A website is now more than just information that exists on the Internet and is rarely accessed. Often companies even generate a large part of their sales with such a website. Another example are online shops that sell and sell products to end users exclusively via a website represent what is known as a digital business model .
Such a website has become standard for companies and should not be missing in any company. On the one hand, it serves as an information channel for shops and bars, for example, on opening times and how to get there, as well as for companies with their own Products or services as a sales channel .
Agencies are often expensive
When you ask an agency the price of a website, they often get very high prices and you don’t understand why it is so expensive. An agency will work out requirements for the website in a workshop according to your ideas and map all of your company’s important interfaces and processes. This type of project planning and implementation starts at costs of € 5,000 and can also amount to several tens of thousands of euros for large website projects.
But do companies really need such a customized website or can it be based on existing frameworks and thus save several thousand euros in costs?
Website are now inexpensive to create
Most online shops and websites are based on existing systems. In the case of online shops, these are like Magento, WooCommerce, Shopware or Shopify. In the case of smaller web shops, you can also use systems such as those from WIX and Jimdo. Shop kits are available on the web from € 20 per month.
Use existing CMS systems
The CMS (Content Management Systems) WordPress, Joomla, Typo3 or Drupal are used for existing websites. WordPress is now the most popular Content management system for creation from websites and blogs. With the systems mentioned, a company can create a website with almost no programming knowledge.
The programming language PHP provides the technical basis. The data is saved in a MySQL or MariaDB database. But don’t worry: you won’t notice much of it. You use the software via a clear interface and can manage and organize content such as texts and images and publish them on the Internet.
CMS systems need a hosting provider
Shared hosting is the most common and cheapest form of web hosting. This is often found in a web project that is not very complex. A company finds itself on a server with many others and shares the performance and resources. This is the cheap variant of web hosting.
This type is almost always sufficient for a website with a CMS system and up to 50,000 visitors. As already mentioned, many pages also run under the CMS WordPress, which is the market leader. There are special WordPress hosters for this. For example, some hosters offer a dedicated WordPress solution with automatic installation. The price starts at 4.95 euros per month. So you need a common CMS and hosting service. You can find a good overview of such services on this page. There are not many requirements for a good hoster, especially for WordPress. The advantage is that you can choose the cheaper providers.
Websites with the website builder
As the term “construction kit” suggests, it is a type of software that a company can easily use can put together their own website . In summary, such website builders are very simple and actually offer basic options for simple websites.
Meanwhile, the market for website builders such as Jimdo, Strato, 1 and 1, Wix and many more is booming. The prices are very diverse and there are numerous providers. The prices range from free (often with advertising) to 100 euros. You can now choose from the many providers how much you want to pay and which functions should be included.
The finished templates and templates are a particular advantage. Without any programming knowledge, a website can be quickly created on the basis of existing templates. Examples are a small café or a bike shop. You will receive existing images and areas with sample texts. In general, it is often not necessary to reinvent the wheel, but to build on existing experience.
Advantages and disadvantages of website construction kits
The advantages are that you don’t have to worry about a lot and actually hardly have any effort. The disadvantage, however, is that without prior knowledge you often do not know which guidelines are necessary in the creation of homepages. Be it call to action or perfect SEO optimization. Beginners are often in the dark here. Call to Action is an “invitation to action” such as booking an appointment in your own barber shop or contacting an agency for an initial consultation. SEO optimization means optimizing a page according to Google’s guidelines. This has the effect that the page is found much easier and thus more visitors come to the website and examine the company’s services.
What is also often a neglected area is the establishment of a homepage and the adaptation to the customer. A homepage must first be coordinated with the customer and offer him exactly the information he or she needs. The site also needs some effort to get ahead in Google and achieve top rankings.
Buy a finished homepage as an alternative
Often, after a while, companies no longer need their own website and want to sell it at a profit. Buying a website means building on the success of your predecessor and being able to use that knowledge. The website may also already have its first top placements and the creator can provide valuable information.
There are some marketplaces that specialize in buying and selling websites. The websites are offered in the form of classified ads and prices vary . It is important to find a good offer here and negotiate well . But the effort can be worth it.
Conclusion
A website is important for companies and is indispensable. Companies need to think hard about such a website. Companies are often put off by agencies and believe that a homepage is always expensive. But a website can now be created cheaply using so-called content management systems. Homepage building kits or the purchase of an existing website are an alternative. No matter how you decide, the way to your own website does not have to be expensive and difficult. It is now very easy to create your own website. It’s best to try out one of the many free website builders to get started. You will see how easy it is.
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