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How to Get an Affordable Website Design for Your Small Business
If you’re a small business owner, the digital age has gifted us with one giant opportunity – the chance to reach customers all over Ireland (and maybe even beyond). But creating an online presence doesn’t have to cost your budget dear. To get a stylish website without breaking the bank, here are some tips that’ll help make it happen!
Using a premade theme or starter website, using a drag-and-drop builder, or hiring a freelance web designer
1. Use a premade theme or template.
There are many platforms out there that offer premade themes or templates that you can use for your website. This is a great option if you’re on a tight budget because it will be much cheaper than hiring a web designer to create a custom website from scratch. Some popular platforms that offer premade themes include WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix.
2. Use a starter website if available from an established digital studio. With this method, the starter website is set up for you so that the technicalities are taken care of. The advantage of this method is that the digital studio can tweak the starter website to suit your specific business model which means you don’t have to go it alone. A starter website can be for example five pages initially setup however you can then have any number of pages then replicated based on the starter page design layouts.
3. Use a drag-and-drop builder.
If you don’t want to use a premade theme, another option is to use a drag-and-drop builder like Weebly or Shopify. With these platforms, you can create a completely custom website without having to write any code. They’re very user-friendly and perfect for those who don’t have any experience with web design.
4. Hire a freelance web designer.
If you have a little bit more to spend, another option is to hire a freelance web designer. You can find freelancers on websites like Upwork or Fiverr. Be sure to read reviews before hiring anyone and always get an estimate of the total cost upfront so there are no surprises later on.
Theme | Starter Website | Drag & Drop Builder | Free Lancer |
|---|---|---|---|
€15-€80 | €200-€500 | €50-€80 | €100-€700 |
No setup | Setup included | Self integrate | Pay to setup |
How to get an affordable website design using a starter website design
A starter website is a great option for small businesses and solopreneurs who want to get their business online without spending a lot of money. While a starter website may not have all the bells and whistles of a more custom or expensive website, there are several advantages to starting with a starter website design. Below are three advantages of choosing a starter website design for your business.
The primary advantage of a starter website is that it will be set up for you and tweaked by the digital studio that built it. Thereby keeping costs low. The ability to have the website expanded later on as the business grows. Pages predesigned will be available as a built-in template ready to apply to unlimited amount of pages your website may require eventually. As a result starter websites are low cost and also future-proof.
1. A starter website is cost-effective.
If you’re on a tight budget, a starter website is a great option because it’s much less expensive than a custom-designed website. You can expect to pay anywhere from €1500-€2500 for a custom website, whereas a starter website can cost between €200-€500. If you need to get your business online quickly and affordably, a starter website is a way to go.
2. A starter website is easier to set up.
Another advantage of choosing a starter website design is that they’re typically setup for you by the digital studio provider. This is because a starter website comes with initial setup as part of the package. This means that you won’t need to hire a web developer to build your site from scratch.
Of course, this isn’t to say that setting up a starter website is entirely “plug-and-play” – there will still be some work involved in getting your site up and running. But if you’re not ready or able to invest the time and money into building a custom site, a starter site is definitely the way to go.
3. A starter website can be upgraded later on.
Another great advantage of starting with a starter website design is that it can always be upgraded later on down the road. As your business grows and your needs change, you can always add more features and functionality to your site by hiring a web developer or designer to make customisations.
So if you’re not sure whether or not you need all the bells and whistles of a custom site right now, don’t worry – you can always upgrade later!
Starter websites are typically much less expensive than custom websites, and they can always be upgraded later on down the road as your needs change and grow.
Good essential addons to go with an affordable website design
One of the most popular content management systems (CMS) is WordPress. WordPress powers millions of websites around the world and offers a wide variety of plugins to help you improve your site. Whether you want to add social media integration, improve your SEO, or increase your website’s speed, there’s a WordPress plugin for that. And best of all, many of these plugins are free or very affordable.
A list of free addons for WordPress that work for SEO, page speed, security and website design.
One affordable way to spruce up your website is by using WordPress-based plugins. There are thousands of plugins available for WordPress, ranging from simple social media share buttons to complex eCommerce solutions. Best of all, many WordPress plugins are available for free or at a very reasonable price. Do some research to see if any WordPress plugins can help take your website to the next level.
- Rank Math free (SEO)
- Elementor Visual Editor free (web design)
- Bot Protection (security)
- Prime Slider (free and paid)
Using a theme as an affordable way to get a website
One affordable way to spruce up your website is by using WordPress-based plugins. There are thousands of plugins available for WordPress, ranging from simple social media share buttons to complex eCommerce solutions. Best of all, many WordPress plugins are available for free or at a very reasonable price. Do some research to see if any WordPress plugins can help take your website to the next level.
- Popular themes on Theme Forest
- Elementor Visual Editor
- WordPress eCommerce themes
Finding the best free themes
When it comes to finding the best free WordPress themes, there are a number of factors to consider. One important consideration is the theme’s ease of customisation, as this can make a big difference in terms of how your website appears and functions. Another key factor is how fast the theme loads. It is important to look at how well each theme is optimized for speed and SEO, as these features can have a major impact on how users experience your site. Of all the different themes available on WordPress, two that stand out for their combination of quality and flexibility are Astra and Generate Press. Astra and Generate Press are two themes that have excellent speed and performance. Both of these themes work well with the Elementor website editor.
- Astra theme free and paid versions
- Generate Press
- Twenty Twenty Three WordPress theme (free)
Do it yourself with the Astra theme
When setting up the Astra theme, there are a few key steps that you need to follow in order to do it yourself. First, you will need to download and install the theme from the Astra website or your WordPress dashboard. Next, you will need to activate the theme and set up any required settings and plugins. You can do this either by following any prompts that are provided within the theme itself or by configuring these things manually from your WordPress dashboard. Finally, once all of your settings and plugins are configured, you should have a fully functional Astra theme that is ready for you to use for your website. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, setting up this do-it-yourself theme will be quick and easy, allowing you to get started with building your online presence right away.
Drag and drop builders for a low-cost option
If you’re thinking about building a website, you’ve probably heard of drag and drop website builders. These platforms allow you to create a website without any prior coding knowledge. You can simply drag and drop elements to create the website of your dreams. But are they really as easy to use as they seem? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of using a drag and drop website builder.
1. They’re easy to use. Drag and drop website builders are designed for people with no coding experience. As such, they’re extremely user-friendly. You can usually get a basic website up and running in just a few hours.
2. They’re affordable. Many drag and drop website builders offer free plans that allow you to create a fully functioning website at no cost. If you need more features, most platforms offer low-cost monthly plans that give you access to all the bells and whistles.
3. They offer plenty of features and templates. Drag and drop website builders come with everything you need to create a professional website, including templates, hosting, domain names, email accounts, and more.
4. They’re great for small businesses. If you have a small business or are just starting out, a drag and drop website builder is a great option. It’s an affordable way to get your business online without breaking the bank.
5 .They’re perfect for simple websites .If you don’t need anything too fancy or complex, a drag and drop website builder is perfect for creating a simple website quickly and easily.
Drag and drop builders are becoming increasingly popular as more people look to create their own websites without any prior coding knowledge. While these platforms have their advantages, they also have some disadvantages that are worth considering before making your final decision. Overall, if you’re looking for an easy way to build a simple website quickly, then a drag-drop builder may be the right choice for you. However, if want complete control over your site’s design or need to build something more complex, then it’s probably best to hire a developer to do this.
Conclusion
When it comes to getting an affordable website design in Ireland, using a premade theme or starter website, using a drag-and-drop builder, or hiring a freelance web designer, each option has its own pros and cons, so it’s important to weigh your options carefully before making a decision. If you’re on a tight using a premade theme or drag-and-drop builder is probably your best bet.
If you have a little bit more money to spend and you want more control over the design process, hiring a freelance web designer is probably the way to go.
And if you’re somewhere in the middle, using a starter website could be the perfect compromise between cost and customisation.
more reading here Compare Web Design Prices Ireland
