Website Options 101 – A Quick Overview

There are LOTS of options for creating websites nowadays. As a new site owner you're most likely looking for one that's appealing, effective, reasonably priced and easy to use. For many people the best option is a hosted content management site they can log in to from anywhere and update using simple, web-based tools. For others a good choice might be learning some html and working with self-hosted Wordpress site. What’s best for you? Let's take a look.

Option A: Freebie
You can create a free site yourself using blogging services such as Blogger.com, Wordpress.com, TypePad.com or a website service like Google Sites.

• Pros: Free, lots of templates to chose from.
• Cons: Can be less professional looking, customization is limited and most are ad-supported.

Tip: You can pay an annual fee to remove the ads on these services but be sure to compare prices. On a recent TypePad site I found that going ad-free costs about $15 per month. When you add in the domain name cost of $20/year and their email plan it worked out to about $20 per month for a service which they are hiring me to help them with because it’s too hard to use. For $29 per month they could have a very easy to use, customizable site, which would make much better sense for their business needs.
Summary: A freebie site is a great option for a novice who is willing to roll up their sleeves and learn and who doesn't require a highly unique or customized site.
Option B: Self-hosted Content Management System (CMS) Site – WordPress/Drupal/Joomla/Etc.
These are sites built by downloading, installing, configuring and customizing free, open-source website/blogging content management system software. They are typically hosted on shared server hosting at about $8 per month.

• Pros: Inexpensive monthly hosting. Most are highly customizable and Wordpress in particular offers thousands of free or inexpensive templates (themes) and plug-ins. Your data is portable and can be moved from one hosting provider to another.
• Cons: Running a WordPress/Drupal/Joomla/etc. site is not for the technologically faint of heart. Because the software is open-source it is continually evolving both to add function and to maintain security. The site owner must be prepared to perform (or hire out) the maintenance, which includes loading time-sensitive security patches, taking back ups, and working with plug-ins. The learning curve is steep. If you need help, Wordpress is a common platform and developers charge around $60/hr. Be aware that Drupal and Joomla developers can charge over $100 per hour.

Tip: Not long ago I helped a WordPress client whose site had been shut down by their hosting company and blacklisted by Google. The client had failed to load a security patch and the site had been hacked with malicious code. It took us weeks to get everything working properly again and get un-blacklisted. Take the maintenance seriously.

Summary: A self-hosted content management system site can be a good solution if you're willing to handle the maintenance yourself or hire a pro.
Option C: Hosted Content Management System site – Weebly/Dashboard/Ning/SquareSpace and others
These sites are created on a hosted website platform, sometimes referred to as "software as service". Rather than downloading free software and running it on your own server, you pay a monthly fee to access the system where your site is built and hosted. These sites are backed by companies with developers and support staff who continually work to improve the system and keep it secure. Your monthly fee frees you from worries about database backups and security patches.

• Pros: You get a custom site within a quick turnaround time that’s ready to use. It is search engine optimized automatically and comes with lots of built-in features like blogs, calendars, photo slideshows, video support and e-commerce. It’s automatically backed up, you never need to worry about security patches or upgrades. You can update the site yourself from any computer at any time with no special knowledge or software. Set up cost is about the same as the two options above but you save money and time every month in being able to maintain the site yourself.
• Cons: The hosting is typically more per month than shared server hosting. For example, a 10 page Dashboard site costs $29/month, a user-centric Ning site costs $25/month. However, there are entry-level plans starting as low as $3 per month. Also, your site is less portable because it's built on that system's software.

Tip: When comparing costs you can think of a site in terms of set up + creation + implementation + ongoing fees. Hosted CMS sites cost about the same to set up and a bit more per month, but you save money in being able to update your site yourself and you prevent a lot of hassles.Summary: Hosted content management system websites are my favorite kinds of sites for most clients. After using them for several years now I believe they offer the best combination of price, scalability, effectiveness and ease of use.
Option D: Custom HTML site
These are sites built from scratch by a developer usually in xhtml and css (or a database language such as php) and are hosted on shared server hosting (Blue Host, GoDaddy, Network Solutions or one of those services).

• Pros: Inexpensive monthly hosting costs – usually about $8 a month, sometimes less depending on the options. Also, you can have any kind of site since it’s built just for you.
• Cons: Your options for maintaining the site are to request changes through the developer or you can purchase html editing software (Dreamweaver is the industry standard) and learn how to use it. Very few hosting companies offer an online website editor which works well, although that is changing all the time so I keep hoping!

Summary: A custom site might be a good fit if you have very particular specifications or require a highly customized site. While these used to be the norm, in my practice these have been replaced by content management system sites which cost less, can be up & running faster and are easier to use.
Putting It All Together
The options put forth here are based on what I’ve learned in working with over 300 sites since 2003. As you can guess, my best recommendation for small business owners is usually a hosted content management system site, but no two people or businesses are alike so the solution depends on your particular needs.
For most of my clients, loading security patches and learning html is not their idea of fun. It makes more sense for them to get a website that’s easy to work with and worry-free so that they can focus on writing compelling copy, getting great photos, and developing their marketing. The extra cost per month in hosting is quickly recovered in the time you save in being able to quickly and easily work with your site - especially in being able to promote it with search engine marketing.
I see a lot of sites that are seldom updated because the owner can’t remember how to work with the site and can’t afford to hire help. This dramatically reduces the site’s effectiveness for search engine optimization, not to mention the fun of having a site. I believe that the hosted content management system sites offer the best combination of value, scalability, and ease of use. They provide a great foundation to build a business upon. If you’re interested in trying out a free demo, just drop me a line.
There are more options and details than listed here of course, my goal is to peel away hype and complexity and give you simple, useful options you can immediately put into action. I'm here to motivate you to take the first step and help as you learn ... and there’s never been a better time to jump in. Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments and feedback!
Specifics referenced:
If you are looking to start a freebie blogging site, I recommend Wordpress.
If you are looking for high quality, inexpensive shared server hosting I use and recommend Blue Host.. You get a free domain ($12 value) with their $6.95/mo. hosting. I’m proud to be an affiliate and recommend them because of their stellar support.
If you are looking for an easy to use hosted content management system site I recommend Dashboard, again based on ease of use and terrific support.
One More Getting Started Idea:
If you are interested in just setting up a Facebook Business Page to begin with, I offer an inexpensive FaceBook Start Up package that is a quick and easy way to get online in no time.