If you are reading this, you are either:
- A startup considering using a web design agency to build your website (wise) or
- A startup wondering if you should DIY your website (not a horrible choice, I will explain)
First things first, websites are very much like houses. You get big ones, and you get small ones.
If you have a big family, you need a big house. If it is just you, you can have a small place.
Your startup is like a newlywed couple.
Think of your startup as a newlywed couple looking for their first place to stay.
Most newlywed couples are head over heels in love with each other (somewhat similar to how you are in love with your brand new startup). Most newlywed couples don’t have a big budget for a home.
This is why newlyweds don’t move into large mansions on golf estates.
They cannot afford it, and even if they could make it work, it would not be a wise decision. Their budget probably should be spent on other things (like furniture, etc).
Just like the newlywed couple, you need to be very disciplined with your startup capital. You need to be 100% sure you spend your budget on the right things. Spend your budget on the wrong things and you’re dead in the water. Spend it on the right things, and you fast track your success.
Now, I don’t say the following lightly…
Your website will not be a silver bullet.
Whether you pay a high school kid R2 500, or R15 000 to a website design professional, your website won’t magically bring in new clients and big deals.
Building and launching a website is just the first step.
After the launch, you need to start marketing so that your potential clients can visit your new, beautiful website.
It is super important to stress here…
As a guideline, your marketing budget should be split 20% website, and 80% marketing. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!
Most startups mistake blowing their entire marketing budget on the website. What happens then?
We have all seen those deserted towns in the western movies with the tumbling weed rolling across the street. Is that what you want your website to be?
I don’t think so.
So…
If you have a marketing budget of more than R20 000, talk to a web design professional for help.
If you have a marketing budget of less than R20 000, go to Wix.com (roughly $9/month PLUS your time to build) or Squarespace.com (roughly $19/month PLUS your time to build) and build your website yourself. Yes, you can use these tools to make your website.
Will it be as good as when a professional does it?
Definitely not. You most likely do not have a design qualification and most likely haven’t heard of user experience, copywriting (writing actual advertising copy/words so that your client wants to work with you), user experience and SEO.
But that’s OK. If your budget is small, you can spend it more wisely than spending it all on a fancy website with all the bells and whistles.
You need to think like a newlywed couple. The newlyweds know that their first home will be a temporary one. Soon they will need more space, perhaps an extra room for a baby or three. In the same way, a Wix or Squarespace website won’t be your website forever.
But it can be the right “home” for your business for the early stages.
What are the exceptions?
If you want to start up an eCommerce shop, you should consider Shopify instead of Wix and Squarespace.
Still want to work with a professional?
So, you might be reading this as a serial entrepreneur. If this is not your first startup, you probably know what a good website can do to get your business ahead. Then I would suggest a Story Site.
If you feel like you don’t have the time to learn how to build a website, and you want to trust a professional to get you set up for success, Click Results have two ways to help.
Option 1: One-page website
- Great choice for those startups that needs a basic 1-pager.
- Setup Fee: R6 500
- Monthly Fee: R499pm
- Emails: R85pm per inbox
Option 2: One-day website
- Ideal for startups that need a 3- or 4- page website.
- Setup Fee: R15 000
- Monthly Fee: R699pm (incl hosting & routine maintenance of website)
- Emails: R85pm per inbox
**All prices are EX VAT
How many pages should be on my startup website?
Good question. It depends on what you do and your products/services. Some businesses have a smaller service offering that is less complex; others have more products and services and require more pages on their website.
Here is an exercise you can do:
- Create a blank Word document.
- Name it ‘MyStartupName Website Content Planning‘.
- Create headings for Home, About, Products/Services and Contact.
- Under each heading, add the information you would want to display on that page.
- If you complete the exercise, and you have 2 or less pages in your Word doc, a 1-Page Website is sufficient.
- If you have 3 or more pages in your Word doc, you should probably go with a 1-Day Website.
