Are you ready to establish a web presence for your organization
or business, but overwhelmed by what appears to be a process
that is complex and expensive? Unfortunately, this process does
indeed seem confusing, given the variety of companies selling
their services and the
inconsistency of pricing from vendor to vendor. But establishing
a web presence can be simplified if you follow these four steps.
1. Website Name Registration
Choose a name that best represents your business or
organization. while a short, concise name is generally
preferred, sometimes a longer name may be remembered by
potential users and thus be a better choice. For example,
www.mooreselectric.com is not the shortest name possible for the
moores electrical construction website, but it clearly describes
the site and is easy for the user to remember.
When selecting names, come up with several alternatives because
your first choice may not be available. Name availability can be
checked quickly at: www.networksolution.com
once at the Network Solutions website, Click on the "WHOIS" link
to see if the name you are interested in is available. If your
first choice isn't available, a number of similar options will
be displayed including those with variety of extensions like
.info, .biz, .org .ws, .cc and .be.
I recommend that you stick with either a .com, .net and .biz
extensions as most other extensions will not be remembered by
your users.
The Cost to purchase a website ( Domain Name) is approximately
$20.00 to $35.00 per year. Even if you are not quite ready to
develop a website, you should purchase the Domain Name you want
if it is available since the cost is low and the name may not be
available in the future.
2. Website Design
The cost to develop a webpage is affected by the amount of
content, the complexity of the site and the web designer you
hire. Because of these wide ranging variables, it is very
difficult to estimate what might be considered reasonable design
costs.
However, a simple site that is essentially an online flier can
be created for as little as $500, while a more complex
e-commerce site can easily cost thousands. Don't be afraid to
ask several companies for pricing estimates before making a
decision.
In Addition, keep in mind that cost is only one of the many
variables that should be considered.
Shop around for a designer with whom you are comfortable. If you
are unsure whether a website will help your business, and your
budget is limited, start with a simple site consisting of
several pages. This will limit your investment while letting you
get a feel for how this site will enhance your business. You can
always expand your website with additional pages.
Do not allow yourself to be pushed into starting with an
elaborate site if you are not comfortable with this. Remember, a
website should enhance your business and improve the bottom line
like any other investment.
3. Website Hosting
Your website can be hosted on one of many servers throughout the
country including several local companies. Keep in mind that the
location of your web server is insignificant to the user. Pick a
web host that you feel is both affordable and reliable. A simple
website that is essentially an online brochure should not cost
no more than $9.00 per month to host. However, an e-commerce
site could cost well over $80.00 per month.
In addition to cost considerations, choose a host that has a
reliable track record. Most hosts will provide data on the "Down
Time" and you should beware of using any host that is unable or
unwilling to share this information with you.
4. Website Maintenance
Maintenance fees will vary depending on the number and type of
changes you make to the site. Before hiring a web designer, be
sure the maintenance fees are detailed up front. some designers
charge a low cost design fee, but pad their maintenance fees.
Once again a simple online brochure that does not require many
changes
and should have limited on-going maintenance. Consider having
the designer review Your site quarterly or semi-annually to be
sure the site maintains the appearance initially created.
Following these simple steps will allow your business or
organization to establish a presence on the World wide Web.
About the author:
Steven Boaze (CEO) is The Owner of The Corporate Headquarters
Boaze.com Which houses and controls two companies (Web
Development Technology - www.webdevelopmenttechnology.com ) and
(Boaze Publishing - www.boazepublishing.biz ). Steven is also
the author of numerous articles on Marketing and Advertising
published by Boaze Publishing. Copyright © 1998-2003 Boaze.com
