Setting up your own website; hot tips for the small business on domain names, hosting and web design
As a small business or business start up, setting up a website may seem a daunting prospect when you have got so much else on your plate to deal with, but it needn?t be that complicated.
This practical no nonsense guide talks you through the basics of domain names, web hosting, web design and shows you how to get started.
?Help! Where do I start??
There are 3 simple steps to setting up your website;
- register a domain name, such as www.mybusiness.co.uk ;
- find a hosting provider to rent you the webspace to house your website;
- produce a design for your website.
1. How do I register a domain name?
The first thing you?ll need to do is check that the name you want is available. You can do this online and there are lots of companies that also let you register your domain name online. Registration is typically only around ?10 a year. Many designers or hosting providers will sort this out for you.
2. How can I get webspace?
Webspace is space on a computer owned by a hosting company. Your hosting provider will connect your webspace with your domain name so that anyone who types your domain name into their browser will arrive at your website. Prices vary so shop around.
3. How do I sort out the design?
There are four key options. Here they are with a list of pros and cons for you to consider;
Option 1: DIY using a software package such as Microsoft Frontpage
Pros
- Save on agency or freelancer costs
Cons
- You may have to purchase software
- Potentially time consuming
- Do you have the skillset or, if not, the patience to learn?
- You are on your own if you run into problems
Option 2: DIY using an off the shelf site builder package
Pros
- Relatively cheap option
- Template driven so it is easy to pick it up
Cons
- Design will not be original and may carry a reference to the package on each page of your site
- Package may not be able to deliver all your requirements
Option 3: Appoint a web design agency
Pros
- Team of specialists likely to deliver professional results
- Good option for complicated requirements
Cons
- Likely to be most expensive solution
Option 4: Appoint a freelance web designer
Pros
- Professionally designed site but likely to be cheaper than an agency and able to work within your budget.
Cons
- For more complicated sites check freelancer?s skill set can cope with your needs. Unlike an agency this is a ?one man band?
What to include on your website
Each business will differ, but a typical simple business start up site might consist of;
- a home page to welcome your visitors
- a page containing background information about you & your business
- a contacts or enquiry page (with email form)
- a high level product/services pricing page
- a portfolio page with some examples of your work and customer testimonials
Top tips for search engine friendly web sites
Whether you decide to build your website yourself or appoint an agency or freelancer it is important to make sure your site is search engine friendly so that people can find you online. The following will help;
- Think about how customers might search for your site and include these keywords in your page titles and in prominent positions on the home page. A well written home page containing important keywords will help boost your ranking.
- Label your images with suitable ?ALT? tags (alternative text tags). Many search engines also use these to help rank your relevance to searches.
- Include appropriate meta tag descriptions and keywords in your source code.
- Use the H1
, H2 tags for headings in your source code and ensure these include words from your ?hitlist? of desirable keywords.
Follow these simple steps and you?ll be up and running on the web in no time! Good luck!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
-
Nowadays, the high quality web design techniques and internet marketing seem to go hand in hand. There is no website which does not have effectiveness as a goal and there is almost no company that does not have a web site to introduce and describe its products. Not to speak about the sites which aim to build up a fully functional and money bringing store! In what web site design is concerned, the sky is the only limit, with design ideas to fulfill any desire a business might have.
The most important thing is that the web site should fit the company like a glove. This is what an effective design is all about! The website should reflect a solid, stable and reliable business. Otherwise, the confidence of the potential buyer will be for ever lost!
Any web site designer must achieve the crucial balance between the interesting graphics and the efficient communication and purchase processing needed to catch every sale opportunity.
Therefore, a web design professional is the best and the most efficient option you’ve got! Give up those ideas of web sites which can be created at home. A web development company can build up your entire web site and you will not have to worry about a single thing. You just provide them with details about your business needs and website desires and they will do the work in a very short period of time! This is because they have already acquired a large amount of experience in the internet marketing field. You will all agree that time is always the essential element in any business!
Internet marketing professionals can update and streamline your site, should it already be up and running, but not bringing the increased customers or profits hoped for. A good internet marketing company prides itself in using the most new and effective products and processes. When a good internet marketing expert works his magic, you will be surprised to see an almost immediate boost in the efficiency of your site. That is in attracting new customers and in keep the existing ones. This is the key to success for any web site! You know how it works: a buyer who is not pleased with the design of a web site will quickly loose interest, no matter what products and services the company is advertising for. So try and avoid this from happening!
About the Author
Ecommerce Web Site Design - Nahda Ecommerce Web Site Design - Visit right now!
