The fact that computers have allowed many people to have a voice online is a double-edged sword. The Internet is a vast database of knowledge, from personal to business, governments, and more, but you have to carefully sift through it all and be sure that what you are reading is actually true. We must always ask, is the information presented from a reliable source? Its easy to surf the web and fall into thinking that everything you read is accurate. However, there is no dispute that we now a vast amount of information available in an instant! We have become smarter and more knowledgeable because of it, and education has dramatically benefited from this technology. It is hard to imagine the days when doing reports meant checking out encyclopedia's from the school library. The flip side though is that anyone can create a site, and unfortunately that also means that people are able to create and do things that could potentially harm others. Users have to be diligent in how they use this technology.
Advantages to creating your own website are many IF you have the ability and skill to do it the way you need it. After all, no one knows you, your hobby or your business like you do. Hiring a web designer is expensive, so if you want someone else to do it, you will need a sizable budget. Depending on how much you pay and the company doing the design, it is possible that they will have a variety of people that work on various aspects of your site with their own skill set. The most dramatic results will come from a paid website designer, provided you have selected someone with excellent skill and education. However, if you want to tackle this project yourself, you will need time to get the job done. While a professional can have a site complete in a rather short amount of time, novice users could pick web site builder programs that use templates or those with which you can simply type in what you need. These programs still require some knowledge or it will be very frustrating. However, they will enable a beginner to have rather decent website, but with little control. An often overlooked aspect of web design is site optimization. There are people that specialize in this field.This is important especially if you want to have an online business. What good does a good site design do if your site does not come up in searches. Online adverting, targeted advertising, and store/cart systems are other areas that require a good skill set. Another area that requires good knowledge is security, especially if you are a business owner who collects personal and financial information from your clients. Again, very important considerations if you are running a business when choosing who will design your site. However, if you want just a hobby or other personal site, there are easy to use, site creation programs, hosting etc. that walk non-web designers through the entire process. The question you have to ask yourself is, will my website achieve the goal it was intended, will the data be safe, secure, and backed up regularly, and will the site have any unwanted advertising from the program or hosting server, especially in lieu of free services.
Finally, you have be sure that your site is usable and accessible. These terms are often confused. Accessibility refers to the ability of everyone to use the computer and Internet in terms of disabilities and usability refers to ease of use. The Americans with Disability Act has set forth laws that require certain websites to be accessible to those who have mobility, sensory or learning disabilities. Because of the vast nature of how we use computers and the Internet, having an accessible website has become both a legal and ethical issue in web design. It is important to have a universal design that is usable to a wide range of audiences. Protocols are set by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). One very critical design element is the use of alt text or long text names for non-text items on a page. This allows those who are unable to see to have the ability to understand what images you have portrayed, as these can be read out loud. In a nutshell, the website needs to be obtainable and functional to people with disabilities. Usability refers to how easy one can navigate the website. If a website is difficult to use, people will leave. Usability covers areas such as intuitive design, efficiency, ease of learning, memorability, error frequency and severity, and satisfaction by the user (usability.gov). When designing for the web, the site needs to offer the user an opportunity to learn and use the site to meet the desired goal, and be satisfied with the process. Its important to check the design by viewing in different browsers, turning off sound, turning off graphics, use different monitors, screen resolutions and such to see how usable and accessible your site actually is.
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