Website Design
It is not the intent of this section to tell you everything you need to know about website design. There are many resources on the Internet available to you.
You have a choice of how you are going to get your website together.
- Design it and develop it yourself
- Design and build with the help of a program/design/marketing team
- Design the contents and use an online template driven system
Do it Yourself
Advantages
- Total control over all design aspects
- May make changes almost instantly
- Cost - software and time
Disadvantages
- Requires HTML or software knowledge
- Limited by your design abilities
- Requires internet marketing knowledge
- Requires search engine positioning knowledge
- Steep learning curve
Suggested Software
- HTML editor
- FTP program
- WYSIWYG design software (FrontPage, Dreamweaver)
- Graphics manipulation software
- JavaScript software
Program/design/marketing Team
Advantages
- Expert advice available at all times
- No learning curves
- No software costs
Disadvantages
- Not in complete control of design
- May take hours or days to have changes made
- Requires a time investment for meetings and reviews
- Cost can escalate quickly
- Must be able to locate good people
On-line Development
Advantages
- Control over most design aspects
- Make changes instantly
- Low fixed cost
- Minimal learning curves
- Requires no investment in software
- Professionally designed graphics
- No extra software to purchase
Disadvantages
- Requires a time investment to choose designs and type