I have worked as a web designer and web site manager doing both the design pretty work that includes convincing clients that what they really like and think is cool is exactly what their customers want.
My most success has been working with large sites and site management. This is specific because of the related Wordpress suggestion. Designing a site from scratch with photoshop and hand coding is a bad idea. Designers and coders love it, but it is like having to machine all of the parts needed to repair a car. Plus the ready made sites have balanced CSS code/mechanics that may take hours to figure out if you are making changes to an existing template (inheritance is painfully complicated if you are using somebody else's work)
Enjin has a really good set up and the pay for version has excellent templates and a way to take donations from members and includes TS. I was able to do a site for a club by just picking a template and replacing images and unifying fonts (no center, no caps and less than 3 colors and 2 fonts). If you leave the project the site is still there. IF you try to do the quick html site from html coding 101 people will complain and not appreciate your work. IF you try to do what they want, because it is what they are used to you will be giving them a $500-$1500 dollar project that usually involves 2-4 people with specific skills. IF they have to pay a small amount or you pay it yourself, you will save a ton of time in the long run. I paid the first month on the guilds site and when the nice styling and other plugins disappeared the guilds members saw a sudden value in my time and paying the less than $12 per month (including VoiP).
The most important thing about a site is the content and the ability to easily manage it. Systems like wordpress are great, but just installing it is just putting the key in the ignition. You may find it easier to work with an installed system with the Add ons configured before you try to all of the features in one press of the button. If you do it yourself, you will need to learn the engines functionality code and its effect of inherited CSS layout combined with server side calls and client side java script. You will also need to then configure the user WYSWIG so that others may be able to add content or use plugins (more CSS layout).
If you get a template that is managed in an existing system, it is easier to make WYSWIG changes in the tagged area to manipulate images and font styles quickly. If this is your weak point, it will free up energy to learn how to do it.
I did a search and got these results -
https://www.google.c...ng%20web%20site. From a professional POV it is worth getting a working knowledge of these companies.
If you get a working model in a template system, I will happily look at how to best change images and layout (style and technical) for a useable solution. Remember that being able to do a complex task is usually more work and less success than quickly delivering a decent product that others did the technical work on. (Good coders and designers make other people money, but get the blame). As far as a potential cost, if folks do not understand that $20/month split between 5-20 people plus your free time is not worth it, do you think they will see understand what you did for them for free?
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