In today's business world a popular saying is "You're nobody without a web site." Many people I meet ask me this question. It can be a bit daunting, so here's some information to help you get a web page.

Domain Name

Your domain name is how people find you, it is often referred to as an URL (Universal Resource Locator). For example, the domain name for this site is tellep.com. The www in front of it specifies the server name, in this case it's a World Wide Web server (www). You don't actually own a domain name, you register the name through a Domain Name Registrar. The typical cost for a domain name is $19.95(USD) a year, but can vary depending on the Registrar.

It's important to have a simple and if possible to the point Domain Name. The easier it is for people to remember your domain name, the better. If you're stuck for a good domain name, ask your friends and relatives or you can enlist the resources of a company such as ours to help you for a small fee. Let the creative juices flow.

Web Site Hosting

Okay, now you have the name you want, now what? Now you need a place for your web pages to live. Web hosting cost can vary greatly! There are some web hosts that charge as little as $8.95 (USD) a year and some that cost hundreds of dollars a month! How do know which is best for you?

Well, you need to look at your web site needs. If all you want is a few informational pages and an email address, the inexpensive hosts are perfect. If you have special needs such as a SQL Server backend or an eCommerce site you can expect to pay more.

You want a hosting service that has what is called good uptime or very little downtime. This refers to the amount of time the server is online (uptime) during a given period, usually a year. You should look for a host with an uptime of 99.9% or better. Remember, if the server is down, so is your web site.

Your Target Market

This is probably the most important step, yet so many people over look it! Quite frankly, if you don't know who you're selling to, how can you sell to them? Web sites with a lot of flashy graphics and cool lingo may be great for the MTV generation, but not if you're targeting their parents. Are you selling to educated, intelligent people? Then your site should be well organized and free of all spelling and grammar mistakes. Are you selling the latest fad? If so, your site should have some pizzazz and excitement. KNOW THY CUSTOMER!

Your Value

This goes hand in hand with knowing your customer. Knowing what value you bring to them. The best way to sell anything, online or not, is to demonstrate the need for it.

Web Site Design

Over the years I've heard a lot of people say the following:

My nephew/niece can make me a web page for $100.00! Why should I pay thousands!

That's true. Your niece or nephew could make you a web page cheaply and that's what you'll get. A cheap web site. You wouldn't trust your niece or nephew to design a new house for you, would you? (unless he or she were an architect). Well, your website is the Cyberspace home of your business.

This is where the awesome power of the Internet comes into play. Many people believe that the power of the Internet is the ability to find information or purchase goods, quickly and most likely at a great price. While that is true, the real magic of the Internet is the levelling of the field! Your one man shop can compete toe to toe with the biggest players in your industry! Your customers know you through your website - shouldn't it be the best possible site? Think about it.

You'll want to look for a company with experience in Web Site Design. They should be able to give you a list, or portfolio of sites they have done. Take a close look at the web site designs in their portfolio, if they all look the same, chances are you're dealing with a company that believes a "cookie cutter" web site design is good for you. Are you a "cookie cutter" company? I didn't think so. Make sure you find a firm that can prove it's salt in web site design. Also, if you plan on having advanced features such as mailing lists, database access, member's area, uploads or more; make sure your designer can handle these or is partnered with someone who can.