Websites 101
You’re on a tight budget, but you don’t want to look like an amateur. I get it. Fortunately, the Wordpress universe exists, and it’s going to save you a ton of money. If you’re not familiar with Wordpress, it was originally developed as blog software. Over the years, it’s become one of the easiest to use website management systems out there. As a bonus, it is also pretty easy to set up, and there are literally thousands of free or inexpensive themes (designs) available. This means for only $101, I can set you up with a great looking and unique website!
This isn’t a license to run wild, though, so let’s be clear about what you get.
Here’s what I include:
- 7 Pages: Home, About, Contact are three examples of typical pages, but you can put whatever you want up there. I’m not going to write the content for you*, but I will upload your content to the site. The contact page includes a contact form, so you don’t have to put your email out in public, where it’s easy for every Russian spammer on the planet to find.
- Blog: Search engines look for Unique, Useful, and Updated content. While Unique and Useful are up to you, a blog can help with Updated. Wordpress makes it dead simple to write new posts, even offering the option to write posts on your smartphone.
- Plugins: The Wordpress universe is full of people who develop helpful applications to make your website better. I’ll install plugins that cut down on spam, make it easy for search engines to find you, automatically backup your website, and link your site to your Twitter stream.
- Design: Since you know best what you want, I’ll leave the design up to you. There are two kinds of themes, free (just Google “Free Wordpress Themes”) or premium (typically $20-$70, but they tend to look better and have more capability). You can choose any theme you want**, and I’ll install and set it up for you. If you choose a theme that costs money, you’ll have to buy it, but I’ll still set it up for you.
- Training: Nobody expects you to be an expert right off the bat, so I’ll give you permanent access to a set of videos that show you how to write, edit, and delete posts and pages in Wordpress. There are also videos that show you how to manage pretty much every other aspect of your site.
*I’ve been writing web and marketing content for the better part of 10 years now. If you want to take advantage of that experience, I can write your content for you. Just contact me for more details.
**Some “visual themes”, such as Headway, Thesis, Builder, etc. or theme frameworks, such as Frugal or Thematic, are an extra charge. Contact me to discuss this further if you want to use one of those type of themes.
Here’s what I won’t do:
- Writing: I can’t include writing your content for you, at least at this price. See the * above for info about my writing services.
- Customization: One of the main reasons this website is so inexpensive is because I’m not spending tons of time tweaking every website. Some themes have multiple color options, and I can set those for you, but I can’t write CSS or modify the themes files in any way. If you do want a customized site, I have other options for you.
- Hosting: Given that most hosting plans are $80 or more per year, I can’t include that. Hosting is easy to set up, and there are tons of options. I will recommend services though, and I do have minimum requirements, so please contact me before you buy hosting.
- Domain Registration: I’ve learned the hard way that owning your own domain name is critical. So, having been on the wrong side of that equation, I’m not going to put you through that. There are also many options for registering your domain that cost from $9-$20 per year. Lots of hosting plans will also include domain registration, so if you’re unsure, I can help you figure it all out.
- Tech Support: I’ll get you up and running, but after that, your webhost will provide tech support. Wordpress (and the plugins) update with a single click, so you’ll be able to do that on your own!
Are you a visual learner and all that text above is bumming you out? Check out my Sample Site to see what it looks like with your own eyes!
If you’re ready to get started, you can go ahead and click the Buy Now button, and I’ll get back to you within one business day to get started.
If you’ve got questions, this handy FAQ is probably the place to look!
$101 seems pretty cheap; are there any other costs?
Yes, but not from me. You’ll need to register your own domain name ($9-$20/ year) and arrange for your own hosting ($4-$20/month).
Are there any requirements for my hosting service?
Yes, but almost all hosts meet them these days.
- The host needs to support MySQL and PHP5
- The host must offer Wordpress 1-click install and/or Fantastico DeLuxe
- Your host must have cPanel
Do I have to do anything?
Yes, of course you do! One of the most time-consuming aspects of creating a website is writing all of the content. The only possible way for me to keep the price down to $101 is for you to do the writing. I’ll upload it, and show you how to do it in the future, but you’ve got to create it in the first place. Don’t want to do the writing? Contact me and we’ll talk about my writing services.
I’ve already got a blog, can we move all the work I’ve done to this site?
In most cases, yes, for an additional charge. If your existing blog is on Blogger, Blogware, DotClear, Grey Matter, Live Journal, Moveable Type, TypePad, Textpattern, or Wordpress.com, the fee is $25. You must have access to the administrator functions of the blog.
How long will this take?
Usually, about 48 hours. A lot of it depends on how quickly you can get your domain name and hosting set up.