Website Creation Guide
A beginner friendly walkthrough
for first time site owners
Introduction
Website creation and ownership can be intimidating, especially for people who are strangers to the process. A lot of different things go into the construction of a website, but what are they and what can first time site owners expect? This guide aims to share a step by step walkthrough to shed some light on what our studio’s process is, and to take some of the uncertainty out of the equation.
Here at Cat Space Studios, we believe website ownership shouldn’t be something stressful or unattainable; it should be straightforward and accessible! We hope that by the end of this article you will feel a bit more knowledgeable and confident about the process. Better yet, maybe you’ll even a little excited by the prospects of launching your own site! Let’s get started!
Common Myths
Before we dive into the process, let’s dispel a few of the most common misconceptions that people have about websites!
💸 You can’t afford it
When most people think of having a custom website, they get the impression that it will cost a lot more than they would like to spend. This is a common misconception; and it discourages a lot of would-be website owners from pursuing their own sites. In reality, sites can actually be fairly affordable to construct and maintain! Still unconvinced? Don’t worry, we’ll elaborate on that further later.
💻 You Have to be Tech Savvy
Another factor that keeps many people from taking the plunge is that the entire thing may seem a little too technical or daunting to them. If you’ve never built a site before or talked with someone who builds sites, it is normal to be unsure of everything involved. This is where we come in. We don’t expect our clients to be tech savvy, and are happy to explain things in a way that anyone can understand!
🎨 You have to be creative
This simply isn’t true! A lot of people may not feel like they have enough content or aren’t creative enough to fill an entire site, but that’s not always an issue if you contract the right studio. We offer an assortment of different services and work with our clients to fill their sites with content that represents their businesses, ideas, or goals. Little to no creativity required!
🕓 You don’t have time
Website ownership shouldn’t be a time consuming process. In reality, most sites are fairly hands off. A lot of informational business homepages and similar sites can actually be maintained mostly via email. Contact forms are forwarded directly to your email of choice, and you can respond to inquires, all from the comfort of your inbox. Billing can also be set up to automatically renew on an annual basis without needing any action on your part aside from keeping your cards up to date!
💔 You’ll break it
This is a common fear among people who aren’t confident in their technical prowess and it is absolutely understandable that you might feel that way. But realistically, breaking a website is not as easy as you’d think! When we hand projects off to their owners, we do our best to make sure that they feel comfortable with their new site. While our job ends once we transition ownership of a site, we are still open to assisting you with updates, or fixing any issues you may encounter on a case by case basis for a reasonable fee. You’re not alone!
Main Cost Factors
When it comes to the overall cost of a website, four main factors will come into play. These break down as follows:
Site Needs + Hosting + Domain + Content = Total
Once all four of these are considered, it’s much easier to get a clear picture of which options will be the most practical for any given project. We prioritize keeping our clients unique needs in mind, so we are happy to tailor everything in a way that fits both your wishlist and budget as best as we possibly can! As we expand on all four elements below we’ll give cost estimations whenever possible.
Part 1: Site Needs
The first step of the entire process is to determine what kind of site you need. What is it for? What capabilities does it need to have? How big does it need to be? Here is a general frame of reference in terms of price points for the construction cost of different types and sizes of websites. Which one do you think best suits your project?
The videos below are all sample sites built to showcase various styles and sizes in a “Cat Space” color palette. Despite how different the first three may appear, they would all fall under the “Moon” size category; which means all three are actually on the lower end of the price spectrum. In reality, this would generally be more than enough space for most purposes!
The first two samples are sites built with premade templates, whereas the last two samples are custom-built. Due to the extra time that goes into creating a design from scratch they would be priced a bit higher than the first two; but most sites don’t require highly customized templates and would do just fine with something more standard. The cost of your site’s build will be based off of the level of customization and the amount of production hours that go into any given project.
The video above is a very simple single page hub site. These are great for holding links to all of your social media & other sites. (Moon)
Another simple hub site. This one is composed of full screen panels that look like slides. (Moon)
A four page site. This site has a custom template & features interactive cat elements. (Moon)
A five page gallery/portfolio site made with a custom template and sectional sliders to house more information. (Planet)
Part 2: Hosting
While the initial build cost may differ based on size and level of customization, the four samples above have one thing in common; which leads us to part two – hosting provider! Hosting costs for sites like the four shown above can actually be as little as $9-$20 a year; which is less than most people might imagine!
When deciding on which host your site will utilize, the most limiting factors will be features, functionality, and site goals. The bottom line here is all hosting platforms are not built equally. Some hosts just do specific things better than others, and it’s a matter of finding the best fit for your project. Unfortunately, sometimes that means spending a bit more per year to cover hosting costs. But again, that’s where we come in. After assessing what your needs are, you’ll be given transparent and honest hosting recommendations and price points based on your budget.
Part 3: Domain
The third major factor to consider for your overall and annual costs is something called a domain. This is more commonly known as your web address or URL. These range in price depending on what you want. Generally speaking .com domains will usually be more popular and more expensive than other options like .net, .co, etc. That means that sometimes your desired site address may already be taken, or may be out of your ideal budget. But rest assured, it is not impossible to find a name that is both reasonable and a good fit for your site! As an example, this site’s domain cost runs at just $20 annually; despite being a .com! If you combine that with the hosting cost from the previous section, that would put you at under $50 a year for website ownership!
Part 4: Content
The final point to consider in terms of budget is what content you will need for your site. Do you have all of the media and content you’d like to fill your site with? Will you want any existing content proofread for you? Or will you need graphics, written content, or other works to fill your site with? What about branding and business logos?
Cat Space Studios is able to assist with anything you require; but please keep in mind that any additional custom assets being created, written, etc. may have associated fees. As will any services rendered with proofreading or editing. If you would like more information on this please feel free to further browse the offerings on this site or request a quote. We handle several types of creative content, which means we are able to work with clients on a multitude of projects to ensure that site and companywide branding is cohesive. We even fulfill orders for custom business cards and physical goods!
Conclusion
Does the thought of getting started on your site still seem a bit overwhelming? You’re not alone! Creating websites isn’t everyone’s thing, but it’s something Cat Space Studios is no stranger to. We’re happy to let our clients choose their own level of involvement. We’ll work with whatever ideas and specifications you have and fill in all the bits and pieces that you’re unsure of. Whether that means working to bring an existing design idea to life, or steering the entire creative process from start to finish, we’re here to help!
Interested in having a bit more technical insight as to what our step by step site creation process is? Check out our Website Creation Workflow! If any of your questions remain unanswered, or you’d like contract our services, just drop us a message on our contact page.
Ready to get started? Contact us today to get the ball rolling! Consultations are always free, and we’re happy to work with you to create your purrfect site!
