When we start as a small business, suffering from insufficient funds is one of the common problems. And, if there is a need for an online website, its cost seems to add up more. Hence, there needs to be some affordable and cost-effective way to do it without any compromises on web design, customer experience, and driving sales. In this guide, we will explore today how can you get an affordable website for small business easily by focusing on small yet very crucial aspects. So, let’s start!
Plan Your Website
Keep one thing in mind before going into the technical terms, it starts from the paper. Yes! Similarly, if you have put effort into deciding your particular budget for a website, you need a plan for its design and development too. So, first of all, start by defining what you want exactly. What’s your actual purpose for getting a site for your brand? Is it about selling products online, generating leads, providing information or just building a community? Brainstorm your goals and define them properly. It will guide you towards the design and functionality of your site in the later stages. After deciding the goal, it’s time to set your target audience as the design and development go that way accordingly. You need to consider the demographics, preferences, and online behavior of your target users through research. It will help you make a site providing exceptional experience to those particular groups of people you are aiming for. And, the last but the most important step: budget. Even if you have budget plans, try to keep it realistic as per your goals and target audience. The costs can include domain registration, hosting, website design and development, maintenance, marketing, and so on.
Choose The Correct Platform
After working strictly on the first step of planning, it’s time to select the right platform for site making. There are two options that you can choose from: CMS and E-commerce platforms. CMS, meaning Content Management Systems, are perfect for creating, managing, and modifying content on your website. It’s helpful if you don’t have advanced technical skills. Many popular CMS options are available such as WordPress Development, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify Development, etc. On the other hand, if your goal is to sell your products online, you can go for dedicated e-commerce platforms. These may include Shopify, WooCommerce (a plugin by WordPress), BigCommerce, etc. You can manage your inventories, process payments, and integrate shipping easily with these e-commerce solutions. But as it’s all about your budget, make sure that you choose a reliable and cost-effective one.
Domain and Hosting
When one invests in the domain and hosting of the site, it’s relevant to look for reliable hosting providers that provide good uptime, fast loading speeds, and excellent customer support. Make sure that you choose a perfect domain name for your business that aligns with your brand’s motto and includes keywords of your niche. Along with the budget, domain, and hosting defines the whole uplifting game of your brand in the long run. Hence, it’s very essential to choose a trustworthy one with affordable plans. Many providers offer free domain registration for one year. You can go with this service if you are dealing with financial constraints as a small business or a startup.
Website Design
Now comes the designing part of your brand’s site. You would want it to look professional, to the point, and with top-quality user experience. If you have chosen an affordable CMS platform or a website builder, they provide pre-designed templates or themes. You can easily customize them as per your preferences and save a lot here. Think to yourself as you won’t have to purchase any other template or elements! A big saving!! For a perfect web design, you can focus on the branding part as in the brand’s colors, logo, and fonts. Also, the navigation menu should be intuitive. Plus, you can add CTAs (call-to-actions) on your homepage to guide the users. With financial constraints, you can work with some free and affordable designing tools online. One such tool is Canva which provides many free templates, graphics, and visuals. You can use them or customize them (as per the options available) for your website. Other than Canva, some options like Unsplash, GIMP, etc. provide good-quality images and design options for the site.
Essential Pages for Your Website
During web development, it’s important to focus on the important web pages of your brand. These include the home page, about us page, products/ services page, contact page, blog, and FAQ page. Every page serves its purpose. By staying within your budget, you can make your web pages attractive and impressive. Let’s start from the home page. What’s its purpose? To convey your brand’s aim. So, make sure that there is a brief overview of your products or services, testimonials, and a strong CTA. After the home page, the About Us page is for the mission, values, and vision of your brand. Products and services define what you are providing. The contact page is for the customers to get in touch with you. While all these pages serve their functions, a small business needs to focus on the meaning approach while designing them.
You Can’t Afford to Skip SEO
When a small business gets into the digital world, SEO is an important aspect that it can’t afford to skip at all after web development. Search Engine Optimization of your site needs to be on the top. Otherwise, it won’t make a difference to be online. But, how to get the perfect SEO to the site with budget constraints? It’s very simple! You can research the SEO tools that offer free or limited subscriptions to new users. Till the point you earn some funds, use those free tools. If you have some money in your pockets to invest in SEO, go for affordable resources such as Google Keyword Planner, Yoast SEO, etc.
Use Free Online Resources
There are plenty of free online resources available that can help you build a professional website without incurring high costs. Whether you want free design tools or stock images and plugins, there are options to enhance your website’s functionality. Many websites like Pexels and Unsplash offer high-quality, royalty-free images that you can use to make your website visually appealing. In addition to these, you can use tools like Google Analytics for tracking your website’s performance and understanding user behavior. These free resources can significantly reduce your overall website development costs while ensuring that you do not compromise on quality.
Try DIY Website Builders
If you understand technical terms a bit, DIY (do it yourself) website builders are a perfect option for saving potential money. Many platforms like Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace offer drag-and-drop interfaces that make it easy to build and customize your website. These builders often come with a variety of templates that you can customize for different business needs, and you can personalize these templates to reflect your brand identity. The best part is that you don’t need to know how to code, making it accessible for anyone to create a professional-looking website. Additionally, these platforms usually offer affordable pricing plans that include hosting, security, and support. Overall, you can get a professional website at low budget using DIY website builders (available at cheaper rates).
Outsource Wisely
In case you face difficulties in handling some parts of website design, you can outsource them to freelancers. You can connect with skilled experts on websites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer to handle specific tasks such as graphic design, content writing, and SEO optimization at competitive rates. In this way, you can save a lot instead of hiring a full-time employee.
Conclusion
In brief, building an affordable website for small business or a startup is a very important step towards a strong online establishment. By just focusing on your potential targets and finding the best means, you can conquer anything in this digital era.
Do you have questions on your mind regarding making a website as per your budget? And, want to connect with a professional web design company? Connect with the Digital Care Agency today! Our experts will make sure to provide cost-effective solutions to your problems! So, be ready to start your online journey today with our cost-effective web design services!
