A website is the most important aspect of business today, irrespective of the size of the business. Now, a static website, by ways of its simplicity and speed, can be an optimal solution for companies looking to create an online presence without the hassle of dynamic functionalities. However, even a static website could cost a fortune if not implemented wisely.
The top 5 effective ways to save the static website cost in India are presented below:
1. Pick an Economical Hosting Provider
The first thing towards saving on your static website is the choice of an economical hosting provider. Hosting is never a one-off expense and the prices might vary when you compare the cost with different providers and the offered hosting plan. How do you save on hosting?
a. Shared Hosting
Shared hosting means that you would be sharing server space with other websites rather than holding the entire server to your own. Static websites are usually the cheapest form of hosting, for the simple reason that they generally don't use a lot of server resources. Shared hosting holds several static site holders on the same space on a server, which brings down the cost significantly. Most web hosting providers have their plans starting at a few bucks a month, hence saving big over time.
b. Use Free Hosting
Both long- and short-term hosting packages are available, but there are also free alternatives, especially for static pages. GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel—all have free plans that would work sufficiently for most static sites. Now, such free plans could be somehow limited in bandwidth use or custom domain use, yet this is a great way to save costs, particularly for less-involved projects.
c. Consider long term hosting plans:
The provider usually reduces the price or offers discounts on long-term packages, so take note of that. If you are really sure about one host, then going for a 2-year or 3-year subscription tends to give real savings against monthly billing. Do make sure you compare the cost of ownership over those periods so you get the most out of it.
2. Free or Low-fee Website Builders and Tools
You do not always need to hire a web developer or designer to make a static website. With many user-friendly website builders and tools, you can easily have a professional-looking site at a fraction of the cost of what this work might have fetched in another era. Here's how:
a. Free Website Builders
There are several website builders designed for static websites, both free and with relatively inexpensive professional options. Websites such as WordPress provide static site generators so you can practically host your site for free. Other builders will include pre-designed templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and other special features to facilitate even beginners build their sites easily.
b. Open-Source CMS and Static Site Generators
Another key area in which much can be saved is on open source Content Management Systems and static site generators. There exist tools like Jekyll, Hugo, and Eleventy that allow one to build static sites without the need for expensive software licenses. These tools are very flexible and could be further situated on free or low-cost servers to keep those costs down.
c. Free Design and Development Resources
From templates and themes to images and fonts, there are various free resources online. There are the likes of Canva, Unsplash, and Google Fonts, which offer great, absolutely free assets that you can use to beef up your site's design. By using these resources, you shield yourself from the costs that would be incurred in purchasing premium assets or hiring a professional designer.
3. Keep Design and Development Costs Low
Designing and developing the website are usually the most costly components of a website creation. However, there are several ways that these can be reduced, including:
a. Pre-designed templates
Pre-made templates can save a lot on design costs. Most website builders and CMS platforms offer various free or low-cost templates and some even have paid templates, which can be easily tweaked to ensure they match your brand. Most of these templates come professionally designed and optimized for different devices, so it will automatically look nice and professional without any custom design needed.
b. Outsource Development to Freelancers or Agencies
Outsource custom development to freelancers or agencies, especially those located in low labor-cost countries. Use platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com to find professional developers at affordable prices. Consider profiling the candidates and reviewing their portfolios to verify their ability to deliver quality work within budget.
c. Focus on Essential Features
The intrinsic simplicity of static websites is their basic concept, though it is easy to get carried away with extras. Be sure only to include those features absolutely necessary to the operation of your business. For example, if your plan is mainly to inform, you won't need user accounts and e-commerce integration, which can be time-consuming and expensive to implement.
4. Ease of Maintenance
Continuous maintenance can be a hidden expense of website ownership. By setting up your static website for easy maintenance, you can reduce the need for frequent updates and engineering support, saving funds in the long run:
a. Choose a Simple, Stable Platform
Static websites are typically very stable because they do not rely on databases or server-side processing. When built on a solid and simple platform or static site generator, it reduces the probability of technical issues that could cost a fortune. Great choices for such platforms include Jekyll or Hugo, with their lightweight design and minimal requirements for ongoing management.
b. Automate Updates and Backups
Automation tools can massively cut down on the time and even cost involved with maintaining a website. Utilize script or service automation for all regular maintenance activities like software updates, taking periodic backups, and security check-up. Not only will this save time, but it will also save on the number of interventions to be done by a developer in turn cutting on costs.
c. Keep Content Management In-House
For things like content changes and minor tweaks, these might be activities that one would keep in-house rather than outsource. If you use a user-friendly CMS or static site generator, content updates become easy for non-technical staff to handle, which means less reliance on developers in the long term.
5. Strategize Your Website
Strategizing is the number one key needed to curb budgets in the journey and life cycle of a website. In light of this, here are some tips on how to do it wisely:
a. Establish clearly defined objectives
Establish what you intend the website to achieve before you develop your website. This will allow you to focus on the necessary features and functionality, without getting carried away by the numerous frills, which are costly and irrelevant to the accomplishment of your objective. A focused and effective website that is tailored to your needs will prove to be cost-effective in the long term.
b. Think Small, Then Gradually Grow
It does say that starting with a minimal viable website and scaling up gradually is a wise way to control costs, as it lets you launch with only the core features serving your immediate needs but not go about building a way too complex site from the get-go. You can incrementally enhance it with features and more pages as your business grows too—if your needs become more complex in the future, that is. Such an approach helps you to spread the costs over a period instead of having them all at once.
c. Reconsider Long-Term Cost Implications
Always, when making decisions for the website, reconsider the long-term cost implications. For example, a proposition to have a cheaper hosting plan will make you spend less money in the short run, but in the long term, it might be expensive. Design and development of better quality, similarly, will save you on more expensive redesigns or fixes in the future.
Conclusion
Building a static website and general maintenance need not be a costly venture. This can be achieved by strategically choosing the hosting providers to use, free or low-priced tools, minimizing design and development costs, optimizing it for easy maintenance, and planning out your website right.
Remember, the cost of a static website in India doesn't have to be exorbitant. With thoughtful planning and smart choices, you can achieve a well-designed, functional site that fits your budget. Whether you're working with a design team or handling the project yourself, these strategies will help you keep your static website cost under control while ensuring a professional online presence.
Also Read: Top Advantages of Choosing an Indian Website Design Company