I need a website, now what?

So you’ve decided that you are going to take the plunge and join the millions of people and businesses by creating an online presence. Websites for businesses big and small have become a necessity, and they’re a very affordable way to advertise and be found.

So where do you start?
#1. You need to come up with a domain name. It will be the address to your new website. You can perform a search here, and purchase your name for around $10. Go ahead and secure that, it is a small investment and YOU will own it.

#2. You need hosting. That is the webspace that you rent to hold the data that creates your website. Most everyone will only need the economy version of any hosting account which should run you just under $5 per month. I recommend GoDaddy. I have used other providers and encountered down time and wacky invoicing, their customer service is good and their prices are very reasonable. Your hosting with them will provide you with email accounts and a database if you are wanting to run something like a blog on your site. If you have any questions about what hosting package is right for you I will be happy to make a recommendation.

#3. Now you need to gather up your content and map out your site. How many pages will you need? What will their purpose be (about, contact, etc)? Am I interested in integrating animation? Do I want a blog? Is a 1 page site all I need right now? What’s my time line for completion? This will help myself or any designer you choose in preparing an accurate cost for the creation of your site.

Now you are on the road to owning your own little piece of cyberspace. See, that wasn’t so hard!

This entry was posted on Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 9:25 pm and is filed under Websites. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.