How Can I Make Changes to My Own Website?

How can I make changes to my website?

This is one of the most-often-asked questions that website designers and developers hear. Once you have invested in a website, it's a good idea to keep it up to date.

What are your options? It depends on your technical level, your budget, and your available time.

Little or no technical expertise, small budget, and no time:
If you really don't want to mess with your website, have your website designer do it. Prices vary among website service providers, but it doesn't have to cost much. If you have just a few small changes, it could cost less than $30!

At least a little bit of technical expertise, small to medium budget, and a little bit of time.
During the initial design of your website, ask for a self-editing option. I always recommend Adobe Contribute. As a designer, I can make sure the site is compatible with and set up for that program. Then, I offer the program through a link on my website (http://www.smallworldweb.com/AdobeContribute.html). Depending on how much control you want, I can set it up so that you can change text, photos, or even the entire design of the website. Often, the best way is to ask for text-changing ability, without the worry of making other changes that could hurt the website.


Reasonable technical expertise, small to medium budget, and some time on your hands.
Learn to use a website design program and take over the maintenance and update of the website (or have an employee do it). Programs like Dreamweaver (the program that most website designers use) can be a terrific investment if you plan to make a lot of changes to your website or if you want to create additional websites.

This is a very condensed version of what's available, of course. And new methods and programs are appearing every day.

The option you choose may depend on how much technical expertise you have, how much time you have, and how much money you have. If you're tempted to ignore your website, think again. It's your online representative and sales tool. Keep your investment working for you, and you'll reap the rewards.