficial for me to spend $45 for something which looks "brilliant" than to spend 10+ hours figuring out how to make something look mediocre.

Lowla · 07/09/2012 16:47

Do it yourself, i say.

I'm a self employed cleaner (or at least trying to be), and have set one up through VistaPrint. I'm on a free trial at the mo, and after a month it'll go down to £10 a month or i can downgrade to the free one.

I'm really pleased with how it looks and it's seems very professional. You also get a professional email adress with it, and a professional domain name.

Himalaya · 07/09/2012 20:55

Lowia 120 quid a year sounds like a lot for a diy website. .co.uk domain names are less than 4 pounds a year and wordpress is free.

hugandroll · 07/09/2012 21:20

My dh is currently in the process of getting enough business to become self employed (hoping by Christmas) in web design. He's really good and has done e-commerce sites etc.

He isn't as expensive as most as he is still building his portfolio but I can pm you some of the websites he's done and if you are interested in a quote pm me a brief to pass onto him.

TalkinPeace2 · 07/09/2012 21:36

getting enough business to become self employed
hope he's registered with HMRC and has PII - otherwise it could get expensive rather quickly - but certain incomes are NOT hobbies

hugandroll · 07/09/2012 22:15

Yup he just can't give up his day job yet :)

AlwaysOneMissing · 09/09/2012 18:18

I am in the process of starting a business, and built my own site using MrSite. I am not artistic, or good with computers, I am a real novice. The website I built was mediocre I'd say. I am now realising that it would be money well spent to just pay someone to build me a more professional looking site.
Some web designers charge crazy money, but I have managed to find a few for £500 - £800 for a 6 page brochure site, which seems to be the cheapest for a good and complete package. Just to give you an idea of costs.
A good website could really make a difference to your business startup. Good luck x

MrsPnut · 09/09/2012 18:26

I certainly notice a business with a decent website, and I hate trying to find information on a website that is out of date and clunky to use. I would advise you to look around at websites you like and make notes of features they have. What makes them easier to use, what is visually pleasing etc. It makes writing a brief for a developer much easier.

My OH is a web applications developer, having moved into large data transforms from doing more web page stuff. He used to work for the BBC and has done work for Channel 4, BP, Linklaters and BHP Billington. He has a small sideline doing some Web site work and can offer some advice if you need it.

ethelb · 13/09/2012 11:30

I have a Wordpress site and I am learning as I go. I hope for it to be polished by the time I start pitching my wares. TBH it is best to see if you can use a Wordpress site, and if you are having problems with it then you will know what to ask the designer. One big problem is people just say "I want a website" and don't know what they want.

BTW does anyone know how to make my featured images on my wordpress blog show?

MoelFammau · 21/09/2012 00:02

I do websites. PM me if you want to see an example. Happy to do one for a special Mumsnet rate. :-)

M

Bee202 · 03/10/2012 13:33

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