Startups.ie

[Treadstone]

Hi there,

I am looking to start my own interent business. I have recieved quotes of around 15K to build my custom made website. Has anyone got any good news stories about getting your website built outside of Ireland for half the price, in countries such as Poland, India, China, USA? What are the pitfalls/ advanatages?

Thanks
T

[jguzman]

Hello,

A lot of entrepreneurs in the USA simply create their own websites. This is becomming more common due to the bad economy. You shouldn't have to spend thousands on a website - that's simply rediculous. Your first step would be to choose a good domain name which is relevant to your niche. Your niche is simply a certain market you want to promote such as a wealth niche, a health niche and a lifestyle niche. Once you decide which niche to get into you would use a domain name that is relevant to that niche. You will also need to have your domain name hosted which is referred as web hosting account - very inexpensive. Once you have yiur hosting account, you can start creating your website using templates and other instructionals materials. It's pretty easy once you learn how to do it!

Best Wishes
Jes
Grab your FREE eBook entitled - 'Create Your First Website By 3:45 This Afternoon' at:
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[murphy]

15k for a website is crazy. The real money should be spent of the infrastructure - if you plan to have a high throughput of traffic.

It really is worth trying to build something yourself, it won't be perfect first time, but what is.
Start with a simple Idea, get some content together - the more you work on it the more you will become comfortable to make little changes here and there.
Try using something like WordPress (http://wordpress.org/)
Its a fairly simple tool used to create blogs & website - become increasingly more popular.

It may not give the finished site your looking for but will certainly get you on the right track.

All the best.

[knapps]

Hi,
I am very new to this site just an hour ago registered.
The reason I joined is because I would like to get some idea and hopefully find someone to work with as a business partner.

I am originally from Pakistan and living in Ireland for about 8 years. My brother is a graphic designer back home and he and his friends work privately to develop websites. It won't be expensive I guess.

If you still need help let me know and I will be able to help you.

Thanks and good luck with your business!!!!

[BCanatolia]

Once you decide which niche to get into you would use a domain name that is relevant to that niche. You will also need to have your domain name hosted which is referred as web hosting account - very inexpensive.

I would also suggest that you search for a good web hosting offer that will register your domain and that will give you a decent web space. It is also important that you get yourself a good support center where you can ask all your questions.

[fbyrne-iMi]

As a start up it's very important to have a website that sells. You must use the marketing matrices in your business plan to prove that there is a market for your product.

The Return on Investment from your online Pay Per Click ads has now become one of the most important investment criterion. Running an online campaign particularly targeted at global markets has replaced the need for traditional market research. If the campaign is successful on a small scale and there is adequate market size online to scale it up you will find it much easier getting investment.

Another bonus is that you will be making sales from your market research.

Your website is a marketing tool. You need to use it to test value propositions, sales copy and page layout. You must A/B test if you have any hope of building a profitable site.

A high converting Landing Page is the difference between getting a Series A round or failure.

Therefore, use someone who knows how to sell online.

[taagstore]

Hey Treadstone

Searching for companies outside of Ireland is no harm. But there are a number of things that you should do first to make sure that you are covered.

1/ Spec: You should set out a list of your technical requirements. What do you intend the site to do, how will it perform, what are the boundaries for what you want the site to be. What do you not want. e.g. the code it should be written in, the ecommerce platform to be used etc

2/ Requirements: What do you want the user to be able to do, the inclusion of social media etc, e.g. the cutomisations to be made to the product/ services etc

3/ Wireframe: Draw out the layout of the site page by page. How do you want the site to look and where should all of the images/ buttons/ products etc be placed. This can be done in Excel etc or one of the online services gomockingbird.com

4/ Market research: This may sound simple, but this is crucial. Who is the best in your field nationally and internationally. What makes that site good? If you can't beat their site, use constructively the best methods and incorporate them into your site.

4/ Tender: Compile the above in a document and email the organisations that you want to develop the site with a timeframe and preferably budget. The organisations that want your business will reply with what they will do for you

5/ Elance: Try an online freelance website such as www.elance.com in addition. This gives you access to a global network of professionals to help you

6/ Timeframe: Set up a timeframe and make your company that you choose be realistic and stick to it.

I have had a mixed bag of experiences with web development. I have had incredibly bad Irish and overseas developers as well as incredibly good ones. Knowing exactly what you want and being realistic with expectations is your best bet. You are the best person at your business, you should take control of your online presence.

There are lots more things to add of course, but hopefully some of that helps.

Keep us informed!

Chris

[Adamax]

Be careful working with offshore companies, and remember sometimes, you really get what you pay for! 15K sounds pretty steep - what kind of functionality does your website need?

[nbgh87]

With the complete buzz surrounding outsourcing, you could possibly be curious as to how you are able to offshore web design. Whether you understand nothing about web style, or are very good at it, sourcing this component of the site building approach can free of charge you up to concentrate on a lot more important tasks. You ought to consider a couple of points, nevertheless, prior to you make a decision to go this route.

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When you've rounded up some designers, it really is time to select a single from numerous. Do not forget that bigger offshore organizations often command lower rates with faster turn-around occasions. Working with a person, even so, expenses far more with much more custom-tailored final results. What you determine to complete all depends on your finish objective. Ensure you send your designers a list of concerns to determine whether or not or not your goals are similar. You will also need to inquire about rates and any possible discounts.

The moment you've chosen which offshore web design Business to make use of, it is time to produce your order. Do not forget to verify references. Then be sure to become extremely clear inside your instructions. Some companies charge an hourly rate. Should you be not clear from the start, you may wind up paying for wasted time. After your project is underway, you'll be able to concentrate on the other elements of your organization or site. Make certain to check in frequently to ensure that the project is on track.