How to build a project website on a budget: design tips for projects and small businesses
Building a website isn’t just an option anymore for a small business in the current online marketplace; it is the foundation of its identity. A website acts as your online storefront and is a significant tool for developing credibility. But why should this only apply to businesses? Projects, too, can benefit greatly from having a dedicated website.
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Project websites: worthwhile investment or waste of money?
When it comes to a project, a website can be much more than just a 'nice-to-have'; it can be a decisive factor in determining its success. From a project management perspective, its purpose depends on whether it is intended for internal or external use.
An internal project website functions as a central platform for all team members and stakeholders within the organisation. It can securely store documents, project plans, milestones, resource lists and progress reports. This creates a single source of truth, minimising information loss and reducing the need for repeated coordination. Automated updates and dashboards allow the project manager to transparently communicate status changes, eliminating the need for countless emails.
An external project website, on the other hand, is aimed at a wider audience, such as clients, partners, sponsors or the general public. Projects of public interest, such as product developments, events, infrastructure projects or research initiatives, can benefit enormously from a clear online presence.
Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs and project managers still believe that web design is too expensive, leading them to assume that a beautiful, professional website is beyond their budget. In reality, the effectiveness, professionalism and stunning appearance of a website aren't defined by its budget, but by intelligent design choices. You don't need to make a huge investment to develop a solid online presence. All you need is a strong strategy, a clear understanding of your objectives, and a set of smart, cost-effective design principles.
In this article, we focus on external project websites and show you how to develop a premium website for your project without incurring premium development costs.
An internal project website functions as a central platform for all team members and stakeholders within the organisation. It can securely store documents, project plans, milestones, resource lists and progress reports. This creates a single source of truth, minimising information loss and reducing the need for repeated coordination. Automated updates and dashboards allow the project manager to transparently communicate status changes, eliminating the need for countless emails.
An external project website, on the other hand, is aimed at a wider audience, such as clients, partners, sponsors or the general public. Projects of public interest, such as product developments, events, infrastructure projects or research initiatives, can benefit enormously from a clear online presence.
Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs and project managers still believe that web design is too expensive, leading them to assume that a beautiful, professional website is beyond their budget. In reality, the effectiveness, professionalism and stunning appearance of a website aren't defined by its budget, but by intelligent design choices. You don't need to make a huge investment to develop a solid online presence. All you need is a strong strategy, a clear understanding of your objectives, and a set of smart, cost-effective design principles.
In this article, we focus on external project websites and show you how to develop a premium website for your project without incurring premium development costs.
Why does your project need a website?
A well-designed website helps build trust in your project and makes it accessible to stakeholders around the clock. It also acts as a powerful online platform, allowing you to showcase project goals, share progress updates, and engage with interested audiences. Without such a presence, you risk losing valuable attention to competing projects that already have a strong online profile.
Beyond credibility, a project website also supports visibility and stakeholder engagement. It enables visitors to learn more about the project, understand its benefits, and connect with the team easily. In today’s environment—where people search online before committing their support or involvement—a well-designed website ensures your project remains relevant, visible, and impactful.
Beyond credibility, a project website also supports visibility and stakeholder engagement. It enables visitors to learn more about the project, understand its benefits, and connect with the team easily. In today’s environment—where people search online before committing their support or involvement—a well-designed website ensures your project remains relevant, visible, and impactful.
Budget-friendly design tips for projects
Identify your website goal/purpose
Determine what the first thing you want visitors to do when they land on your website. Each website design decision should align with this goal. Overloading your website with several features can kill your budget. Hence, by concentrating on a primary goal, you can prevent unwanted, costly complexities.
A website that has a clear, defined purpose is easy for visitors to navigate and cost-effective to develop. You can always add new features later on, as your business expands. So, start focused and lean.
Choose an economical website builder
Creating a website required coding earlier, but the latest website builders have made the process extremely simple. WordPress provides high customisation options, while Wix offers an easy drag-and-drop feature. You can access their free plans; however, signing up for a paid plan unlocks more flexibility, as well as features.
Secure a domain name and hosting
Your project website’s domain name is its online address. And, securing a professional name develops credibility. Several hosting providers offer bundled deals that include a completely free domain name for the initial year. Hostinger, SiteGround, and Bluehost are a few reputed and affordable options for hosting. Meanwhile, Namecheap and Google Domains offer economically priced domain registration.
Embrace templates
The template is like the secret weapon of a budget-friendly website design. Modern-day templates, especially the ones on platforms such as Shopify and Squarespace, are developed by top-rated designers. They are completely customisable, stunning, and mobile-responsive.
The template serves as the ‘skeleton’ of your project website—the structure, code, and layout—and costs relatively less than a custom website design. You only need to give it a ‘soul’ by using your distinct content, branding, and visuals.
Master typography
The font style and colour play a major role in enhancing your website’s overall appearance. However, it is important to focus on readability first, and then on fanciness.
Use limited fonts: Utilise two fonts at most. One for the headings and the other for the main body text.
Select the font wisely: Use a simple, clean sans-serif font style for the main body text, such as Open Sans, Roboto, or Lato. These are pleasant to the eye and readable. You can use a fancy font for the heading, but make sure that it matches your body font well.
Include high-quality visuals
Poor-quality images can make a website seem cheap. High-quality visuals help to develop instant trust. Here is how you can get your hands on them for free:
Leverage your Smartphone: Smartphone cameras are extremely powerful. There’s no need to hire a professional videographer/ photographer. Lighting and a perfect angle are the key. Capture snaps or videos in natural daylight. A clean background can work wonders.
Use stock photo websites: Websites such as Pixabay, Pexels, and Unsplash provide several authentic-looking, beautiful, and artistic images for free use. Choose images that align with your brand’s vision and seem genuine.
Make use of Canva: For banners, graphics, and icons, Canva can prove to be an indispensable tool. Its free version is robust and lets you develop professional-looking graphics within minutes.
Optimise for SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) ensures that your site ranks high on the search engines. This makes it easier for your stakeholders or future customers to find you. Concentrate on developing engaging content, using unique headings, and making sure that your site is easy to navigate. Though SEO is an ongoing process, even minute efforts can have a major impact. Free tools such as Ubersuggest and Google Search Console can help you monitor your website performance and determine areas that need improvement.
Mobile-first is a non-negotiable
Most website visitors prefer to use their smartphones for browsing. Hence, it is important to have a website that works and looks fine on small screens. That’s called a responsive website design. You can easily take care of this aspect by choosing a modern template from a reliable website builder.
Just keep a continuous check on your website design on your smartphone while you develop it. If it is weird to use on the mobile, it is definitely a bad design, no matter how nice it seems on the desktop.
Use powerful Call-to-Action
CTA (Call-to-Action) buttons play a crucial role on the website. They help visitors decide what action they should take next. Hence, choose your accent colour wisely to make it shine. Besides, use clear text like ‘Purchase ticket now’ or ‘Donate to the project’ instead of passive words such as ‘Submit.’
Keep updating your website
A project website is not a ‘one-off’ setup. It needs to be updated regularly as the project progresses. Check for broken links periodically. Refresh old content to showcase any project changes. Free tools such as Google Analytics can provide insights into visitor behaviour and enhance the user experience over time.
Another important aspect of website maintenance is security. Update software and plugins regularly and install SSL certificates to protect user data. You should also keep an eye out for potential security breaches or threats. A secure project website fosters trust and ensures smooth functionality.
Continue expanding your website
As the project develops, your project website should grow and adapt. You could start with a basic site and then add features such as a chat function for interested stakeholders or an events booking system for presentations and other project activities. Consider integrating automation tools to streamline processes. For example, scheduling software, chatbots and automated email responses can improve the stakeholder experience while reducing the project team's workload.
Determine what the first thing you want visitors to do when they land on your website. Each website design decision should align with this goal. Overloading your website with several features can kill your budget. Hence, by concentrating on a primary goal, you can prevent unwanted, costly complexities.
A website that has a clear, defined purpose is easy for visitors to navigate and cost-effective to develop. You can always add new features later on, as your business expands. So, start focused and lean.
Choose an economical website builder
Creating a website required coding earlier, but the latest website builders have made the process extremely simple. WordPress provides high customisation options, while Wix offers an easy drag-and-drop feature. You can access their free plans; however, signing up for a paid plan unlocks more flexibility, as well as features.
Secure a domain name and hosting
Your project website’s domain name is its online address. And, securing a professional name develops credibility. Several hosting providers offer bundled deals that include a completely free domain name for the initial year. Hostinger, SiteGround, and Bluehost are a few reputed and affordable options for hosting. Meanwhile, Namecheap and Google Domains offer economically priced domain registration.
Embrace templates
The template is like the secret weapon of a budget-friendly website design. Modern-day templates, especially the ones on platforms such as Shopify and Squarespace, are developed by top-rated designers. They are completely customisable, stunning, and mobile-responsive.
The template serves as the ‘skeleton’ of your project website—the structure, code, and layout—and costs relatively less than a custom website design. You only need to give it a ‘soul’ by using your distinct content, branding, and visuals.
Master typography
The font style and colour play a major role in enhancing your website’s overall appearance. However, it is important to focus on readability first, and then on fanciness.
Use limited fonts: Utilise two fonts at most. One for the headings and the other for the main body text.
Select the font wisely: Use a simple, clean sans-serif font style for the main body text, such as Open Sans, Roboto, or Lato. These are pleasant to the eye and readable. You can use a fancy font for the heading, but make sure that it matches your body font well.
Include high-quality visuals
Poor-quality images can make a website seem cheap. High-quality visuals help to develop instant trust. Here is how you can get your hands on them for free:
Leverage your Smartphone: Smartphone cameras are extremely powerful. There’s no need to hire a professional videographer/ photographer. Lighting and a perfect angle are the key. Capture snaps or videos in natural daylight. A clean background can work wonders.
Use stock photo websites: Websites such as Pixabay, Pexels, and Unsplash provide several authentic-looking, beautiful, and artistic images for free use. Choose images that align with your brand’s vision and seem genuine.
Make use of Canva: For banners, graphics, and icons, Canva can prove to be an indispensable tool. Its free version is robust and lets you develop professional-looking graphics within minutes.
Optimise for SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) ensures that your site ranks high on the search engines. This makes it easier for your stakeholders or future customers to find you. Concentrate on developing engaging content, using unique headings, and making sure that your site is easy to navigate. Though SEO is an ongoing process, even minute efforts can have a major impact. Free tools such as Ubersuggest and Google Search Console can help you monitor your website performance and determine areas that need improvement.
Mobile-first is a non-negotiable
Most website visitors prefer to use their smartphones for browsing. Hence, it is important to have a website that works and looks fine on small screens. That’s called a responsive website design. You can easily take care of this aspect by choosing a modern template from a reliable website builder.
Just keep a continuous check on your website design on your smartphone while you develop it. If it is weird to use on the mobile, it is definitely a bad design, no matter how nice it seems on the desktop.
Use powerful Call-to-Action
CTA (Call-to-Action) buttons play a crucial role on the website. They help visitors decide what action they should take next. Hence, choose your accent colour wisely to make it shine. Besides, use clear text like ‘Purchase ticket now’ or ‘Donate to the project’ instead of passive words such as ‘Submit.’
Keep updating your website
A project website is not a ‘one-off’ setup. It needs to be updated regularly as the project progresses. Check for broken links periodically. Refresh old content to showcase any project changes. Free tools such as Google Analytics can provide insights into visitor behaviour and enhance the user experience over time.
Another important aspect of website maintenance is security. Update software and plugins regularly and install SSL certificates to protect user data. You should also keep an eye out for potential security breaches or threats. A secure project website fosters trust and ensures smooth functionality.
Continue expanding your website
As the project develops, your project website should grow and adapt. You could start with a basic site and then add features such as a chat function for interested stakeholders or an events booking system for presentations and other project activities. Consider integrating automation tools to streamline processes. For example, scheduling software, chatbots and automated email responses can improve the stakeholder experience while reducing the project team's workload.
Final thoughts
Creating a professional, budget-friendly project website isn’t about cutting corners—it’s about making smarter, more targeted decisions. Good design comes down to simplicity, clarity, and keeping the user’s needs at the centre. By defining the purpose of your site, choosing the right platform, and applying proven design principles, you can create a strong, trusted online presence for your project. Start smart, stay focused, and maximise the positive impact your project can make.
However, not every project is suitable for public communication. Some initiatives—such as confidential infrastructure planning, sensitive research, or security-related developments—cannot involve or inform the public during certain phases. In such cases, a project website may not be appropriate.
For many other projects, though, a dedicated public website can be invaluable. Examples include the modernisation of a railway station, the development of a new community park, the rollout of a renewable energy installation, or the restoration of a historic building. In these cases, a well-designed website can keep stakeholders informed, gather feedback, and build long-term support.
However, not every project is suitable for public communication. Some initiatives—such as confidential infrastructure planning, sensitive research, or security-related developments—cannot involve or inform the public during certain phases. In such cases, a project website may not be appropriate.
For many other projects, though, a dedicated public website can be invaluable. Examples include the modernisation of a railway station, the development of a new community park, the rollout of a renewable energy installation, or the restoration of a historic building. In these cases, a well-designed website can keep stakeholders informed, gather feedback, and build long-term support.
Author: Harikrishna Kundariya, is a marketer, developer, IoT, Cloud & AWS savvy, co-founder, and Director of eSparkBiz, a Software Development Company. His 14+ years of experience enables him to provide digital solutions to new start-ups based on IoT and SaaS applications.
Keywords: Project management