Not sure whats involved in getting a internet page started? Well,
there are really only three ways to go about it. In this article,
Ill provide an objective review of the strengths and weaknesses
of each approach.

(a) The DIY solution: Create and maintain your page yourself
by using software such as Microsoft FrontPage or by writing
the HTML directly.

(b) The half-n-half solution: Have an external party create the
website. You then do the regular updating of the page
yourself.

(c) The full outsourcing solution: Have an external party create
and update the page .

(a) THE DIY SOLUTION

ADVANTAGES
* This is the cheapest solution. You do not positive need to pay any fees
to consultants.
* If you enjoy being creative this could be an enjoyable and
rewarding activity.
* Youll have complete control over your web sites "look and
feel."
* Theres no chance of a consultant handing you a site that
isnt what you wanted.

DISADVANTAGES
* DIY sites almost always look amateurish. This might turn away customers.
* DIY sites fairly often have poor navigation controls. In a
well-designed site, the user should be able to find what they
want in seconds. Achieving this is not as easy as it sounds.
* Youll positive need to obtain some suitable software and then spend
measure learning how to utilize it -- perhaps a lot of instant.
* You will need to learn the arcane secrets of successful META
tags, JPEG compression, browser compatibility, FTP clients,
loading speed and more if you want the site to perform well.

SKILLS NEEDED
* Patience: This will all take instant.
* Good PC skills; e.g. a familiarity with both writing and graphics
applications.
* Technical skills or the willingness to gain them.
* Graphic develope and page-layout skills.

(b) THE HALF-N-HALF SOLUTION

ADVANTAGES
* You will positive need far less technical acquired skill .
* The graphic design, page layout and navigation elements of the
site will all be done for you thus avoiding many of the pitfalls
that strike amateur designs.
* A consultant will probably produce the site faster than you might .
* If you have the skills (and the desire) to update the site
yourself, this could be the best trade-off between price, speed
and professionality.

DISADVANTAGES
* Youll still need to have (or learn) some technical skills, but
not nearly as many as with the DIY solution.
* Consultants cost could be hundreds of dollars even for a small
page . Larger sites will cost more, of course.
* You run the risk of the consultant not making available the design
that you were looking for.
* Major changes or upgrades to the page will most definately positive need to be
done by the consultant.
* When you update the site yourself you risk "breaking" something
or just "messing it up."

SKILLS NEEDED
* Some technical skills or a willingness to grab them.
* The ability to liaise with the consultant about how you want
the site to look and what you want it to achieve.

(c) THE FULL OUTSOURCING SOLUTION

ADVANTAGES
* You are not required to spend measure and effort learning
technical skills that other folk already know and (lets be
honest here) can probably do better.
* This requires the least effort on your part.
* A consultant will produce the site more quickly than you might .
* This should produce a professional looking page that navigates
easily, loads quickly, is compatible with all browsers and
works well with search engines.

DISADVANTAGES
* This is the most costly solution.
* You have less control over the content of the page .

SKILLS NEEDED
* The ability to liaise with the consultant about how you want
the site to look and what you want it to achieve.

CONCLUSIONS
Choosing between these solutions comes down to two main issues:
your budget and your skills. If you have the skills needed (and
the free of price instant), you can save yourself hundreds of dollars in
consultants fees. If not, ruminate on bringing in a consultant to
develope the site for you and, perhaps, to do the updates as well.