Roots & Wings Online
If you have ever thought that it would be amazing to have a website for your business, recreation softball team, book club, or, well, anything, don’t wait! 2021 is the year to make it happen. Digital marketer and technology advisory committee member, Jason Walsh shares tips and resources on how to get started.
Anyone can build a website – anyone. And you should – now.
If you have ever thought that it would be amazing to have a website for your business, recreation softball team, book club, or, well, anything, don’t wait! 2021 is the year to make it happen.
Don’t wait until your business gets big enough to afford a developer. Get rid of that expensive contract with your agency and do it yourself. There are so many affordable (some are even FREE) tools out there to make creating your perfect website easy and painless – no designers or coding are needed.
The coronavirus lockdown has only increased our reliance on websites for everything from consumer products, to information, and even communication with our friends, family, and coworkers. Accenture recently published research that found that people in 2021 are 36% more likely to visit a company’s website than they were prior to the lockdown. That’s 36% more likely. Let’s face it, in today’s world we expect there to be a website for everything. Well, why not? A well thought out website makes research and buying incredibly convenient.
Get all the benefits of a website without spending a fortune
Website builders, like Wix and Weebly, offer a point and click interface, in a low-cost integrated platform. These builders can enable you to get your new website up and running in a matter of minutes.
Here are some of the highest rated website builders available to you:
For beginners
Advanced & customizable
Free basic options
Best for ecommerce
Questions to ask yourself when choosing a website builder
- What will my site do? Who are the people who visit my site?
This is the most critical question to answer. Some web builders are better than others for certain types of sites. Are you selling a product or service? Are you attracting a following to your content through a blog or photography? By establishing what you’d like your visitors to do on your website you can prioritize the features and plugins that you’ll need from your builder. - How much time do I have to build my site? How much control do I want over the design and user experience?
While some website builders are easier to use than others, most will have many options and plug-ins to let you build out your site as detailed as you like. Some are more out-of-the-box than others which allow for much more detailed customization. The key here is your willingness to spend the time learning how the builder works and creating the content including the verbiage, photography and video. - What is my budget?
All these builders should cost less than hiring a developer or paying an advertising agency. Figure out what you need and find a builder that works at a price that fits your budget. For most small businesses, hobbyists, group organizers, bloggers and influencers, these options should more than suffice to delight and deliver what you want to convey to your visitors. Even free options like Google Sites can service some website needs – albeit with very limited capabilities.
Check out one, or all these site builders today. Most of them have free options or free demos to try before you buy. See for yourself just how easy it has become to build a website with a great look and a great experience. Don’t wait – this is your year!
Jason Walsh is a digital marketer and a member of LARCS' Technology Advisory Committee.
