How do you get a website?

Once you have defined what you need your website to do, it's time to think about how you're going to get what you need. There are essentially four options:

1. Build a website

   While it's true that almost anyone can put a functioning website together, the results will be much less than professional and, depending on the intended use, serviceable. There just is no viable option except to learn the languages and technologies you need. Typically, time constraints make this option unattractive.

2. Buy a website

   There are literally hundreds of thousands of people who would take your money for anything from a website in a can to a fully functioning 'live' site or a thousand other flavors in between. Most people looking to create a web site are woefully unprepared to make meaningful decisions when confronted with the unfamiliar terms that define the ability of any given website; even if they knew what terms to look for. Then, there's the question of who will administer the site once you've bought it, a truly daunting task given the state of most software documentation.

3. Hire a website developer

   At least now you are probably going to end up with a website that will fulfill your needs, but beware, there be dragons here, too. Hiring a developer doesn't make you any better equipped to make decisions regarding your website details. Questions of rights, hosting and maintenance loom beyond the primary questions of to what standards, if any, your website will be programmed, using what technologies and why it all matters in the first place.

4. Retain a website consultant

   Finally, a developer who understands the technology, standards and practices of the World Wide Web and is at your side to consult with you ensuring you get the website you need at a price that is reasonable. Consider XYZ company who paid their developer $5,000 for a software package anyone can get for free or ABC company who paid $75.00 a month to have their modest website hosted instead of the industry standard of $7.95 per month. My fee could be a small percentage of the money you save as a result of using my services.