Can’t afford to hire a web designer?

This is probably going to seem like an odd post coming from someone who can only afford rent if people pay them to build websites, but sometimes you don’t actually need to hire a professional to get online.

Every so often someone will reach out to me to get a quote, only to realise they were expecting a very unrealistic price for a week of my time. Instead of sending them away with nothing, I always find myself giving advice on how they could get something online themselves with the right tools.

I thought it’d make a useful post there in case there are other people in the same situation.

How to get online with a microscopic budget

When your website budget is less than £50, all you can realistically afford is your domain name, basic hosting and some privacy protection. Thankfully there are free website builders available from providers like Wix or Weebly.

Some hosting providers also have tools for creating websites, which are free when you purchase a domain or hosting with them. You could even use Mailchimp to create a landing page for your newsletter sign-up form if all you need is a place to collect customer details.

Here are some places to get started on a few platforms:

Free plans usually mean that you’ll always have something in your website footer to say where you built the site, but that seems like a fair trade for a free website.

How to build a website with a small budget

What I’d recommend doing if you have a really small budget is to try setting your own site up using the WordPress content management. You can buy themes from themeforest.net and there’s usually one-click demo importers which set up the site with the demo content that you can then adapt.

Where to host your WordPress website

The first two external links in the below list are affiliate links, which just means I get a small commission if you make a purchase through them.

If you decide to go down the WordPress route, these are the hosting providers I recommend:

I’m sure there are plenty of decent hosts out there, but these ones I’ve worked with and have found are great in terms of tools, speed, backups, helpful articles and customer support.

You can find their guides to setting up WordPress here:

Alternatives to WordPress

The reason I recommend setting yourself up with WordPress is that when you have some more revenue and can afford to make improvements, WordPress is a great platform to expand your website on.

If you’d rather not deal with hosting companies and plugin updates though, there are other platforms available where you won’t have to worry about any of that. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Squarespace from my creative friends who don’t consider themselves to be ‘techy’, and I think Shopify is a great ecommerce platform with loads of free themes that will get you started.

Take a look at the Shopify theme store to get a good idea of the free and premium themes available there.

One final note

Now I know that some people will wonder what the point would be in hiring a professional web designer at all if there are DIY options available. We can probably what happens when their boiler or car breaks, or if they need a shop refit and all the tools to do the job are available to buy online.

There are certain times when doing something yourself to save money is perfectly fine, but advice from a trusted professional is invaluable. If you don’t have the money for a new website, consider booking a half-day consultation instead and getting advice from someone who can work out what you need and the best steps to take next.