It isn't just businesses that need websites these days. Everyone can benefit from having a website, whether they are a job seeker, freelancer, or up to something else altogether.
While you likely know the importance of having a website, you might not be excited about the money you are going to have to put out to get your website up and running. The good news is that there are ways to put together a cheap website design without compromising quality.
Continue reading this article to learn the best way to build a website without busting through the budget.
Don't Rule Out Professional Web Design
Before you rule out professional web design, know that it can be cheaper than trying to do it yourself. By the time you piece together everything you need and try to learn to be a website designer, programmer, Photoshop wizard, and graphic designer, you've likely lost a lot of productive time you would have otherwise spent working.
Shop around with different website designers in your area and see who is going to be able to work with your budget. If no one is within your price point, put a pin in it, and carry on with your DIY efforts.
Have People Compete for Your Work
You can post your job posting online through marketplace sites to get more eyes on your job. Using the internet to find people that are willing to design your website for less money can give you great results, but make sure you thoroughly vet the people that apply for the job.
You can even ask multiple people to design the website, and you only pay the person for the design if you choose to use it.
Hire Someone Who Needs Experience and Portfolio Work
If you are willing to be a guinea pig, you'll find there are quite a few people that are willing to do work on the cheap. Students and new business owners are often happy to do work for very cheap to get pieces for their portfolio.
When you work with someone that doesn't have a lot of experience, the work may take longer than if you're working with a professional. You also might not get exactly what you want because they might not know how to do all of the fancy work that you're looking for.
If you aren't sure where to find students, all you have to do is contact teachers at a local college and ask them who might be interested in working with you on this project.
Outsource Out of the States
If you're willing to work with companies outside the states, you are likely to get a great design. Many companies outside the US are much less expensive, but sometimes there can be some communication barriers.
Make sure to speak with someone live so you can get an idea of how well you communicate with each other. Many countries, like the Philippines, have agencies with people that are fluent in English and can create designs that will rival many professional companies in the US.
Barter for Services
If you provide services that you think someone like a website designer would need, reach out and see if they would be interested in bartering with you. Many people are more than happy to work out a barter deal if you have something they are interested in.
Make sure what you offer is comparable or greater in price than what you're trying to get from the other person, so your offer is attractive.
Use WordPress and Themes
One of the easiest ways you can create a website is through a self-hosted website on WordPress.
While you will have to learn how to put the website together on your own or hire someone that can do it for you, many websites use WordPress because of how easy it is to get yourself up and running on their platform.
Make sure you use the self-hosted option and not the WordPress.com option. The self-hosted option is the only one where you own the website and have full control over it.
When you use WordPress, you have access to thousands and thousands of themes. It can be overwhelming when you see how many options you have when you're designing the site, but if you know what you're looking for, it won't take you too long to find something that is going to work for you.
Depending on what you're looking for, you might find free theme options, frugal WP themes for $19, $60, or even in the hundreds of dollars. Many times when you see themes that cost very low prices, it is because they require you to leave a link to their site at the bottom for advertising.
Other times inexpensive themes might be low cost because they don't provide updates or customer service. Make sure you check the terms before choosing them for your website. Having to make a change after you have everything set up will make for a major inconvenience and unnecessary delays.
Make Your Cheap Website Design Work for You
Now you know how to come by a cheap website design that is still high-quality, but why stop learning there? We have many other helpful articles that can help you go to the next level in your business or life in general.
Navigate through our Bootstrap Business frugal website, find your favorite section, drop a bookmark and come back soon for more great reads. Check out our Web Dev section right now!
