The Affordable Website Solution For Small Businesses
1. Learn How To Code - This is probably out of the question. If you're like most small business owners and startups, you're plenty busy already. Taking hours to learn web technologies, database development, and server setup just isn't feasible.
2. Hire An Amateur - Hiring out your nephew or some other amateur web designer probably won't cut it either - you want something that looks professional and consistent across different browsers. Plus, they probably won't be around later when you need changes and updates done.
3. Use A Template - Template websites look like template website. You'll have the same website as your competitor down the street. Not to mention the design restrictions and page limitations that comes with templates. Template websites also require some coding knowledge as well as server side setup. They have no database backend for advanced website tools.
4. WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) Editors - Dreamweaver, FrontPage, etc. These editors cost a few hundred dollars up front to purchase and you have to install them on your local computer. You will still need to find someplace to host your website and learn some server side setup. They have no database backend for advanced website tools.
5. Online Website Builders - There are some online website builders, like Doodlekit, which have it all - at a very affordable price. No coding required. All-In-One tool that includes your website building, hosting, and domain procurement. Select layouts and color themes built with W3C compliant XHTML and CSS. Upload your own header image. Pick your own background patterns. Choose unique Title/Sub-Title fonts. Highly advanced backend database that allows you to create forms for collecting data, have a blog, open a forum, build a shopping cart, register users, add advanced security to your website, built in SEO website ranking tools for Google, Yahoo, and MSN web searches, and much more.
The obvious choice is option #5. Online website builders provide small businesses with well designed and solid/compliant websites for just a few bucks a month. Most have a free website builder you can try. That's the best bang for the buck your going to get!