If you’re starting a new business, you’re going to need a website. Whether you’re selling online or mainly going to be dealing with the public face-to-face, a strong online presence is imperative. Along with being active on social media and listing your business in online directories, your website will be the central part of your online presence and provide your existing and potential customers with important information about your company. But, creating a website can be one of the bigger initial expenses. So, what can you do?
Borrowing Money:
If you’re just starting out in business, you might want to consider the option of borrowing funds to get your website started. If you’re applying for a business loan or small business funding, be sure to include the cost of getting a website set up. If you’re going down the route of having it professionally developed, then get a few quotes before you apply for funding, so that you can determine how much you will need. If your business doesn’t require much startup funding and you are largely financing it with your own money, personal loans can help you cover the cost of a website. A business credit card can also be an ideal option for funding a website.
Pay Monthly Options:
More and more web designers and developers are offering clients the option to pay monthly rather than all upfront, which can be a better option if you’re just starting out and expect to get regular business in order to cover the cost. You will likely be required to pay an upfront cost or deposit to begin with and then a monthly fee, which covers maintenance and updates. Sometimes this may also include the cost of other things like hosting and a domain name, which can be easier than having to pay for everything individually.
DIY Website Platforms:
If you’re quite creative and understand how websites work, you might be considering the option of doing it yourself. There are plenty of great DIY website platforms out there that you can use to achieve this. If you want it to be as easy as possible, options like Squarespace, Wix, and even WordPress.com have a wide range of ready-made themes that you can use and customise to your business. Or if you want to start from scratch, try an option like Shopblocks where there are no templates and you get to start with a blank canvas.
Look Out for Deals and Offers:
Whether it’s a professional web designer or a website platform that you can use to build your own, there will be plenty of deals and offers that you can take advantage of in order to make getting your website up and running cheaper. Look out for new web designers who might be offering special deals and discounts to help them get their portfolio started.
Getting a website for your business can often be one of the bigger initial expenses, but it doesn’t have to cost you tons.
