How easy is it to set up your own website? And, even if it is, should you do it?

Davide Cellaso recently asked me how long it would take a newbie (his word) to set up their own website and whether it was even possible. I know I’m going to catch hell for this one, but, if you can use Excel, PowerPoint or Word, you can definitely create your own site (though, I’d understand if you can’t use Word). That’s right, if you’re computer literate and willing to learn a little bit, it’s very possible. You may even be pleased with the results. That’s not to say you’ll be an expert right out of the box. You won’t. Nor does it mean that everything will be simple (What, and you think Microsoft Word is simple?!?) But it’s better to have a site that you build yourself than no site at all.

Of course this comes with a few serious caveats:

1. I’m only talking about a very simple website. A home page with a description of your business, some contact information and a couple of images should be within the capabilities of almost anyone these days. Whether you use a blogging platform or an online site builder, these tools work for basic sites. Even adding an entry-level shopping cart like Shopify or eBay ProStores isn’t too hard. But I wouldn’t expect – or attempt – much beyond that, at least at first.
2. Focus on your customers’ needs. I can’t emphasize this enough. What is your customer looking for when they come to your site? An address? A phone number or email? A listing of your services? Don’t waste your customers’ time with animated splash pages or similar nonsense. Just put the information your customers care about in front of them and leave the rest for when they ask for it.
3. You should definitely use your own domain. As your business grows, you may want to move the site to a more robust solution and you don’t want your business tied to someone else’s domain. Actually, you don’t want that at the beginning, either. For less than $10 a year, it’s worth the money. What if you don’t know what a domain is or why you should have one? All the answers are right here.
4. Please pick a theme that fits your corporate image. And please don’t tell me your corporate image looks like some teenager’s MySpace page. Pick something simple, with an easy-to-read font (I beg you not to use Comic Sans or Papyrus). Pick a theme with fewer than 5 colors and make sure those colors are ones your significant other would let you wear together when leaving the house. This isn’t the time to play “dress-up.” Just choose something clean and simple. You – and your customers – will be glad you did.
5. Ask yourself whether it’s worth it to you to get some help. The one question I can’t answer for you is whether you should do this by yourself in the first place. If a simple site (I know, I keep saying that), that uses a standard design and provides your customers with basic information about your business will help you meet your goals, by all means, go ahead and do it. You can always upgrade as your business grows. Again, it’s better to have a simple site than no site at all. If you want more than that, don’t be afraid to consult a professional.

If you don’t have a website for your business already, you should. Period. And enough simple tools exist that you can do this by yourself if you choose to. Just go with something simple and focus on answering your customers’ questions. The rest is just details. Will it prepare you to go head-to-head with Amazon? Um… no. But it will help you go face-to-face with your customer. And that’s all that really matters.

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