It's apparent that websites have been around for donkey's years now and although social media has boomed in the past decade, there's still a huge demand for websites.

What we find often is that businesses and others who need an internet presence often start with a social media account such as Facebook, Instagram, and now the very popular TikTok, which are fairly easy to setup. However, a lot of them do eventually require a website to give a more professional edge.

So when it comes to website setup for many it's not as straightforward as one would hope. Here are some of the factors that come into play:

• Platform - WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Wix, Google Site, Magento, etc. Which one to choose?

• Design - Graphics, layout, features, fonts, compatibility, speed, Have you got the right design software?

• Maintenance -  Security, backups, updates, APIs (plugins), Without them your site is vulnerable.

• Email - domain email (not always free or limited in space), compatibility issues, not easy to set up or synch with mobiles, spam. A domain email is more trusted than a free provider such as Gmail. 

• Costs -Hosting, email, theme, APIs, services, recurring expenses, transaction fees, payment gateways. Yes even on a free site platform there can be costs too.

• Knowledge - Not all platforms are easy to work on. Yes, there are free platforms like Wix which might be sufficient for many. Learning from scratch could take a lot of time and effort. 

These and other aspects need to be taken into consideration upon your venture into setting up a website.

When you set out to go it on your own, you may come up against these roadblocks. One major disadvantage is the loss of time. Other aspects are that once you get the site up and running the regular upkeep and security elements come into play. Often web developers take on projects in which their sole task is to repair or update an existing website done by others. Sometimes it is better to start afresh than to undo all the mistakes that come with the job.

Our takeaway advice is that you consider all these factors before you embark on your website project. You may find that the hours on end taken to complete the job could translate to the equivalence of money spent to get it done professionally. If you do decide to go with a professional then do ask about upkeep and maintenance costs and see if it's feasible to take up a package, as it could save you time and money in the long run, and your site stays protected.