2 Affordable Ways To Design Your Website

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Starting your own website is a daunting task – you have to think of a domain name, find the perfect host, and design the actual layout and content. Hiring a custom graphic designer can be costly, and it means pinning your hopes on one person who is responsible for creating the online look of your business – with no promise that you’ll get something good. Here are two affordable ways to design your website, both of which come with money-back guarantees.

1. Use 99designs to turn your website design into a contest.

When you post your business name and identity on 99designs, you open a contest that grabs the attention of dozens of designers who will custom-build your website. Write up a short description of your business and include any colors and design elements you want to be included on your site. Designers post samples of what your site will look like, and you crown a winner after seven days. You then work personally with that designer to create your perfect website.

Starting a contest for your website design is $599 and gives you full copyright. You can also choose to pay more, knowing that the best designers will compete for better-paying contracts. Another plus is that you don’t have to know what you want your site to look like. For example, just tell the designers you want something retro in neon colors, and let their creativity flow. There’s no need to be specific, or to hold the designer’s hand as they work. You can also pay a little more to partner up with Xfive for web development.

2. Crowdsource your site design with DesignCrowd.

DesignCrowd works on a platform similar to 99designs by having you turn your search for a great web design into a contest. The scope is larger, with anywhere between 25 and 100 designs submitted for each project. You set your own price and designers can submit multiple looks for your one project. This means that if you love one designer’s style but not the first look, that designer can keep submitting until you find one you love. You can submit feedback on each design, and share them with your friends and co-workers if you’re seeking additional opinions.

Using DesignCrowd instead of one graphic designer is a great way to develop your site – you set your own budget, you get more creativity from a vast range of designers, and you don’t have to pay a retainer to keep them on board. Once the design is completed, you’ll get all of the files and own the copyright for your site.