Website Design for Small Business

Getting your small business on the internet may seem to complicated to do yourself or seem way too expensive to hire someone to do it for you. But with Mariposa Web Design at your side, that's simply not true!

That's right, as a small business owner, I have decided that I would focus my efforts on helping and supporting other small business owners! That means setting up a website for your small business has become more affordable than ever!

Even I was shocked when I found out how cheap it is to get a website. First you need a domain name. There are many different registrars out there where you can get your domain. Best of all, buying a domain costs little more than pocket change!

I like Namecheap for my domain registrations. I've registered domains for as low as $6.99 with a coupon code and it's good for a whole year. If you buy longer terms, additional discounts may be available. On my small budget, I still buy by the year.

Second, you will need somewhere to host your website. This is where some people start to get nervous. So many people would prefer to have free hosting, but in all honesty, you get what you pay for. Plus, when you think about it, hosting is not all that expensive. For the cost of a Frapuccino you can have your hosting account. Many basic hosting plans start at less than $5 a month. My favorite hosting company is Host Gator. Their unlimited plans (as low as $7.99/month) can host unlimited domains and have the ability to add many different interactive features.

I highly recommend that you visit my web hosting reviews page. It will give you a nutshell version of several hosting plans that I've done business with.

These books are amazing! I love them! I received my first Head First book as a gift from my brother when he found out I was dabbling in web design. It sat on my desk for a while before I finally decided to pick it up.

You see, I had tried other instruction books, but they were as easy to follow as a mouse in a wood pile and as interesting as watching the grass grow. But when I cracked open Head First HTML I was amazed with how easy it was to read and follow.

Head First HTML is a step by step tutorial that will walk you through your first website. It teaches you the basics of web design and I promise it won't make you want to pull your hair out!

I totally understand that money is an issue when it comes to running a small business. So if you want to learn how to do it on your own, my hat's off to you! If I can do it, so can you!

But I will warn you, it took me a long time to fully grasp what I was doing. As a matter of fact, I'm still doing a lot of learning. But what fun would it be if I couldn't continue to grow and learn?

If you're not up to the challenge, all is not lost. I promise! I also promise some of the lowest rates available for web design. Just visit my site to find out more about what I have to offer. I have built basic sites for as low as $100.

Of course you get what you pay for, but that doesn't mean the quality will suffer. My specialty is static websites that provide information about your business. My sites are best for people with brick and mortar businesses who want to attract more customers via the web.

I have also built sites where people can submit applications or ask questions using a form on the site. See my portfolio for links. You can have a pretty nice site for only a few hundred bucks! No need to spend thousands!

If you're looking for a small store with a handful of products, I can certainly do that. If you're looking for a fully functional e-store with thousands of products, inventory control and integrated shopping cart... I'm afraid that's a little beyond my reach at this time.

That's ok. Take your time! You want to do this right! I want to refer you to one last article that will help you to plan your site so that it is a success! No point investing even a little bit of pocket change into a website if it doesn't work!

Read my Web Design Guide here. See you around!

And when you're ready to look for hosting, I also recommend you visit webhostsservices.com. It's another great resource!