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How to Start a Website

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Steps to Starting a Website

Start by selecting a domain name (your URL). You can either register it separately with a domain registrar like GoDaddy.com, or you can register it with your website host. Some website hosts include a free domain registration in their hosting package. This can save you some money. There is a good article on How to Register a Domain Name on WorldVillage.


The next step is to find a website host. Decide the features you need - do you want to open an online store or create a basic website? Certain hosts specialize in certain types of sites. 


Design your web pages. You can either design them yourself or hire a designer. These days, many website hosting companies offer free website design templates that you can use if you host with them. They can be very easy to use (even if you've never designed a site before), and they can produce a professional-looking website without a lot of work.


Next, if you want o accept payments from your customers online, you need a merchant account. Again, some website hosts provide this service as well. You can also set something up separately. Online payment services like PayPal can be integrated into most websites.


Lastly, you want visitors to find your site. Without going launching into the marketing topic, there are a few online marketing strategies that you can use to help you "get found."


One of the most popular ways to begin website marketing campaigns is through link-building. Although free, this task can be very time consuming, and not always effective. John Sprock has recently developed a new tool that makes link building easy (and it works). In fact, he'll give you 25 backlinks for free.

Beginner Website Builders

If you want to start an internet business - or just establish an online presence for your existing business, what do you do? Do you try to do it yourself - or pay lots of money to a website designer?

For those of us who aren't tech-savvy and don't want to spend a lot of money, Homestead (an Intuit company) offers an easy-to-use website builder. Not only is it easy to use, it's affordable and it turns out professional-looking websites in a matter of hours. I was pretty impressed myself when I first saw their design templates. They have a free video you can watch.

See Also: 3 Steps to Your First Small Business Website

If you want to go a step further and set up an online store, a company called BigCommerce makes it much simpler by including website hosting, design templates, shopping cart software, website domain, etc all in one package. Generally, this makes for easier website set up, and when you make changes.

Free Website Makers

Should You Make Your Own Website Free?

If you have a small business and want a website, you have two options: hire someone to design your website, or build it yourself.

Obviously, it's going to be more expensive to hire a website designer. So, if you want to save some money and make your own website, get an all-in-one website hosting and design package.

Many hosting packages include website design templates. The key is to find a host who has templates that you can customize, so your business can establish a unique presence on the web. This is important.

Some web hosting companies offer free websites. These are fine for personal sites, but if you have a business, it's smart to upgrade to their "Pro" package to remove their advertisements, which tend to make sites look tacky.

You will usually get more features, like additional space to handle more website traffic, graphics, etc.. These, days, it's not hard to find a host for under $10/month. A small price to pay for advertising 24-7.

How to Make Cheap, Easy Videos that Get You Customers

Even Beginners Can do This!

I've seen many companies use a cheap video camera or even simple computer audio to attract thousands of viewers on popular websites like YouTube. And if they are selling a product - this is virtually free advertising.

I realized in watching many videos, that you don't have to be a professional videographer to get people's attention - you need to create curiosity. Doing something unexpected, leaving out a piece of information... anyone can do that, right?

I first thought that doing a video would be impossible, but the reason that online video has grown so quickly is that it's simple to produce. (Not to mention cheap.)

Whether you are doing an introduction, a presentation, product demo or whatever, the nice thing about video is that you produce it once - and it can work for you over and over again, every time someone watches it.

There are two good online video resources that I think are good:

Improve Your Website Credibility

... and Get More People to Buy from You

You need to persuade visitors that your business offers something of value, and that you are trustworthy. Customers must trust you if you want them to buy from you, download something - even give you their email address.

Include your contact details online, add a photo of yourself and respond promptly to requests.

Provide information or articles helpful to your visitors that go beyond just your own product or service. Keep your site updated with new information and easy to navigate.

You can see more ideas here: How to Improve Website Credibility

How to Get Extra Income from Your Website

It's Easy and Free

You may have heard of Google Adsense - a way webmasters can make money just by placing ads on their sites. Google doesn't charge any money for webmasters to do this. All you do is cut and paste a line of code to your website, and your done.

The funny thing is that there's actually a "strategy" to placing these ads - where to place them, what size or shape of ad - even what color. Joel Comm has been making money with Google Adsense for a long time. He even used to charge money for his information. Now you can download his ebook free and get instructions on where and how to place your Adsense ads.

Another Option: Marketing Info Products

Many people have started successful businesses at home over the internet simply by marketing information online.

Starting an information marketing business has several benefits, including low start-up and operation costs, minimal business experience requirements and of course, you can operate this type of business right from your home. You don't have to keep lots of inventory on hand, and you can run your business on a very flexible work schedule - ideal for people who have day jobs, stay-at-home moms or other commitments that they need to work around.

Simple Promotion Ideas for a New Website

Submit your website to the search engines. Focus on the top 3:
Google
Yahoo
Bing

Submit to online directories. This allows you to get found on more sites in targeted categories that match your type of business. You can use this directory submitter free

Include your website address in all of your offline promotional items too (brochures, business cards, signs, stationary, etc). Add a link to your website at the bottom of all of your emails with a short 1-sentence teaser as to why the reader should visit the site.

And lastly, 2 tips on how you can get free publicity for your business (website).

More Resources for Website Start-Ups

1000's of Web Templates - Unique & Professional web templates. Unlimited downloads.

Newsletter, Logo and Website Templates

PayPal is an online merchant account service that enables you accept credit cards from your customers without buying your own merchant account software. PayPal charges a small transaction fee whenever a transaction is made.

XSitePro Website Design Software If you want to get into designing websites as a career or want to learn more advanced techniques you can do yourself, this is great software at a very ow price compared to its competitors.

More Web Design Software

Get Free Price Quotes on Website Design
Would you rather hire a designer? Describe what you need and get matched to qualified website designers. Get bids from all of them on your design project, and get a very competitive price.

Beginner Website Design Books on Amazon

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homebusiness

Sue Barrett has worked in the home business industry for 10 years. She has extensive and diverse experience in both online and offline home-based... more »

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