Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Creating Your Site with the Pros

One way that entrepreneurs get ahead is by understanding their strengths and weaknesses: They focus on their strengths and have other people handle their weaknesses. Many people who want to operate their own online businesses aren't necessarily skilled Web site designers, and nothing is wrong with that. In the earlier section “You Can Do It! Make a Build-It-Yourself Site,” we outline tools and technologies that can help you create your own site. You can choose another approach, however: Make the investment to have a professional Web site designer create your business Web site. The right interactions and communications with a professional designer can fuel an excellent site, and can even improve your overall business model so that increased orders and higher visibility help you recover the time and money you spend.

Some people consult with professional designers to create their sites and then give the business owners the tools to maintain their sites without any additional help. Other business owners contract with professionals to create and maintain their sites so that the designers can introduce new styles and functions as their businesses progress. Either approach can be beneficial for your business. You should decide how much help you want, as either a onetime investment or an ongoing expense.

Seeking experience: Choosing the right Web site designer

Half the battle of finding a Web site designer is deciding that you need to hire one in the first ...