Hiring a Freelancer to build a website for your small business

If you are going to consider hiring a freelancer to build your small business website, let’s weigh the pros and cons and see if this option is the right fit for your business needs!

Advantages

• • Cost-effective – Hiring a freelancer is less expensive compared to hiring a web development agency. Freelancers typically have lower overhead costs, meaning they can offer you more affordable rates.

• • Flexibility – Freelancers are typically more flexible in terms of their work arrangements. They can often work remotely and at times that are more convenient for you, which is a great advantage for small business owners who are short on time.

• • Customization – Usually, a freelance web developer is willing to customize your website design and development as per your needs and requirements.

Disadvantages

• • Limited expertise – Freelancers may not have the same level of experience and technical expertise as an agency. So you should ensure that they have sufficient experience in building websites for small businesses.

• • Reliability Issues – Freelancers are not committed to your project exclusively, which could result in unreliable communication and missed deadlines if they have multiple clients at the same time.

• • Lack of Support – Unlike agencies, freelancers do not have a dedicated support team to handle technical issues or updates on your website once it’s been launched.

Although there are always downsides to every decision, if you’ve ultimately determined that hiring a freelancer is the right move for your business, make sure to consider these key factors:

1. 1. Portfolio
      Before hiring a freelancer, take a look at their portfolio to see if their style and experience match your needs. Look for evidence of previous work that’s similar to what you’re looking for, whether that’s in terms of design style, functionality or industry.
      
      
   2. Communication Skills
      As your freelancer will be your main point of contact throughout the project, it’s important to ensure they have strong communication skills. They need to understand your requirements, be clear in their communication, and be responsive when it comes to feedback, questions, and concerns.
      
      
   3. Technical Competency
      Look for a freelancer who has the appropriate technical skills and expertise required for your website project. It’s best to look for someone who specializes in the technology or platform you need, such as WordPress, HTML, or Shopify so that they can deliver the best quality work.
      
      
   4. Testimonials and Reviews
      Check for testimonials and reviews of their work from previous clients. This can give you an indication of their skills and work ethic and help you make a more informed decision.
      
      
   5. Availability
      Freelance web developers often work on multiple projects, so make sure your preferred freelancer is available to start and complete your project within the timeline you agree on.
      
      
   6. Pricing
      Price is obviously an important consideration, but it’s also important to balance budget constraints with experience and quality. Ensure you get a clear understanding of the total cost of the project, including any taxes or additional expenses, before hiring a freelancer.

Now, if you’re feeling confident and want to save some money, let’s move on to the option of building your small business website yourself.

Building your business website through DIY

Creating a website for your new business can be both exciting and daunting. Managing the technical and design elements of your site while also considering elements such as product arrangement and checkout flow is a lot to undertake.

Luckily, there are affordable website builders out there geared toward small business owners. Your website creation process can be as simple or as involved as you’d like with the right tools at hand.

We’ve taken care of the hard part and compiled a list of website builders suitable for various business types, including the cost – so you can relax and choose the one that fits your budget and business needs.

5 of the best website builder for  every business type

1. Squarespace

The most suitable website builder for creating a professional website.

Squarespace aims to offer beginner-friendly website creation for businesses. Their basic plan permits setting up a 20-page website and comes with a free one-year custom domain.

Being hosted helps with staying updated, and having SSL certificates, analytics, and eCommerce features. This package allows for selling various products and accepting donations.

Additional plans offer inventory management, accounting, advanced checkout functions, cart recovery, and eCommerce reporting.

Pricing

• • Personal – $16/month (if paid annually), $23/month (if paid monthly)
  • Business – $23/month (if paid annually), $33/month (if paid monthly)
  • Basic Commerce – $27/month (if paid annually), $37/month (if paid monthly)
  • Advanced Commerce – $49/month (if paid annually), $65/month (if paid monthly)

*Every plan offers different advantages and services.

2. Shopify

The most suitable website builder for small businesses looking for an all-in-one eCommerce solution.

Shopify is a comprehensive subscription-based commerce tool suitable for online stores of any size or experience. It offers features like custom domain names, web hosting, high storage and bandwidth allowances, and free marketing services for email, chat, and social media.

Shopify also helps businesses reach wider audiences by selling via various online sites. The platform is user-friendly, with an intuitive website builder, and an extensive support network.

Its customizable templates and over 4,000 integrated tools provide flexibility and offer eCommerce reporting and analytics.

Pricing

• • Lite – $9/month
  • Basic – $29/month
  • Standard – $79/month
  • Advanced – $299/month

*Every plan offers different advantages and services.

3. Wix

The most suitable website builder for making small websites quickly and easily.

Wix provides plenty of features at all subscription tiers, like over 800 templates, thousands of clip art and icons, an app market for further customization, plus SEO, email capture, and marketing tools.

The platform also hosts hundreds of customizable templates that make creating a website in minutes easy.

Plus, some versions offer the ability to translate your website into different languages.

Pricing

• • Free – $0
  • Combo – $16/month
  • Unlimited – $22/month
  • Pro – $27/month
  • VIP – $45/month
  • Business Basic – $27/month
  • Business Unlimited – $32/month
  • Business VIP – $59/month
  • Enterprise – $500+ /month

Every plan offers different advantages and services.

4. Weebly

*The most suitable free website builder for small business owners.

With Weebly, small business owners can get a website up and running without having to pay for hosting. Its free plan includes a subdomain and ads – making it the perfect option for those who don’t need their own domain name.

It also offers features like a drag-and-drop interface, customizable themes, bulk product editor, coupon creator, mobile optimization, advanced inventory management, real-time shipping rates tool, product search plus integrations with PayPal, Stripe, or Square.

With its easy-to-use interface and ability to customize colors, fonts, video backgrounds, and animation – even allowing users to edit HTML/CSS – Weebly provides the perfect solution for creating an online presence on a budget.

Pricing

• • Free – $0
  • Personal – $13 for a monthly plan, $120 for an annual plan
  • Professional – $16 for a monthly plan, $144 for an annual plan
  • Performance – $29 for a monthly plan, $320 for an annual plan

*Every plan offers different advantages and services.

5. WordPress

The most suitable website builder for experienced developers.

WordPress offers immense creative control, plus free open-source software that’s constantly upgraded.

It may be difficult to use at first, but its powerful customization capabilities offer great value. You can also benefit from a range of features such as e-commerce plug-ins like WooCommerce, live chat customer support, and more.

Highly customizable even without coding knowledge – though HTML knowledge helps – though you may have to pay someone for more complex designs.

Pricing

• • Free – $0
  • Personal – $4/month (if paid annually), $9/month (if paid monthly)
  • Premium – $8/month (if paid annually), $18/month (if paid monthly)
  • Business – $25/month (if paid annually), $40/month (if paid monthly)
  • Commerce – $45/month (if paid annually), $70/month (if paid monthly)

*Every plan offers different advantages and services.

If you’re not comfortable building your own website DIY-style, you may want to look into hiring an agency that can handle the task for you. Let’s find out more about this!

Hiring an Agency to build your business website

For many small businesses, hiring an agency to build their website can be the best choice. These professionals have the knowledge and resources required to give you a modern, stylish website that functions according to your needs.

When you hire an agency, they’ll typically handle the entire process from start to finish. They’ll analyze the design of other websites in your industry and develop a unique site plan that suits your company’s brand and values.

Additionally, they’ll make sure it has all the necessary features, including shopping carts and contact forms. With an increasingly competitive online landscape, hiring an agency to create a business website is invaluable for any small business looking for success in 2023.

But,

Despite these advancements, countless small businesses remain challenged by the task of developing an eye-catching and efficient website. These are some of their most common obstacles:

• • Working Capital – many small business owners simply don’t have the extra 5-10k for a premium website.

• • Contracts – small business owners are rarely the benefactors of contracts, and agencies love contracts.

• • Trust – small business owners like to work with people they can trust, and many times like to talk with the same person.

So, before you decide to hire an agency for your website’s development, here are key characteristics that you should take into account:

• • Skilled professionals capable of constructing a modern, stylish website that meets your needs

• • Customizable plans tailored to suit your company’s brand and values

• • Technical services, such as shopping carts and contact forms

• • Industry experience and knowledge are necessary to create a website that stands out in competitive markets

There are a lot of agencies out there, what makes Next Level Web Design different? Other than being the best there are also these reasons:

• • NEW Website | Fully designed
  • Premium Hosting
  • CDN (Content Delivery Network) For Speed
  • Security & Malware protection + Recovery
  • WordPress Core Updates (patches & security)
  • Theme & Plugin Updates (patches & security)
  • Browser & Platform Compatibility
  • Daily Backups + Recovery
  • Content Updates
  • Optional Google Analytics Reporting
  • NO CONTRACTS

What about trust?

We’re here for you each step of the way. Reach out to us and we can answer your questions, discuss your needs over a cup of coffee, or provide personalized support. We don’t do contracts so that we can keep our promise of delivering the highest quality service available. Our job is to earn your trust, not tie you down!