How to Create a Successful Web Site For Almost Nothing, Pt. 1
Have you got eight hours and $10? Then you can build a Web site for your business.
Thanks to competition among Web-hosting providers, and the falling costs of Web storage, it’s never been easier to get a Web site up and running — from buying the domain name to building a site to setting up a payment system to tracking traffic.
But many small businesses still seem intimidated by the job. In a survey published last year, JupiterResearch LLC found that just 36% of online small businesses — that is, businesses with fewer than 100 employees, where managers access the Web at least once a month — have Web sites.
So, here’s a guide for owners looking to make the leap online. This week in a 5-part series, we’ll lay out all the steps you need to take to build your site, and present some expert opinion about getting it noticed and keeping track of customers — all with no technical background required.
First, you have to buy a domain name — e.g., YourCompany.com — for about $10 a year. As an example, we’ll show how to buy a domain using the registrar Go Daddy Group Inc., but you can shop around at others, such as Tucows Inc. and Register.com Inc.
Type the domain name you want in the search box at GoDaddy.com. If it’s taken, try another. When you’ve settled on one, scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Proceed to Checkout.” Ignore the offers for additional products and services, continue to the checkout page, enter your payment information and hit “Checkout Now.”
You’re now the owner of a Web address.
Photo by lusi/CraigPJ.
Eric Gourmet on September 8th, 2008 1:11 pm
This is only step one to getting a website online! I am still wondering how a small business owner, being very busy with his conventional business, is going to find the time, energy and willpower to get his website online, with no knowledge of his internet traffic, return on investment and potential profit.
This seems an easy step, and it could be a great opportunity if you know the complete picture!
To design your web site, amend its content, update your products or services, do the internet marketing, be ready for a year of work to get substantial results. Under these circumstances I would advise you to employ an expert to do it for you provided you have a clear budget framework for at least 2 years!
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