News

No Geeks Required

Do-it-yourself (DIY) Web design services allow people that have little knowledge of computers to create a simple, multi-page Web site for their small business. Jupitermedia analyst Sonal Gandhi says 35 percent of small businesses do not have a Web site because building one can be a very daunting task for the inexperienced. DIY services offer domain names, hosting, design templates, and appropriate tools. DIY services are ideal for companies with less than 20 people that do not require a very sophisticated template, since special fonts or flash-animation cannot be used. However, limits on storage space and data transfer must be taken into account when considering a DIY service; for example, upgrades can often be purchased for e-commerce, additional storage, and other features. The amount of customization possible varies between different services. Some offer templates for different industries, while automatic color coordination and spacing help for text and images. Most DIY services are very easy to use and include customer support by phone or email.

"No Geeks Required"
BusinessWeek SmallBiz (03/07) P. 62; King, Rachael