Building websites - A worthy idea?

[texus2]

Hey folks,

I just came up to the idea to do the following action, i want you to tell me, whats your opinion about this "plan":

I want to learn in the next few weeks, how to build websites. After learning this skill I will create my own homepage to sell my services as a business.

This sounds too easy, I know that i have to work my butt off but i was since my childhood very interesting in coding etc. and i think this can be a skill i want to perform for many years.

In theory everybody needs a website. I don't know how it is in the USA but in Germany we have SO many businesses which are using 10 years old, trashy websites, with so much more potential.

So I think I might get in touch with these people.

To get my skill I want to use first Codecademy to get comfortable with the languages, such as HTML/CSS/PHP etc. I think to have a knowledge of the basics can't be wrong.
(I've spend already around 10-12 hours in Codecademy, learning HTML/CSS and it was very funny.)​

Apart from that learning from Youtube can be a goldmine ("How to build a website" will give me many results)​

And last but not least - i think this will be the most interesting part - i will create my own homepage to see everything in live action. I consider to create a Blog or something. I might learn WordPress too...​

This is just an idea but i feel very good with it. What do you think?

Is it possible to earn good money with this method after some time or do you think, to learn coding etc. takes too much time compared with other business ideas?

 

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[Andy Black]

Interested in what you take from this video:

 

[Anon38776]

I, personally, think it takes too much time not to learn coding, but to keep up with the stuff sufficiently. Things change every day in that industry. I mean, you can build basic sites, that's okay, but getting really good at it is hard and it takes time. Say, you actually learn to make sites and you decide to build your business. How are you going to market it? How are you going to make the content for it? You can't just throw up ads and hope people will magically buy from you. That said, I know some HTML/CSS/JS myself and it definitely wouldn't hurt you to learn it. I think that you should take a dip into it, if you realize it's not for you, at least you tried. Go for the next thing, rinse, repeat.

 

[100k]

It would not hurt to learn how to make websites. But I believe there is a over-supply of SEO people and website developers.

Focus on finding needs/problems that haven't really been met and solve problems for people, help make life a little bit easier for them or help them make more $$$ or save $$$ etc.

 

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[7.62x51]

worth learning, just don't expect it to be lucrative

 

[PureA]

If you want to get into the website business first figure out what you want to offer your customer. And then, work backwards. How can you delivery that in the most time, effort, cost efficient manor that ensures maximum customer satisfaction?

Learn Wordpress = 2 hours
Learn to code = XXXX hours

Choose wisely.

 

[Delmania]

In theory everybody needs a website. I don't know how it is in the USA but in Germany we have SO many businesses which are using 10 years old, trashy websites, with so much more potential.

Right, just learn to setup Wordpress, and enough PHP and CSS to be dangerous.

To get my skill I want to use first Codecademy to get comfortable with the languages, such as HTML/CSS/PHP etc. I think to have a knowledge of the basics can't be wrong.
(I've spend already around 10-12 hours in Codecademy, learning HTML/CSS and it was very funny.)

That's a waste. You're not a developer.

 

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[Mikkel]

A typical dilemma, imo. I was in your position, a couple years back.

Here is how I thought about it:

Want to make a beautiful website ---> Wordpress(1 day to understand, enough)
+
Want to change to eCommerce ---> Shopify(Maybe 30 minutes to understand)
+
How about a Blog Post ----> Click the correct template in Wordpress(you already took 1 day to learn it)





Make a unique website ---> 500 hours (Maybe, probably more)
or
Make a unique Website ---> $2,000 (Maybe, which you could make in 200 hours working for $10/hr... if you're slowlane still)




Then comes the SEO. Then the question is. Do you teach yourself SEO also?

Do SEO yourself ---> About your entire life(seeing that SEO is forever changing)


In my own opinion, it is great to understand the concept of HTML and CSS. You may be able to utilize it when using Wordpress, but to full out learn coding I believe is unnecessary unless you plan to make a business out of building websites from scratch.

As some of the wealthiest people have said, get really good a 1-3 things. The rest, have other people do.

 

[texus2]

Thanks for all your answers. I read each answer several times to consume it in the right way.

I think i got it. Building websites from scratch can be usefull, if it's build as a fastlane business. Learning to code costs too much time, so I will put that idea out of my mind and focus on the next thing.
It seems to be a good way to learn Wordpress first to setup my homepage. In the end it doesn't matter if this will be a blog or a niche site for a product. Wordpress looks like a timeless way to build a website.

Thanks guys, you helped me to get usefull feedback about my thoughts.

 

[Aaron W]

100% agree with learning wordpress.

If you already know html/css thats perfect. It will help you tweak things you don't like on themes.

Wordpress is basically just an interface - you'll have it down in 2 hours.

 

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[sWALK90]

It takes so much time to learn coding and there are so many website GUI(drag and drop builders) now a days that you don't have to learn it...

While i was learning coding i used wix.com to make websites for people and charged them $500-$2000 when it really only took me 5 hours to move pictures around from their templates lol.... and in my spare time i learned coding

 

[Michael Moore]

Coding is a toolbox
Which tool are you going to fix what with???
A toolbox is for fixing whats broke
Whats broke????
Can u do plumbing and electrickery too??? at their hourly rates
What are you trying to fix?
What is your vehicle?

 

[Newpollz]

If your website is your fastlane (and follows most of CENTS) then 100% yes.
If making websites is your fastlane. Then probably no, not today.

 

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[lowtek]

It takes so much time to learn coding and there are so many website GUI(drag and drop builders) now a days that you don't have to learn it...

While i was learning coding i used wix.com to make websites for people and charged them $500-$2000 when it really only took me 5 hours to move pictures around from their templates lol.... and in my spare time i learned coding

Some people may argue this is scamming your clients.

I'm not one of them, necessarily. I kind of look at it as analogous to plumbers who charge money to replace the guts of a toilet. It literally takes less than an hour and no skill to do - you just have to be able to follow instructions.

 

[Newpollz]

Some people may argue this is scamming your clients.

I'm not one of them, necessarily. I kind of look at it as analogous to plumbers who charge money to replace the guts of a toilet. It literally takes less than an hour and no skill to do - you just have to be able to follow instructions.

How is it that when Apple wants to sell us garbage (hardware-speaking) at exorbitant prices people don't consider it scamming?

 

[sWALK90]

So taking advantage of a tool to help you do your job easier is scamming.

What planet?

 

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[lowtek]

So taking advantage of a tool to help you do your job easier is scamming.

What planet?

To be clear, I'm playing devil's advocate. I'm not accusing you of being a scammer. There's no need to be defensive.

It really depends on the marketing. If one were to market it as a custom website, and then use a drag and drop interface, that would be dishonest.

 

[lowtek]

How is it that when Apple wants to sell us garbage (hardware-speaking) at exorbitant prices people don't consider it scamming?

It's not scamming because the hardware isn't garbage. They use processors with fewer cores, because their software is optimized to take advantage of the hardware. That's not scamming, that's smart engineering. Same goes for them using less ram. Not to mention the fact that iPhones are generally regarded as having the best cameras available in phones, with Samsung occasionally trading blows.

With respect to their computers, they are offering the exact same hardware as any other vendor. They use Intel processors and AMD/nVidia GPUs. They charge a premium for their brand.

Also, your use of the word exorbitant is inaccurate. The market has decided that the pricing for their gadgets is fair.

full disclaimer: I don't own a single Apple product. I never have.

 

[sWALK90]

To be clear, I'm playing devil's advocate. I'm not accusing you of being a scammer. There's no need to be defensive.

It really depends on the marketing. If one were to market it as a custom website, and then use a drag and drop interface, that would be dishonest.

No defense took lol im just saying

Businesses are made off other peoples laziness.

People dont want to cook- fastfood resturants...
People dont want to wash their car- car washes...
People dont want to learn how to make websites\gfx\videos- fiverr...

They dont care how its done...if they did they would learn..they just want the end product...



btw....

That's not scamming, that's smart engineering.

Was that not smart web development lol?

 

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[Newpollz]

It's not scamming because the hardware isn't garbage. They use processors with fewer cores, because their software is optimized to take advantage of the hardware. That's not scamming, that's smart engineering. Same goes for them using less ram. Not to mention the fact that iPhones are generally regarded as having the best cameras available in phones, with Samsung occasionally trading blows.

With respect to their computers, they are offering the exact same hardware as any other vendor. They use Intel processors and AMD/nVidia GPUs. They charge a premium for their brand.

Also, your use of the word exorbitant is inaccurate. The market has decided that the pricing for their gadgets is fair.

full disclaimer: I don't own a single Apple product. I never have.

I don't agree with most of what you say but I respect your answer.

 

[apexstrat]

Worth learning Wordpress, then you can build basic websites for people and make some cash.

Better still, learn enough so that you can sell web design services, then sign a resell agreement with an agency to do the actual work for you.

You could do the same for video, seo etc and become a full service digital agency in a matter of weeks at zero cost

 

[Fernando Cordero]

Hey folks,

I just came up to the idea to do the following action, i want you to tell me, whats your opinion about this "plan":

I want to learn in the next few weeks, how to build websites. After learning this skill I will create my own homepage to sell my services as a business.

This sounds too easy, I know that i have to work my butt off but i was since my childhood very interesting in coding etc. and i think this can be a skill i want to perform for many years.

In theory everybody needs a website. I don't know how it is in the USA but in Germany we have SO many businesses which are using 10 years old, trashy websites, with so much more potential.

So I think I might get in touch with these people.

To get my skill I want to use first Codecademy to get comfortable with the languages, such as HTML/CSS/PHP etc. I think to have a knowledge of the basics can't be wrong.
(I've spend already around 10-12 hours in Codecademy, learning HTML/CSS and it was very funny.)​

Apart from that learning from Youtube can be a goldmine ("How to build a website" will give me many results)​

And last but not least - i think this will be the most interesting part - i will create my own homepage to see everything in live action. I consider to create a Blog or something. I might learn WordPress too...​

This is just an idea but i feel very good with it. What do you think?

Is it possible to earn good money with this method after some time or do you think, to learn coding etc. takes too much time compared with other business ideas?

Great idea BUT, internet marketing or anything that involves business in the internet is VERY HARD, and takes alot of time and effort. From my personal experience its not so easy to just "make a passive income". You need to learn alot of other skills apart from coding to even survive in the internet. SEO for example is an important skill. How many other websites are like your's? What is the value that you offer to your clients? Just keep in mind these tips when you start your company, because there are ALOT of websites services or people that can make you a website for very little money, like Fiverr gigs, or seoclerks, etc.

Anyways GL!

 

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[IceCreamAction]

Just learn wordpress. I go to UW and study math and one of my CS courses had a lab final which was creating a website on wordpress (intro to advance usage). Not the hardest courses but still cost the price of CS 452 which deals with trains and real time coding and programming etc.
As Andy said,
don't underestimate the value you can add,
but it is definitely not worth your time to learn coding.
Similar to getting a masters in psychology to deal with employees, can help but definitely can't be worth the time.
It would take a long time for you to be comfortable building a CUSTOM website that would take 20 -60 mins on wordpress.