Website Design for Small Businesses
Website design for small businesses would be heavy on the pocket if the CMS (content management system) is developed from scratch, if one uses Windows hosting which is more expensive than Linux/Unix hosting servers. Here are tips for would-be website design and development clients who just needs a company website.
Use an Open Source CMS
Using an open source content management system would definitely lower down the cost of the service. In addition, it won’t require a Windows server since mostly require Linux/Unix hosting servers. Here are a list of open source CMS that can be used (our recommended list - does not include other CMS):
- WordPress - This is actually a blogging tool but it can be used as a CMS for non-complex websites
- Joomla
- Drupal
Invest on Training on the Use of CMS
It is best to invest on training on how to manage your content rather than pay for a monthly retainer fee for updating the content. It would be best though to have a monthly site maintenance and inspection.
Don’t Invest on Static Websites
HTML-only websites will require someone who have knowledge in HTML/CSS and FTP to update. It’s okay if someone in your team is knowledgeable in at least understanding HTML and can edit the code. But if someone is not knowledgeable, you still have to pay your hired website designer to just update the content.
Building a Flash Website and the use of Flash Elements can be expensive
A custom flash website can be expensive. Plus, if you want a database to be integrated would be definitely more expensive. Changing the content may sometimes require the service of the developer.
Need a website for your small business?
Please do contact us for consultancy.