Doing it yourself
Website builders give you templates and drag-and-drop tools for a monthly subscription. If you’re comfortable with computers and have an eye for design, you can get a decent result.
Good for: people who enjoy tinkering, have spare time, and want full control.
Watch out for: the time it really takes. Choosing a template is quick. Writing the words, sorting the photos, setting up the domain and making it work on a phone is where the evenings go. Check the price after any introductory offer, too, and whether a domain name and email are extra.
Having it built, and paying monthly
Someone else designs, writes and builds the site, then looks after it. You pay a monthly fee instead of an upfront bill.
Good for: busy people who’d rather be earning than building a website, and anyone who wants it done properly first time.
Watch out for: contracts and ownership. Ask about minimum terms, and what happens to your domain name if you leave.
A quick way to decide
- What’s an hour of your time worth? Multiply it by the ten or twenty hours a DIY site usually takes.
- Will you keep it updated yourself, or will it quietly go out of date?
- Are you confident writing about your own business?
If the answers point to “I’d rather someone else did it”, our plans start at £29 a month with £0 upfront, with no contract.