5 Easy to Follow Steps to Get Online

What's in a Name?

Your first step before you can have a Web site, or Web hosting for that matter, is to register a domain name. When servers are looking for a particular address on the Web, they look for a string of network digits called the IP address. A domain name is the text translation of this IP address, which is easier for people to remember than a string of digits. Registering a domain name is easy and can be done through a registrar, such as Verisign, or directly through a Web hosting company such as Metropolitan Hosting.

Domain names are extremely important and vital to distinguishing your company from the competition. Selecting an appropriate domain name will enable you to successfully promote your brand online and will determine how easily visitors can get to your site. Your domain name is effectively your address on the Internet, so make it clear, concise and memorable.

Tip:

If you are not ready to build your Web presence but feel you will need to in the future, register the domain name anyway just in case to make sure no one else registers the domain name before you. Better to be safe than sorry! It's a good idea to register many similar domain names and set them as domain aliases to your Web site. For example, if users type www.angiesantiques.com or www.angisantiqueshop.com, the browser will automatically point them to your main Web site.

Get Yourself Connected...

In order to build and test your site, you need a Web hosting company to connect your site to the Internet. This company should understand the dynamic nature of a small business. As your business grows, your hosting company should grow with you and offer plans that fit your changing needs. Here are three important things to look for when choosing a hosting company:

Service
Superior service distinguishes the leaders in the hosting world from their lesser competition. Anyone can offer low prices, but not everyone can provide impeccable and dependable service to its customers. A strong hosting service provides technical support and answers your questions quickly and concisely, and in terms that you can understand! Also, the company should know the challenges you face as a small business and offer strategic advice concerning your Web services decisions.

Cutting-edge Technology
A premier hosting service should provide you with state of the art technology that offers reliability and superior security. If the service is down, your Web site is down and this could result in your losing orders and customers. To avoid these types of issues, it is important to understand the company's backup plans and services, what kind of technologies they offer, and what it all means to you. Furthermore, you should always feel that the company is upgrading its value-added offerings through technology and looking for ways to make your hosting experience better.

Variety
As your company and customer base grow, you may need to upgrade your plan to something that offers more space and functionality. Hosting companies that offer a wide range of plans and functionality and cater to different types of businesses lead the industry. More importantly, companies offering comprehensive solutions that provide their customers with essential tools to make their online business a success prove they are committed to their customers' needs.

How do I build my site?

Planning
Before building your site, you must clearly define the objectives of your site and determine your goals. Do you want your site to be purely informational or do you want to sell products online? These types of goals determine the strategic direction your company will take and the different business models available to you. You should identify the different areas your customers would like to see on your site and tailor it to offer that type of information.

Tip:
It's always a good idea to visit your competitors' Web sites in order to see what they are offering and to ensure that your site is not lacking important information or promotions. You can also use these sites to compare the presentation and content, and improve on it with your site.

Do I outsource or do it myself?

Outsourcing Web site design:

Employing Web designers to create your Web site is the easiest but most expensive option. If you have a complicated site, or limited resources and time, outsourcing your Web design might be the best choice for you. Normally, you will consult with the designers about the layout, content and look and feel and will create a design that matches your specifications. Consulting a Web designer is the best way to get a customized look and feel for your site and alleviate time and resource pressures.

Tip:

When outsourcing your development projects to Web designers, it is important to ensure that once the site is developed and launched that you will be able to maintain and add information and functionality to the site.

Employing Web designers to create your Web site is the easiest but most expensive option. If you have a complicated site, or limited resources and time, outsourcing your Web design might be the best choice for you. Normally, you will consult with the designers about the layout, content and look and feel and will create a design that matches your specifications. Consulting a Web designer is the best way to get a customized look and feel for your site and alleviate time and resource pressures.

Designing your own web site:
Many people elect to design their Web sites with their own tools, thereby saving a significant amount of money. There are many affordable Web design software packages on the market, such as Microsoft® FrontPage®, Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive®, which are all popular and very user-friendly. These packages make Web design easy, enabling the most novice designer to create a site that has all the required content and graphics.

Don't know HTML? Never fear!
One of the most common misconceptions in Web design is that you must know HTML to create the Web site you want! You don't! There are Web-based site-building tools on the market that enable you to build professional looking Web sites in a matter of clicks. Using hundreds of templates, these tools enable you to choose the color, layout and design of your pages, and the software generates the Web site for you! However, for Web sites that require more customized designs, these templates do have some limitations and restrictions.

By creating a Web site internally, you realize increased flexibility, control and overall cost savings. You will also not be dependent on someone else to develop your vision and have to abide by his or her timeline.

It's all about what you say:
The key elements of a successful Web site include clear but catchy content and presentation. Quality content will ensure visitor interest in your products and services while a concise but appealing presentation will enable your customers to fully understand the intricacies of your business.

Determining what content you want to offer on your site is the most challenging part of developing a Web site. You must provide easy access to your services in a very clear and concise manner but also offer navigation that is intuitive and usable. Your Home page, or front page, should provide access to all areas of the site, including promotions, product information, news, etc. This page must be easy to navigate and essentially act as a portal to the rest of your site. The Products and Services section will be the main information piece of your site, and will include all the details of each product or service you offer. Keep in mind that you will need to update this area frequently if there are changes to your offerings. Also make sure that your customers can access ALL information pertaining to these products...customers will not purchase anything without all relevant information. Don't be ambiguous!

Finally, an About Us section is important because it offers the customer information about your business and the people and resources behind it. This section usually includes information such as management profiles, company history, company mission and investor relations.