“Where do I buy a website?” sounds like a simple question. In practice there are three quite different ways to get one, and the right choice depends on your time, your skills and how much control you want.
Option 1: a ready-made template
You buy a design template, often for a popular platform, then set it up, write the content and host it yourself (or pay someone to).
Good for: people comfortable with technology, on a tight budget, who want something standard.
Watch out for:
- the time it takes to set up and maintain;
- updates and security patches, which are your job;
- templates that look good in a preview but load slowly on phones.
Option 2: a website builder
You pay a monthly fee to an online service, choose a design, and build the site in your browser with drag-and-drop tools.
Good for: getting online quickly without technical help.
Watch out for:
- you rent rather than own: stop paying and the site goes;
- moving to another provider later can be hard;
- monthly fees add up over the years, often in foreign currency;
- limited control over speed and how the site appears in search.
Option 3: a site built for you
A developer or company designs and builds the site around your business.
Good for: businesses that want a site that fits them, works well on ordinary phones, and grows with them.
Watch out for:
- the build costs more up front;
- some built sites need the developer for every change. Ask for an admin panel, so your team can update the content itself;
- make sure you get the logins to everything, and the domain in your name.
Side by side
| Template | Website builder | Built for you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | Low | Low | Higher |
| Ongoing cost | Hosting and upkeep | Monthly fee | Hosting and support |
| Your time | A lot | Some | Little |
| Fits your business | Partly | Partly | Closely |
| You own it | Yes | Not really | Yes, if agreed |
| Everyday changes | You, if you can | You | You, with an admin panel |
Whichever you choose
- Keep the domain in your company’s name.
- Test it on an ordinary Android phone, on mobile data, before you pay the final bill.
- Ask what changes cost after launch.
- Check the basics of the law: a contact form collects personal data, so you need a privacy notice. See NDPA basics.
For more on costs, read affordable websites in Nigeria.
Our approach
Websites with an Admin Panel is our product for the third option done differently: a business website built for you that your team runs itself, changing the text and adding pages from a simple admin panel. It’s in development, and you can join the waitlist. If you need something more custom, see software development.