In this section I will explain what the necessary steps are to create, post and market a website. Even if you don't use me to create your site, this should be educational for you.
Step 1:
Decide what domain name you would like to have for your site. Like
www.yourcompany.com. Then either have me reserve this domain name for you, or you may go
yourself to www.networksolutions.com. This
process takes a few days and costs 70 dollars for the first 2 years, and 35 dollars a year
after that to maintain it. There are a lot of website hosting companies that charge a lot
to do this for you. Some as much as 200 dollars! I will be happy to reserve your domain
for an affordable 20 dollar fee. There is no way around this cost. Network Solutions has a
monopoly on domain names.
Step 2:
Decide where your site will live on the Internet. By this I mean that you must have
space rented on someone's webserver. Kinda like renting an apartment for your website.
There are free hosting companies available, but you won't be able to use a custom domain
name like www.yourcomany.com. I know of several hosting companies that are both affordable
and full service. Prices start at $8.95 a month. Pretty cheap huh? A password is always
assigned to a websites directory. After your site has been created and I have been paid, I
will give you your password to your account and you may do what you like with it, such as
hire someone to maintain and update it. Of course you may retain my services for
maintaining your site for as long as you wish. My point is, is that I want you to be in
complete control of your site once it is completed.
Step 3:
Create the site. This process can take a couple of days to several weeks depending
upon the size and complexity of your site. It may involve creating lots of custom
graphics, or scanning the pictures from your current printed edition of your catalog. You
may have no idea what you want your site to look like yet, or what functions you may want
it to perform. I'd like to suggest that you browse through my example pages to get a
better idea of what you may want. Again once your site is completed and I have been paid,
I will turn complete control of your new site over to you.
Step 4:
Marketing your site. It is a complete waste of my and your time, if you don't
advertise your site upon completion. If it is marketed properly, the traffic that your
site generates should make selling some advertising space on your own site a feasible
option. This would not only pay for the maintenance of your site but may actually begin to
generate profit in and of itself. In addition to the actual sales of your product that
will result from a properly marketed site.
Marketing is actually very simple. All it involves is to create an
advertisement banner for your site, and then arranging for this banner to be placed upon
the proper websites to give your site the necessary exposure to make it effective. I will
do the research necessary to target the proper audience for your product, and then arrange
for the placement of your banner. Banner placement is usually very affordable. One example
I'd like to point out is a website I know of that gets 40,000 hits a month and only costs
100 dollars a month for a front page banner. Much more affordable per person that sees
your ad than newspaper, radio or even television.
Step 5:
Sit back and reap the rewards of a professional looking site that gets tons of
traffic! Ok, on to the examples.