Do-It-Yourself Guide

What To Expect

Though every web designer thinks that having no site is better than a bad website, sometimes a website isn't in the current budget. So many single owner small businesses try to do it themselves with mixed results.

This is my guide to how it teach someone to create a passable website with minimal budget for those who need to do it themselves.

Defining Passable

Passable means that the site accomplishes its goal. Passable means that visually the site doesn't seem amateurish to any customers that aren't in the design field.

If the site doesn't accomplishes its goal, i.e. you're selling an product or service, and you can't attribute a single sale to your website, then your site has failed.

If your customers think your site is amateurish and unprofessional and therefore that reflects in the way you do business, i.e. service is also unprofessional, then the site has failed.

This guide is to help create a successful site, and design is the least of the issues.

Professional vs Do-It-Yourself

As far as skill level goes, I rank creating a business website at the same skill level as tiling your bathroom. Even though most people can do it, it doesn't mean they can do it well.

Skills have to be learned. To tile, you have to know how to use a tile saw and to be able to cut straight edges with it. For a website, you'll have to know basic HTML, it's unavoidable. It's like trying to tile your bathroom and hoping that all the pre-fabricated tiles will fit exactly what you need. That's not going to happen.

In this guide, I'll be teaching you how to find and use free templates. However, the chances that a pre-fabricated website will fit exactly what you need isn't going to happen. You will have to get your hands dirty.

Do-It-Yourself Aesthetics

My bathroom is nothing special. The bathroom is okay looking. I don't think it's ugly, but it certainly isn't going to be winning any interior design awards.

For artistry, people hire interior designers and web designers. Unless you have a flair for design, then your do-it-yourself website will also be nothing special. Expect this in your final product.

The purpose of your do-it-yourself website is to make sure it works and avoid making a "bad" website. Your site doesn't have to win awards to do it's job.

Next: Getting Started