Web design and development can be expensive. If you need a website, but are currently financially strapped or having cash flow issues, then these tips on web design with no budget might help to give you some perspective as to what you can achieve. All we ask you in return, is that you bear Surge in mind when business is booming.
Local Enterprise Office funding
Currently there is a scheme running nationally which will help to finance your online solutions. It will match your spend up to the value of €2500. So, if approved, you can get a lot more bang for your buck and could be the difference between creating a brochure website or a full e- commerce site with all the bells and whistles.
Use a WordPress theme
WordPress themes can be an effective short term solution to business owners with a small budget. All they require is your time. If you pay a small amount you can get your own domain name so instead of having www.example.wordpress.com you can use www.example.com. If you are a little bit more tech-savvy you might even be able to set up your own hosting for your website theme and with it, your own email account like person@example.com. You will then be able to print your business cards with name, number, email and website.
However, the cracks will start to show when you need to start doing things that are outside the parameters of the theme. It will often be something simple like adding a page here, or an image there or incorporating your logo. There’s also Google indexing, analytics and general digital marketing stuff that’s going to be very difficult to do by one’s self.
Focus on Social Media
If you don’t think that you’re quiet ready for a website, then get working on your social media. It only costs you your time. While you might not be ready for a website yet- a strong social media presence is an excellent resource to be able to plug in to a future website.
Web design with no Budget- DIY
Doing it yourself is always an option if you’re reasonably I.T literate. If you learned html and css you might be able to throw something together. Two things to consider here though…
Is it going to look good enough? If it’s a temporary solution then the aesthetics probably won’t bother you too much. But you also need to consider that the website will reflect your business so you are going to need to put your best foot forward eventually.
What’s your time worth? Learning computer languages is probably not the most effective use of your time- especially if you have a business to run. In most cases, the value of the time spent learning and doing a DIY job will significantly outweigh the cost of a website.
If you would like to discuss any of the topics raised about web design with no budget then feel free to drop us an email. For similar articles in the future, why not register for our newsletter at the bottom of this page.
