Need a website? Here’s what to expect and think about

desktop with oversized graphic of a web design ux/ui

What to think about for your very first website

Never had a website before? Start here.

Let’s first address who this entire article is for.  I’m not talking to people who’ve had websites in the past or run a massive corporation.  I’m talking to people that are just getting started with a small business, in independent contracting, or even as a job seeker.

I’m pretty sure if someone like my dad was starting up his own business, he’d be asking for help with everything from logo design to website help. Which got me thinking.  People don’t necessarily know what to ask for or where to start if they’re just starting up their own small business or for contracting or looking for a job. 

In fact, based on past calls I received, they don’t know how web designers may charge them for help with website development.  Having knowledge on where to get started, is important when you’re figuring out how much money you’ll need to have in your cost analysis for the business plan and understanding your initial budget.

THE DELICATE BALANCE OF A WEBSITE’S NEEDS & BUDGET

Website Domains & Hosting

First off, what’s in your wallet? 

Anytime you look for tech to help you with a problem, you’ll have to create a budget.  This isn’t a willy-nilly process since there are realistic costs upfront to even having a website to begin with.  Best thing to do, is to start with a list of basic costs and create a realistic understanding of how to create your initial budget. This means you’re looking at initial costs of (at a minimum) of $154USD just to have a website plan that works online. 

Description

Cost

Notes

IP Address

$10.00

annual – base minimum

WordPress

$8.00

personal – per month

WordPress Business

$12.00

business – per month

Shopify

$29.99

base plan – per month

Wix

$16.00

personal – per month

Squarespace

$16.00

personal – per month

Investigate the costs further, what I didn’t mention is that the IP address can cost up to a few thousand dollars depending on what you’re looking for.  The ballpark is around $10 to $20 dollars per year.  Finding a domain and purchasing one can be done in a number of places (here are a few of your options). 

If you’re a job seeker (or a contractor) you can use a personal plan without a hitch for the basic price of about $154 per year.  They’re simple to set up on your own, or with a professional’s help.  Most places offer guided instructions to help you, so you can do this without spending extra cash. 

For business owners, a basic business plan is a great way to get started.  In this case, you’re looking at around a base of $310USD (minimum) per year to have a domain and website hosting.  You’ll need the extra options as a business for integrations and themes that you’ll want to have.

Content

Content is a mixed bag of items.  Typically, when you hear or read the word “content” you should be thinking about, text, graphics, photography, and video.  It’s what’s contained in a website and on the web.  So, it should go without saying that you’ll either be handing over your content to a having it created for you, giving it to a web designer, or posting it yourself. 

Copywriter

If you need content written or edited by a professional, there’s going to be a charge for it.  Rates for good writing will vary, but there’s a typical range you will see that’s asked for in the industry.  And there are a couple of ways a writer will charge you for their work, either per word or by the hour.  Both usually work out to about roughly the same price.  If you aren’t writing your own content, you’ll need to budget on a copywriter.

 

 

Copywriter Rates

Min

Max

Per Word

$0.10

$0.50

Per Hour

$40

$100

Graphic Art

Art is important as part of the content of your brand, and it isn’t free.  This can include your logo, typography, and digital art.  The things that make up your brand should be included, even on a bare-bones website.  A digital graphic artist can range from $50-$150 per hour based on their skills sets. 

Photographer

Professional photography makes a significant difference in content & sales.  If you’re business or personal website needs either you or products to look good, you’ll probably want to consider a photographer.  Photographers my offer a package for their work, but the standard rate is around $100-$125 per hour.

Web Designer

Depending on the type of website you’re in need of, your price range for a web developer will range from $100-$180USD.  I’ll point out here, the more complex the work, the more expensive it becomes.  A UI/UX designer might charge a little less than a back-end software developer, but overall, you’ll still need to consider that you’ll spend on average $125 per individual per hour. 

Ready to get your website up & running?

It’s pen and paper time. 

When you call your friendly web designer (you can read this as: me), we’re going to ask you some basic questions.  When I get calls it’s always “How much do you charge?”  Well, that answer, as you probably guessed by now, varies.  There’s a better way to get started to save yourself some time and energy when you make that call.

In fact, here’s a list of questions you’ll need to be able to answer for any web designer:

  1. What is your website for?
  2. Who are you targeting?
  3. Can you show me 3 to 5 websites that you like from your competitors?
  4. Can you provide examples on those websites of things you do not like?
  5. What features do you want to include on your website?
  6. What is the timeline to start and when would you like to launch?
  7. What’s the overall style of your website that you are imagining?

Therefore, you’re first question should not be “How much do you charge?”  It should be, “Can we discuss the different types of websites you create?”  This will get you pointed in the right direction of getting help you need to create a website that works on your budget. 

 

Need more help?  I’m available and can give you direction or help you with a new website.  Give me a shout at info@atomicdumpling.com with some deets about what you’re looking to create.

 

Anna Pilette

Anna Pilette

Owner & Project Director, Atomic Dumpling LLC.

About a million years ago, I was in the Navy. After, I worked for a bunch of companies and eventually realized that their business practices left a lot to be desired. Today, I’m helping small businesses and freelancers avoid mistakes and build their own brands.  You can follow me on TikTok or where.  You can also reach out for help info@atomicdumpling.com

Do you really need a website as a one- or two-person business?

woman holding ipad with images of various website media flowing from ipad onto the table and all around her

Ermahgawd, I Need a Website?

There seems to be a disconnect about whether you need a website as a micro entity small business.  The short answer is YES, dammit, you need a website!  The long answer is the reason why you need a website.

Alright, I used a magic word combo there, huh?  What’s a micro entity small business?  I’m so glad you asked (even though I know you didn’t.). A micro entity small business is defined as a small business with fewer than 500 people.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about you brand new website.

Ok, I need a website, what for?

A website is like your own personal intergalactic space station.  It is the hub that all information will rotate around, it’s the platform that launches your brand, and it a place to land to give people a connection point to you.  Even if your work is simply through social media, you want to give people more…  MORE!

You can do that with a website.  Brand ambassadors can expand their earnings 2x times simply by adding a website.  Besides, let’s say you’re a streamer on Twitch, you’ll want to give people as much information as possible including emails, specialty codes for merch, a merch platform, and so much more.

I’m Freelance, Do I Need a Website?

Yes.

Remember when I said that a website is a hub?  A website is a portal to your work and to you.  While you can be on LinkedIn, Fiverr, Upwork, etc. you still need to create a brand.  A website allows you to tie your social media, portfolio, resume, and more together.

What Kind of Website Do I Need?

This is the part that must fit what you’re doing.  If you’re business focus is on products, you’ll want to look at ecommerce platforms.  If you’re focus is services, you can use several platforms to get started like WordPress.  What you choose is entirely up to your purpose.  You will need to think about content, media, and other information as well.  But your first step is finding a platform for your brand before getting everything together.

As always, if you need help or have questions, you can reach out to me at info@atomicdumpling.com.  Check out our web design information here.

Anna Pilette

Anna Pilette

Owner & Project Director, Atomic Dumpling LLC.

About a million years ago, I was in the Navy. After, I worked for a bunch of companies and eventually realized that their business practices left a lot to be desired. Today, I’m helping small businesses and freelancers avoid mistakes and build their own brands.  You can follow me on TikTok or where.  You can also reach out for help info@atomicdumpling.com

Using Color For Marketing

color wheel for artistic design

Color Your Message

Color on your website is as important as color anywhere else in life. Color psychological affects (Nordeborn, 2013) how a user perceives your website the moment they land. The use of color in any design is applied with greater scientific understanding because of its effects on people both physiologically and psychologically (Singh N. & Srivastava S.K., 2011), including in marketing.

Color In Marketing

If you’re looking to make your website memorable, it’s partially to do with color. If you’re questioning why the answer is right in front of you. Color is crucial to human memory and moods. Colors themselves have specific attributes that a related to how they make people feel (Importance of colors on your website and brand identity).  

Understand that the colors you choose for your business must be intentional. They also need to work together as far as colors go to bring home the message.

What? It’s Free Web Design! Right?

Let’s talk about the magic of a free website theme template. You’ll see where I’m going here in a second with this tangent. Whether you’re freelance or just getting started with your business, using a free theme is usually an attractive idea because of the value you’re being provided. Free themes that you see use complimentary colors preset from the start. However, those same free theme colors tend to be unremarkable neutral colors that are on purposely designed to fit what the web designer is imagining for use case scenarios. Anyone can use them that’s why they are attractive.

That’s also the rub, they’re unremarkable.  

Part of marketing is brand awareness. It is arguably, the most important aspect of marketing to get people to buy something. Do bland colors make your brand memorable? The answer is a simple ‘no’. This is where the science of color theory along with the application of color usage becomes important, even in those sweet little free themes.

Marketing Through Color

Getting back to the business of being memorable, there are several ways you can apply color science to your website yourself (How to strategically use color in website design) or you can engage us to help you. First, understand your user expectations. What colors will your users expect based on the nature of the brand? Second, define which colors will compliment your message and each other. You can use several free tools to determine color compliment like Adobe Color. Third, and finally, keep it simple. A good pallet can be simple and elegant. 

If you aren’t sure about the application of color, get help! We’re here for you. info@atomicdumpling.com

 

Anna Pilette

Anna Pilette

Owner & Project Director, Atomic Dumpling LLC.

About a million years ago, I was in the Navy. After, I worked for a bunch of companies and eventually realized that their business practices left a lot to be desired. Today, I’m helping small businesses and freelancers avoid mistakes and build their own brands.  You can follow me on TikTok or where.  You can also reach out for help info@atomicdumpling.com