Quite a few businesses try to design that website themselves instead of hiring a professional web design firm. The decision should however depend on various important factors. You need to estimate if you have enough website design expertise you and your employees have in the web technologies needed to create a profession and attractive website and will you be able to program all the functionality you will need from your website. The final decision should be based on your skill levels, the functionality your website is supposed to have and the image you want to project from your website. Another important aspect is if you will have time to devote to website designing and website development.

Some of the basic skills that come to mind that are involved in designing and building a website are:

• Basic HTML Knowledge: Although there are quite a few What You See Is What You Get website design editors available in the market, it is still important and useful to have a basic knowledge of HTML.
• Website Creativity: You have to ensure that the website you design is creative and professional. You need to have the ability to conceptualise a good website design with good colour combinations.
• Ability to Use Graphic Design Softwares: You will have to create and manipulate images to suit your website design. You may have the ability to re-size and image to make it easier to download on a website.
• Website Design Animation: If you want to create flash navigation or put in a small animation in your menu you may have to create animated gif’s or flash buttons.
• Web Design Scripting & Programming: An inherent part of website designing these days is website scripting. This scripting could be JavaScript, DHTML, Visual Basic or programming in PHP, Perl or ASP. You will also need to be able to develop databases etc. To be able to create a dynamic website design.
• Website Design & Marketing: You have to realise that you have to understand the important of various functionality offered by web development and how it can be used in your own website. A good web developer would generally understand the importance of various functionality and what content they can be best used.

If you are looking to develop a static website design, you will not need any programming knowledge (Java Scripting could still be required) or no animation could be required for your projects. For a dynamic site most of the above mentioned skills are required. There a quite a few website developers in the market who will do the website programming while you provide them with a design.

You should also consider if you have time to be able to undertake website design and website development yourself. Also once the site is ready will you have time to maintain your website?  It is not enough to have a website if you won’t have time to update it.

More useful articles are available on the Sigma Infotech website