advice on website

[Beauchamp]

DH and I need to start our own business. We have an original idea and it will be web-based. It will include an online shop but it needs not to look homemade. The problem is we don't have ££££ to spend on it.

Does anyone have any tips on which web page builder site is the best? Or does anyone have any experience of getting a copy website built by a Chinese/ Indian/ Bulgarian web designer that we can then populate with our own content??

I am thinking we can start this way and when the business makes some money, we can pay a professional to build us something really good (with the advantage that by then, we'll have refined our ideas of what we want).

Does that sound like a plan or a terrible idea?

If you want it not to look like it was made by an amateur then you'll have to find budget for it. Page builders are fine if you have some coding knowledge so you can move away from the bog standard templates and quite frankly I wouldn't outsource to anyone over seas as they will build you something table based and inflexible that looks like it was knocked together in the 90's.
My DH is a web designer and builder so if you'd like to simply talk to someone about your needs and what budget you're looking at you can get in touch, I promise he won't then hassle you afterwards. online business card he's overhauling his own website at the mo so that's the only live link we have. His old site is here if you wanted a quick example of what he does.
He also does graphic design work so can talk you through logos, branding and all the rest. It's a minefield when you're first starting up and it's best to get things right first time, wastes less of your budget in the long run.
Good luck with your new business!

I use webs and you can have a shop on there - there are lots of packages to buy I paid around £60 a year and can put 100 items in my shop (might be more) and you can pay by PayPal. Doesn't really look homemade but I think advertising always seals the deal - they are linked with vistaprint and I think they have good offers on websites too

If your website looks rubbish, that's how people will see you. You need your website to look awesome from the start - your website reflects who you are as a business.

This thread is running concurrently and also has advice. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/business_start_ups/a1850674-getting-a-website-sorted#41933556

I am an online marketing manager specialising in search engine optimisation and I deal with websites every day.

There is a great Ecommerce platform called shopify that I have worked with - it's cheap, customisable and vey easy to use. All payment gateways etc are built in too so no fuss.

Have a look.