Establishing a web site for the future

Most small business owners are aware that having a web site is practically a requirement if they expect to succeed in today's tech-savvy world. When it comes to setting up a web site for a small business, you may not know where to begin. Some people know how to design web sites and are able to build their own web site while other people have absolutely no idea how to design or maintain a web site. Here are some tips to help you with your small business web site.

Tip # 1 - The need for a web site
Begin by looking at your small businesses need for a web site. A web site is the primary selling tool for many companies and without one; you are telling your customers just how out of date you really are. Think about your customers and what need a web site would satisfy. If you are offering advice, you can create a blog instead of an actual shopping web site. Other companies prefer to create a web site to post a directory listing with contact information about their company. From simple to complex, a web site can be anything you desire.

Tip # 2 - Building a quality web site
Next you need to decide if you need to hire a web site developer or decide if you can do it yourself. By creating a web site yourself, you not only will save on cost, but you will have complete control over the entire look and feel of the web site. You can make changes whenever you feel it is necessary and you do not have to wait for a web programmer to do this. If you don't have the slightest idea about web sites or how to design them for that manner, you are better off hiring a programmer. Learning how to design a web site takes a lot of time and it could be awhile before you get your site up and running. If you do hire a programmer, be sure to talk about time frames with your content. You may release a new product and you would like to launch it on your web site as soon as possible, if you don't discuss time frames with your programmer, you may end up waiting weeks to have the content placed online.

Tip # 3 - The Domain
You must also select your domain name. Your domain name must be simple enough for people to remember and relate to your business. For example, if your business name is "Aaron's Fight Club", you want a domain name that corresponds to this instead of something like www.fighting.com. The cost to register a domain name is relatively inexpensive, costing a few dollars per year. You may run into trouble if you need to purchase your domain from someone who already controls it. Because so many domains have been registered, you may have a hard time coming up with a web address that is available. This is where your creativity needs to shine through! Make a list of possible domain names or subjects that correlate to your business and begin browsing the internet to see if they have already been registered. Keep your domain name short, because the longer your domain name, the easier it is for potential customers to mistype your domain name and miss landing on your page altogether.

Tip # 4 - Pick a Host
Choosing a web hosting service is the next step you need to take when you are setting up your web site. If you have created a simple web site, you will only need a simple web-hosting solution. Quite often you can use the same company who provides your internet access to host your web site. As your web site grows and your needs expand, you will need a web hosting service that is more complex. Increased bandwidth and increased data storage need to be on the top of your priority list.