5 Ways To Build A Website On A Budget

Good, honest, and hard-working websites can:

1. Generate traffic that turns into business leads

2. Secure high customer retention rates.

However, if you are a small business that has yet to secure clients, you might think that building an attention-grabbing website costs a fortune.

For some, it does. If you want to earn money, you have to spend money—so the rule says. But that does not have to be the case for all businesses, especially for those that are just starting. Here are five ways you can create a website on a budget.

Don't Break The Bank: 5 Ways You Can Build Your Website At A Low Cost

1. Set Your Goals and Determine Your Priorities

Have you ever heard the pop saying, 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail'? It's applicable here.

Goals falter in the absence of a solid plan. While some adhere to a make-it-up-as-you-go-along attitude, when you are handling a business and people rely on you for compensation, this is far from being wise.

So plan what you want to see on your website. Determine its purpose: will it serve as a blog site to educate your users? Will you use it for e-commerce? Your purpose dictates the functionalities that you need. You have to be clear about them to set a clear budget. Additional costs usually arise from unplanned website additions.

If your goal is to set up a blog site that earns passively, look at how you can integrate ads. If you are aiming for an e-commerce website, look at how much a shopping cart and order placement page cost. Look at how you can effectively have these made within your budget.

Remember, the functions you request come with costs. Always be sensitive. Give developers credit and compensation they are due.

2. Pick A CMS

Perform due diligence to gather CMS options so you can build your foundation. If you have prior knowledge and experience in managing a CMS, select one that you are already comfortable using.

Should you go by the website builder route, you can stay within budget by creating the website yourself. WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace are among the popular website builders you can choose from.

3. Cut Down Costs By Using Templates

Most website builders offer a set of free themes, plug-ins, and other templates. While it is tempting to install everything that you find useful, you have to determine only the ones aligned with your vision.

Pick a theme that represents your brand's character; the theme should be responsive, making it functional across all device types.

Integrate a plug-in that will allow you to automate processes. This will ensure ease of use for your website managers and your users.

Using a website builder's templates allows you to save time. This will also require minimal skill. Having such does away with the need to hire a specialist. Resorting to these measures cuts down costs on your production.

4. Cut The Fat

Integrating a lot of features and pages in your website results in two things: a slower loading time and a costly design. Combat both by grounding your website's functionalities to what it needs.

When it's unnecessary, remove it. It may be tempting to set up your website in a way that makes it multi-faceted and versatile. But when its performance suffers, it's time to kill your darlings.

You can always add your desired functions once your website earns. While you are just starting, subscribe to the basics first and let them work for your website.

5. Try Managing The Website Yourself

Content writing is better left in the hands of, well, content writers. As such, lucky is the website owner who also has a knack for writing. Assuming the role of content and copywriter ensures massive savings as you no longer have to hire a professional to create content.

And if we are talking about content in an e-commerce site, content management entails knowing how to add items to your gallery. You also have to know which payment platform you can trust to host your store. Setting this up means looking into several legalities and technicalities. For example, if you allow users to pay through their credit cards, you have to ensure strict PCI compliance.

Learning these things requires time, energy, and money. You can save in the latter by research and rigorous study. This is a cause conveniently served by the web. However, if you want to consult a mentor to facilitate your learning, you have to compensate the professional. To keep the costs at a minimum, distinguish what you can learn by yourself and what you think will prove challenging.

Building A Website Does Not Need To Be Rocket Science

If you have already decided on what type of website you want to build, aligning it with your vision will build its backbone. Having a solid idea of your website's purpose allows you to plot the production process and fix a non-negotiable budget.

You can keep the cost of building a website to a minimum if you can set clear parameters. If you stand by your plans and prevent yourself from succumbing to mere aesthetics to show off, then you are leading in the right direction.