Hosting The Right Way

Why Do I Need A Web Site?

Even though the Internet has been around for a long time and many people are "educated" about the Internet, most have little knowledge about what a web site is and what can it do for their business.

A web site is anything and everything you want it to be. Let me elaborate on that.

If you have a business and want to expand your markets, you build a web site.

If you have a business and want to improve customer satisfaction, you build a web site.

If you have a business and want to take advantage of technology while remaining fairly unbiased in technology at a basic level, you build a web site.

If you want to market to customers outside of your geographical boundaries, you build a web site.

If you want your friends and family to view pictures, communicate with you, you build a web site.

If you are just starting in your business and need a way to inform potential customers about you and your business, you build a web site.

As you can see, a web site has many uses. It wasn't uncommon in the early days (6-7 years back) of the Internet to see "This is me and my dog" web sites. However, the trend has changed today and business sites have taken over.

One thing I like about the web and the Internet over traditional (print) media is the fact that changes and updates can be made (almost) instantly. Try that in print.

As well, a web site can be made truly dynamic and flexible; almost making it totally customizable to each user, giving them a unique and personal touch.

In my business, I come across tons of questions on what really is a web site and what do I need to do to build a web site for my business.

I will list below some of the key criteria you will need to get started with a web site. Remember, these are my thoughts and opinions. If you are confused, send me an email at epicardo@netmedian.com.

1. Your domain name: Your domain name identifies you and gives you a unique identity across the Internet. Domain names come with an extension. In the earlier days .com was the most popular domain name. It largely is today as well, although many other extensions (.net, .biz, .tv) are gaining popularity as well. Shop around before you buy a domain keeping in mind that the cheapest may not necessarily be the best.

2. A web host: Your web site needs to reside on a computer (typically called the web host) that runs special programs (typically web server among other things) and is connected to the Internet. It is through this computer that your information can be seen by prospects/customers around the world.

3. A web site: This is simply a collection of pages, images and information that reflects you and your business. Creation of web sites are an entirely different subject altogether and I will address this in separate posts. If you need to know right now, email me or visit my site and view the Web Design page.

4. Web content: Can you imaging reading teh newspaper everyday with the same headlines and information? You would stop reading it, right? Well, the web is the same way. New and fresh content keeps your site alive and the search engines happy. Content that is relevant to your business always brings back visitors. In fact, if your content is really good, others may start linking to it or promoting it, giving you added links and visitors.

5. Visitors: Build It and they will come? Sadly, this isn't true with the Internet. Once a web site has been built, there are quite some other activities that need to be done in order to get your visitors to visit your site (also called hits, in a general way). This opens up the topic of Internet Marketing, another of my favorites. However, I will address this in a series of posts later on as it can be fairly exhaustive. You can visit my web site section on Internet Marketing to get a sneak peek.

6. Other useful and needed stuff: Besides the points mentioned above, you also need good sales copy (stuff that people/prospects read) to convert visitors into buyers, you need to develop a good mailing list so you can harvest that list by offering complementing and relevant products to your buyers. you also need to automate some of the backend processes so you do not waste time processing each and every transaction, query or enquiry from your visitors/buyers.

Can this be done for a small- or medium-sized company? Definitely. Is it too expensive to get started? Certainly not. Does it take too long to get a basic web site built? I would say approximately two to three weeks.

The web is a very interesting medium to disseminate information about you, your business and your products. People have made careers by specializing in areas like Web Design and Internet Marketing. In my opinion, the Internet has truly leveled the business playing field. My advice: don't get caught behind.

Elvin Picardo
Delivering Net Results to Small Business
Author of numerous articles on Web Development and Internet Marketing
10723 159th St, Surrey, BC V4N 3J1 Canada
http://www.netmedian.com

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

Five Reasons You Have to Stop Your Web Site
That's right. Your method, behavior and strategy you are now using to manage your website may be justifiable reasons to stop it as soon as possible.

Starting A New Business? You Need A Website
When starting your new business you have many things to do that will keep you very busy. However, you should make developing a website a main priority of your new company. There are many reasons why you should do this that include improved image, more customers, convenience, good marketing, and keeping up with your competition.

Web Site Promotion: 10 Eye-opening Secrets To Sky-rocket Your Sales
If you're having problems generating a lot of sales at your website, it may be because you're not aware of these 10 eye-popping powerful web site promotion strategies that Internet promotion experts are using to sky-rocket their sales:1. Swap endorsement advertisements with other web sites.

Website To Promote Relationship Between Local Business Communities and Local Transgendered Consumers.
TG Friendly Shopping is an online directory of business profiles grouped under city-specific and category-specific search options. Local businesses, services and professional who want to market to local transgendered consumers can add their profile to the user-friendly search directory. The website does not treat transgendered individuals as one-dimensionals and offer links in virtually every imaginable service or product.

Ideal Software Archive Website
How to build the ideal website for software archives. View from developer.

Building An Effective Furniture Sales Web Site
Web sites that feature products – especially furniture or other large items – require a careful balance of text and images to convey the value of each product.Let's face it.

How To Maximize Website Traffic for Better Internet ROI
Jay Berkowitz, strategic internet marketing consultant (http://www.tengoldenrules.com/tgr-maximize-website-traffic-roi.htm), presents 10 Proven Techniques to Increase Website's ROI at Florida Direct Marketing Association event.

Keyword Research Is Critical To Your Website's Success
So you have developed your idea for a niche website and you?re raring to go, but before you go ahead and start writing content there is another vital step you should take. It seems so obvious and yet many people make the error of failing to take it. What is this critical next move? Keyword research.

Web Hosting Company Receives 5-Star Rating from TopConsumerReviews.com
GoDaddy.com, a web hosting provider, receives a best-in-class 5-star rating from TopConsumerReviews.com.

Website Traffic Basics - Doing it the Right Way
There are many things that you can do to increase your website traffic Traffic is the basis of everything on the internet because if no one visits your website or blog, what?s the point of creating it

Generating Traffic To Your Myspace Website
MySpace is an exciting online community where members can make new friends, reconnect with old friends, network or even find potential romantic partners. While there are some MySpace members who join the community simply for the ability to stay in touch with their old friends and are not looking to make new friends. These members may keep their websites private to not allow other users to view their personal information and may not spend a great deal of time visiting public websites of other members. However, most MySpace members are interested in making a great deal of friends online and are always looking to generate more traffic to their website.

Writing, Publishing, Self Publishing, Website Promotion, Blogging, Internet Marketing
Are You Ready For The Publishing Revolution?Writing has traditionally been considered a solitary craft. You wrote you article or book in seclusion.

WTS The JD Edwards Application Hosting Leader Announces 20% Increase In Revenue
WTS, Inc., a leader in application hosting for JD Edwards enterprise software announced year end results for its fiscal year ending October 31, 2006. WTS' record year included a 20 percent increase in revenue from fiscal year 2005 and was their sixth consecutive year of profitability.

Design Your Own Moscot Originals Glasses on New Website from Famed Optician, Moscot
Vintage style meets modern day shopping as Moscot, venerable Optician and New York City institution, launches their new interactive website www.moscot.com. You can now custom design the coveted Moscot Originals, made famous by Johnny Depp and other celebrities, for your very own signature vintage look. The Design Your Own Glasses option let's you mix and match the hottest styles and colors of Moscot Originals. Glasses can be customized down to the smallest detail including custom sizes (for smaller or bigger heads) and purchased online.