Bringing Your Business Online
Date Published: July 11th, 2008Categories: Small Business Advice, Local Business News -->
Many small businesses already have a web presence of some sort. Some have a basic website that simply serves as a contact point for prospective online customers. Others have gone the whole nine yards to create something pretty dazzling.
Then there are the business owners that have yet to take the plunge. For this group, the even the first steps of how to “get a website” can be unclear, and the perception of the cost can be daunting. This article aims to provide information and online resources to help a small business owner get started.
DOMAIN SELECTION & WEB HOSTING
One of the first steps to take when looking to start a website is to secure a domain name, and set up a hosting account. Many sites do both of these. One site I recommend is GoDaddy. Despite its sometimes-questionable advertising, their web hosting service is cheap & reliable, their website is easy to use & they have fantastic customer support. If you visit their homepage, just start with the domain name search box in the center of the page, and go from there.
Sites like GoDaddy do their best to allow even web novices to build a website. But sometimes even this assumes too much. Many business owners still are either too busy or too technically-challenged (or both) to use this route. In this case, your best bet is to go with web design consultant to guide you through the process.
BuyerZone.com is a great site if this is the path you want to explore. On BuyerZone, you submit your contact information, and then they connect you with up to 5 different vendors that will bid for your business. There is no obligation to buy, but it’s a great way to get a handle on pricing. The following link gets you started:
If you already have a website, and just need a place to have it hosted, you can get quotes for that service as well from BuyerZone:
It’s a really good idea to take the time to get even a simple website up & running. More & more people go online every day to find local products and services. Most of the time they have no intention of actually purchasing online; often all they want is a phone number, email address or driving directions. If your business doesn’t have a website, it makes it really hard for those customers to find you.
One Response to “Bringing Your Business Online”
By Marketing Superhero on Aug 1, 2008
Getting online and utilizing the resources of the internet to conduct business and maintain relations with customers is essential. And, as this article states, there are many options for the do-it-yourselfer without anything more than a computer and an internet connection.
I recommend that the first step for any business owner getting online is to have a plan. Your website(s), domain name(s), site content and functionality should begin with a clear understanding of their purpose. Get out a piece of paper and answer these questions.
Who do you want to visit the site?
Will they need to visit the site regularly or seldom?
What content do you want on your site (text and pictures)?
Will you need to update your site frequently or hardly at all?
Do you want to facilitate electronic transactions?
Is your site mostly for prospective customers or existing customers?
Do you want to have visitors sign up for your email?
Do you want to send customers nice looking email?
How much are you prepared to spend annually for your site?
Ok, this is just a primer for planning out your web program but answering these questions will get you better focused to make prudent choices.
Good luck.