Merine Tulloch, FCCA

 What should it cost to start your own website?

The challenge is to find a cost effective Content Management System (CMS). This is a web-based application which has the facility for multiple users with different permission levels to manage the website project or internet application.

Web Software developers Joomla have made this process seem fairly easy with Artisteer, their template generator platform.  Joomla maintains that Artisteer is the first and only Web design automation product that instantly creates fantastic looking, unique Templates.  You can download the free version, or invest in the Standard version for $129.99 or the Premium Artisteer Projects version at a much higher cost.

Another popular CMS is WordPress.  It offers multiple services for your website including Domain Names, Hosting Services, Free Domain Names and 1-Click Installations, all for one low monthly fee.  Their promotions sometimes include all the above for one low monthly fee, say $3.95 per month and WordPress has Bluehost as its hosting platform.

These CMS programs have a number of things in common.

• They provide themes or templates that are easy for the beginner to use and modify,
• Live chat support where the user can interface on a group level and learn for other users as well receive technical help
• Telephone support for local as well as international clients.
• The option to upgrade to a more comprehensive package of features which include more themes, add-ons, varied hosting features and affiliate programs.
• Tutorial support
• They make available tools for one-to-one marketing. This is user specific advertising that your website can be tailored create based on Search Engine Optimisation protocols.

If you decide to create your website on your own the quickest and most effective way to do it is by using your web hosting service’s design tools of the CMS of your choice. Always bear in mind the complexity of your business, the cost, and your long-term goals.

Other considerations

Forum Scripts

The support area of your website is important and the instructions for how this is created and functions is a called a script.  There are many forum scripts on the market and they range in structure and capability. Some forum scripts include PhpBB found at http://www.phpbb.com/.This is considered to be the best BBS (Bulletin Board System). PhpBB is completely free and it’s open-source. It’s easy to use, upgrade, install, and customize.  Another is vBulletin found at http://www.vbulletin.com/. This is reputed to be good forum script, from the users’ perspective. It costs as much as $85 per year or a one-time fee of about $160.

Web Shop

When your website offers tangible products for sale online you will web shop software for E-commerce to happen through payment gateways.  They connect your customers’ credit and debit cards to your bank. Needed are a shopping cart solution and a merchant bank account that can process the payments. Free shopping carts and payment gateways solutions are usually available; however, low-cost transactional fees can range between 1 percent and 5 percent based on usage volume.

Hopefully, these three articles have given a better appreciation of what is involved in owning your own website.

© Merine Tulloch -2015
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