Taking your business online is a step every business owner should consider taking if they want to have an opportunity to reach an entirely new audience, as well as to drastically improve their exposure and overall reputation. However, creating a business website isn’t an easy task and even people who have some experience in web development and website administration may have a difficult time taking the right decisions when it comes to building a business website.
A decade ago, it would be nearly impossible for the average business owner to build their website. This job used to require a lot of time, programming knowledge, and a long list of other skillsets. However, we live in a modern age, and nowadays there are many ways to create a website from scratch, even if you have never bothered to learn a programming language! Of course, some methods to build a business website may be more expensive, but the bigger investment will also bring you more features and flexibility that will certainly pay off in the long run. Thankfully, you also have the possibility to build a website entirely for free, but this may often limit your customization options as well as your website’s functionality. In this post, we’ll make our readers familiar with the top 5 ways to build a business website, and help them choose the method that best suits their needs and budget.
Free WordPress Hosting
WordPress is a platform that was originally meant to be used for blogging websites, but since it release almost a decade ago, it has become much more than a blogging platform. WordPress is an easy-to-use website hosting platform that can be tailored to turn into a high-quality business website. The free WordPress hosting offered by WordPress.com may be a good place to start building your first business website. The service offers a free hosting, free *.wordpress.com domain name, and an easy-to-setup WordPress installation. However, the free WordPress hosting comes with severe limitations – you may not use 3rd-party WordPress themes and plug-ins, and your storage space won’t be enough if you want to upload a large number of images or videos.
Managed WordPress Hosting
Managed WordPress Hosting isn’t free, but it isn’t that expensive as well! It offers much more flexibility than Free WordPress Hosting and allows you to easily change your website’s theme, add extra plug-ins and tamper with all files associated with WordPress. This may allow more tech-savvy users to manually edit sections of their website, add new features and design elements, etc. Managed WordPress Hosting is offered by many hosting providers who often charge as less as $10/month. Naturally, the offers of different hosting providers may vary so it is up to you to choose the one that best fits your needs and budget. Keep in mind that Managed WordPress Hosting rarely includes a free sub-domain/domain, so you may need to spend extra money on that.
Free Website Builders
Website builders like xprs imcreator are becoming more and more popular, and many of them can help you implement any kind of feature you want to see in your business website. Many free website builders also have paid subscription plans that may offer additional perks such as access to premium pre-made themes, added website functionality, more storage space, and unlimited traffic. However, starting with a free plan is always a good idea, because this way you can get familiar with the website builder’s capabilities and then decide whether it is worth the investment. Often, free website builders offer a free sub-domain name, but they may also allow their users to tie a dedicated domain to their website.
Paying Professional Web Developers
If you are serious about this, and you want your website to be the cream of the crop, then you need to look into paying professionals to design, develop and maintain your website. The cost of such services may reach thousands of dollars, but the result will be well worth it, and your website will certainly stand out. Keep in mind that paying professional web developers is costly, and you should carefully research your options, read user reviews, and find a reputable firm that will help you materialize your ideas for a business website.
Free Content Management Systems
Although WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems, there are many other platforms that you can build your business website on. Drupal and Joomla are great for a business website, and you can use Magento if to set-up a functional online store that for your products and services. Many web hosting providers may offer managed solutions for Joomla, Drupal, Magento and other popular website platforms, so you should check what they have to offer. Dedicated web hosting is another option that you may want to look into if you are planning to build a business website with the help of a content management system.
