Can website building seen as a "Do-It-Yourself" exercise
by Ambrose YK Lee
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Can website building seen as a "Do-It-Yourself" exercise
Well, the answer to the question depends on what is it that you intend to use your website for. If it is to develop your website building skills, then by all means go ahead and build your own website. However, if you intend to use your website to further your business interests, then it is best that you let a website solutions provider help you with your website.
Business websites have two purposes:
(1) To educate the consumer and
(2) To sell them products or services.
Good website solution providers will help you to define the purpose of your Website, with the information required to create a website that best conveys that purpose to your target audience. There is more to a website than simply the design.
There are several aspects involved in the development and maintenance of a website. As a website publisher, you can contribute a lot but the actual execution is best left to the professionals.
You can explain your requirements in terms of the look, design, and aesthetics to your website designer and he will deliver. A well designed website is the first signal of the seriousness of your intent to do business. It is the first step in creating a positive impression on a visitor. |
Ambrose Lee
 He manages project development and also supports the overall sales execution and deal negotiation.
He devotes most of his time working with clients in achieving their business objectives by leveraging the power of web marketing / presence. |
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An experienced web solutions provider will offer you insights into maintaining your website that you may not be able to think of on your own. For example, these may include the best and reasonably priced softwares, appropriate database management systems, the right size and resolution of images to assist in the quick loading of the pages, the right colour combination of text and background, etc. The website content will require frequent updating, which you will manage, however the uploading of the content to the website is best left to the professionals.
A web solutions provider will help you to strike a balance between the appeal of a website, ease of navigation, security issues, and the best way to display the products. Their inputs are based on their experience and will always be well worth their charges. Obtaining the inputs of customers and involving them in the website development process can help you to get a lot of things right, in the first attempt itself.
You also need to consider the rate at which technology changes and the number of variables that go into website management. Keeping abreast of the technological changes and tracking and planning for the variables that affect website maintenance can be a full-time job.
As an entrepreneur, your time is better spent in trying to boost your bottomline by promoting sales. It is a good idea to entrust the website design, development, and maintenance to a single service provider. Not only does it work out cheaper, it also leads to greater understanding between parties. A single service provider has the benefit of viewing your requirements in a holistic manner and will be able to provide a solution keeping all your requirements in mind.
Since, it is your website, your involvement in its running is desirable. For example, you can decide the type of content, graphics that you want and can even provide the website solutions providers with the same. The design and updating of the website has to be done in a manner such that the looks and information are consistent with the product that you are selling as well as your target audience.
This is where you can offer suggestions based on your experience. Your brief to your website designer should contain information on not only what you want but also on what you would not like to have in your website.
Given the multiplicity of tasks involved in running your business, you are best advised to outsource the development and managing of your website.
