Website

As someone who has developed a few websites over the years, I take exception to the comment "but do not want to pay the sort of prices for website development that I was being charged when in the corporate world"!

The real reason website development prices can be high is because 90% of the time the client thinks its "just a website" and its "easy"!!!

Websites come in different types and sizes.......

Flat HTML
dynamic
flash animated etc.

All clients see is the final product and not the person hours that go into the graphic design aspect, the background coding and the domain/host server management. Also often, the web-designer has write/re-write the website content because the business owner has not!!!

A further oft-quoted complaint from clients is that once the website is "done", they don't get any traffic. That is not the web-designer's fault. Website marketing after the site is done is a totally different game.

Then, there is the client, who once the site is on-line, keeps coming back for changes ..."oh..its just a photo..it will not take long, will it?"

Even for a business start-up, a website properly developed and marketed can bring substantial returns. However, a website can only bring good returns in terms of a properly developed marketing strategy implemented by a business owner who is fully knowledgeable about how both the target market and www/internet work.

A final thought.....

If one is based in Portugal and looking at a website to promote products/services that will target more than one language, don't expect
the poor b___dy web-designer to do/arrange the translation as well within the initial budget price.