If you've been putting off getting your first website (or upgrading your outdated one) because you don't know where to begin, here's how a website is built - the Good Publicity way!¹

 

STEP 1. We discuss what you want your website to achieve, how you want it to look, and whether you want it to be 'responsive' to suit small screen Internet devices like smartphones and tablets.

 

It’s helpful to show me other websites, or features on them, that you like.

 

STEP 2. I plan the site map (the page-by-page rundown, including content summaries), and email it to you for approval or revisions.

 

STEP 3. I email you a cost and delivery quotation for providing and uploading the content onto your website.

 

STEP 4. After receiving the deposit (50 percent of my total fee), you authorise me to be your website project manager and editor in consultation with you.

 

STEP 5. You book the website build with a web designer, based on my delivery quotation. It's your decision because you’ll be paying the web designer independently, however I’m happy to advise you based on my experience with numerous web designers.

 

If you don’t have a preferred web designer, or you're not happy with the one who built your existing website, then I can tender your job to a number of professional web designers.

 

Normally the web designer makes the Internet hosting arrangements, such as registration or transfer of your domain name(s) and email address(es) attached to your domain name. You’ll need to provide various information (eg. contact details) for this.

 

Generally I recommend own-your-own websites built on the major 'open source' content management systems such as Wordpress, Joomla! and Drupal. These websites can be custom-designed to your requirements, revised by many web designers worldwide, and are less expensive than 'rented' websites in the long run. Lesser-known open source platforms may work satisfactorily, but if you need to change designers for any reason then it might be hard to find one who's familiar with your particular platform.

'Rented' websites are, as the name suggests, paid periodically. Despite their lower start-up costs compared to own-your-own websites, they can have significant disadvantages:

• the overall design, including the crucial Home page, is usually restricted to lookalike modular templates;
• the content management system is unique to that designer, so you'll probably have to cut and paste your content if you decide to take your website elsewhere;
• according to one of my SEO experts, search engines downgrade third party websites' rankings; and
• if the company goes under, your website and its content may go with it.

 

STEP 6. I obtain reference material from you and other sources, write the copy (text), and submit it to you for approval or revisions.

 

I also compile the visual images (photos and illustrations), and format them for uploading onto your website. Visual images from external sources (eg. photographers, artists or other website owners) must be authorised for use on your website.

 

STEP 7. I email the content to the web designer, who designs several templates: one with features that appear on every page (eg. background, top banner, navigation menu, footer, side columns); Home page; Contact page with an email form; image and/or video gallery; general content page (ie. text and images); and any other pages that can’t be added using the content management system (CMS) editor.

 

With a conventional own-your-own website (ie. not a pay-as-you-go one), additional general content pages and galleriy albums can be created using the CMS at any time and for no cost, providing they don't exceed the website's upload capacity.

 

STEP 8. The web designer emails sample template images, or hypertext links to an offline website, to you and me for approval or revisions.

 

STEP 9. The web designer builds the website framework offline.

 

STEP 10. I upload the content onto the offline website, using the CMS.

 

STEP 11. You check the offline website to make sure that you're happy with it.

 

STEP 12. The web designer makes your website 'live' (online).

 

CONSTRUCTION TIME

How long is a piece of string?!  All jokes aside, the time required to build a website depends mainly on:

• the amount of information to be sourced, prepared and uploaded;
• how high you prioritise the project; and
• the web designer's workload (see Costs, below).

 

If you're prompt in providing required information, such as your CV or product/service details, and returning my email/phone queries, then your new website can be online in a matter of weeks. Click here to read about a website build that only took a fortnight from go to whoa!

 

But if other things get in the way, then the project can drag on for months. The ball's in your court.

 

COSTS²

Domain name registration: Pocket money - approx. $A10-15/year for each domain name. Beware of rip-off merchants!

 

Internet hosting: Not enough to worry about - approx. $A20-75/year with reliable hosts, depending on the bandwidth (the amount of data uploaded onto your website) and upload speed.

 

Design & construction: As with most service organiosations, this varies greatly. SOHO web designers are generally at the bottom of the price spectrum, while companies with downtown offices and staff programmers and graphic designers tend to be at the top end.

 

In my experience, professional sole traders charge around $1000-3000, depending on size and features, for a conventional 'brochure' website built on a major open-source platform like Wordpress, Joomla! or Drupal. Add $300-1000 for e-commerce. For a company-designed website the cost rises to c.$3000-5000 , with $1000-2000 for e-commerce. In both cases, some web designers charge a fair price for a fair day’s work, while others charge as if the 1990s 'dotcom bubble' never burst!

 

Assuming that both of those websites are technically equal, the price difference comes down to graphic design and aftersale service. Sole trader web designers may have limited artistic skills, while larger companies usually have at least one graphic design specialist. And sole traders are more susceptible to unavailability due to work overload or personal commitments, while larger companies are generally more dependable.

 

As I mentoned in STEP 5, above, a 'rented' website that costs a periodic fee, and in some cases a fee for additional pages, can be more expensive than an own-your-own one in the long run.

 

A conventional website can have more pages added without extra charge (except for the content) until the website's storage limit is reached. Normally that isn't a factor unless you're thinking in terms of thousands of pages.

 

Content copywriting and uploading: This cost also varies greatly among copywriters!

 

It isn't possible to quote a standard price per website or even per page, because they're all different. I charge $60/hour + GST, and quote a price for each job.

 

WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

Good Publicity, of course! My professional background in the media and corporate communications is tailor-made for website management.

 

I look after websites for organisations and professionals in industries ranging from retailing to professional sport (see my Clients page). When I manage a new website project, I make sure that it communicates effectively without costing the owner any more than it should.

 

After your website goes online, I can manage it on a pay-as-you-go basis for $A15²/15min. or a Bonus Saver Plan starting from $A100²/month for three hours.

 

Good Publicity is located in Guildford, six kilometres south of Parramatta in the heart of Greater Sydney, NSW. No matter what industry you're in, or wherever you are in Australia or overseas, you can be assured of prompt, professional and affordable service.

 

Contact Good Publicity to discuss your website requirements.

 

FOOTNOTES

¹ This guide contains general information only. Every website is different, so the process and costs may vary accordingly.

² Costs are estimates only, and unless specified otherwise they exclude Australian GST and other after-sales taxes.