If you don’t have a website, here is what I would recommend:
Invest $500 in a simple site.
If you want to design it yourself it is possible as well.
If you have no website design experience, designing it yourself will probably take you a month of solid work if you are good at it.
Most of it will be invested in learning to use the design software.
Your website is only a fraction of your online marketing strategy.
Most people who start online get a website up and running and simply wait.
Nothing happens!
Why?
Because website traffic is missing!
A website without traffic is like a shop without customers!
It is super frustrating!
You can spend a month discussing the details of your pages, colours and navigation and forget about the most important part of your site!
Traffic!
This is where most online businesses get stacked!
If your website is simply an online flyer you want to refer prospects to, that’s ok of course!
You don’t have to engage into a whole online marketing campaign if it is not adapted to your business.
If you hire a website designer, remember that the design itself will be only a small fraction of your online marketing budget.
If you have a small business, count:
- 10% - 20% for website design
- 80% - 90% for traffic building
This is where many people get burned with online campaigns.
They highly underestimate what it takes to get visitors to their site.
Don’t rely on hope and wishful thinking!
You need much more than that!
Next point!
Can you host your site with a free system on a big portal?
Not recommended at all!
Why?
Because usually these free hosting systems will post ads on your pages which heavily clutters your content.
On top of that, you can’t use your own domain name which destroys your credibility and brand.
Get your own domain name and set up your site on a $500 budget.
This is definitely the option I would recommend!