Casual Articles - Setting Up Your Own Website - Practical Advice For The Small Business

“Help! Where do I start?”
There are 3 simple steps with setting up a website;

1. register a domain name, such as www.mybusiness.co.uk;
2. find a hosting provider to rent you the web space to house your website;
3. produce a design for your website.

1. How do I register a domain name?

The first thing you’ll need to do is check that the name you want is available. You can do this online and there are lots of companies that also let you register your domain name online. Registration is typically only around ?10 a year. Many designers or hosting providers will sort this out for you.

2. How can I get web space?
Web space is space on a computer owned by a hosting company. Your hosting provider will connect your web space with your domain name so that anyone who types your domain name into their browser will arrive at your website. Prices vary so shop around.

3. How do I sort out the design?
There are four key options. Here they are with a list of pros and cons for you to consider;

Option 1: DIY using a software package such as Microsoft Frontpage

Pros

• Save on agency or freelancer costs

• You may have to purchase software
• Potentially time consuming
• Do you have the skillset or, if not, the patience to learn?
• You are on your own if you run into problems

Option 2: DIY using an off the shelf site builder package

Pros

• Relatively cheap option
• Template driven so it is easy to pick it up

Cons

• Design will not be original and may carry a reference to the package on each page of your site
• Package may not be able to deliver all your requirements

Option 3: Appoint a web design agency

Pros

• Team of specialists likely to deliver professional results
• Good option for complicated requirements

• Likely to be most expensive solution

Option 4: Appoint a freelance web designer

Pros

• Professionally designed site but likely to be cheaper than an agency and able to work within your budget.

Cons

• For more complicated sites check freelancer’s skill set can cope with your needs. Unlike an agency this is a ‘one man band’

What to include on your website
Each business will differ, but a typical simple business start up site might consist of;

1. a home page to welcome your visitors
2. a page containing background information about you & your business
3. a contacts or enquiry page (with email form)
4. a high level product/services pricing page
5. a portfolio page with some examples of your work and customer testimonials

Top tips for search engine friendly web sites
Whether you decide to build your website yourself or appoint an agency or freelancer it is important to make sure your site is search engine friendly so that people can find you online. The following will help;

Solve Problems Permanently - Ask WHY
As Albert Einstein said:-"The significant problems we face today, cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."Problems don't go away unless you get to the cause - the source of them. Repeatedly 'fixing' issues that arise takes a physical and mental toll on you and your team. The key is to solve problems once and for all and move on.Picture this scenario:-Luke runs a small engineering factory, making electhing you’ll need to do is check that the name you want is available. You can do this online and there are lots of companies that also let you register your domain name online. Registration is typically only around ?10 a year. Many designers or hosting providers will sort this out for you.

2. How can I get web space?
Web space is space on a computer owned by a hosting company. Your hosting provider will connect your web space with your domain name so that anyone who types your domain name into their browser will arrive at your website. Prices vary so shop around.

3. How do I sort out the design?
There are four key options. Here they are with a list of pros and cons for you to consider;

Option 1: DIY using a software package such as Microsoft Frontpage


Pros


• Save on agency or freelancer costs
Cons
• You may have to purchase software
• Potentially time consuming
• Do you have the skillset or, if not, the patience to learn?
• You are on your own if you run into problems

Option 2: DIY using an off the shelf site builder package

Pros

• Relatively cheap option
• Template driven so it is easy to pick it up

Cons

• Design will not be original and may carry a reference to the package on each page of your site
• Package may not be able to deliver all your requirements

Option 3: Appoint a web design agency

Pros

• Team of specialists likely to deliver professional results
• Good option for complicated requirements
Cons
• Likely to be most expensive solution

Option 4: Appoint a freelance web designer

Pros

• Professionally designed site but likely to be cheaper than an agency and able to work within your budget.

Cons

• For more complicated sites check freelancer’s skill set can cope with your needs. Unlike an agency this is a ‘one man band’

What to include on your website
Each business will differ, but a typical simple business start up site might consist of;

1. a home page to welcome your visitors
2. a page containing background information about you & your business
3. a contacts or enquiry page (with email form)
4. a high level product/services pricing page
5. a portfolio page with some examples of your work and customer testimonials

Top tips for search engine friendly web sites
Whether you decide to build your website yourself or appoint an agency or freelancer it is important to make sure your site is search engine friendly so that people can find you online. The following will help;

Matter Management Reporting - A Business Objects Approach
Corporate legal Matter Management systems are implemented through multi-million dollar projects that frequently result in unpopular, underused tools that never provide the expected return on investment. One element, common to many such situations, is the limited utility of the data being captured. The data in the matter management system is either irrelevant or inaccessible to the interested parties. Integrated Matter Management reporting is the solution to this problem.In the best case, future reporting needs have been considered and includf pros and cons for you to consider;

Option 1: DIY using a software package such as Microsoft Frontpage


Pros


• Save on agency or freelancer costs
Cons
• You may have to purchase software
• Potentially time consuming
• Do you have the skillset or, if not, the patience to learn?
• You are on your own if you run into problems

Option 2: DIY using an off the shelf site builder package

Pros

• Relatively cheap option
• Template driven so it is easy to pick it up

Cons

• Design will not be original and may carry a reference to the package on each page of your site
• Package may not be able to deliver all your requirements

Option 3: Appoint a web design agency

Pros

• Team of specialists likely to deliver professional results
• Good option for complicated requirements
Cons
• Likely to be most expensive solution

Option 4: Appoint a freelance web designer

Pros

• Professionally designed site but likely to be cheaper than an agency and able to work within your budget.

Cons

• For more complicated sites check freelancer’s skill set can cope with your needs. Unlike an agency this is a ‘one man band’

What to include on your website
Each business will differ, but a typical simple business start up site might consist of;

1. a home page to welcome your visitors
2. a page containing background information about you & your business
3. a contacts or enquiry page (with email form)
4. a high level product/services pricing page
5. a portfolio page with some examples of your work and customer testimonials

Top tips for search engine friendly web sites
Whether you decide to build your website yourself or appoint an agency or freelancer it is important to make sure your site is search engine friendly so that people can find you online. The following will help;

Screener and Voice Mail Tips to Help You Get to More Buyers
Here are some ideas to help with screeners and voice mail.Don't Get Lost in the Phone System Bermuda Triangle. When initially trying to locate a decision maker you've never spoken with, if you detect even the slightest bit of hesitation in a screener's voice when they give you a name, continuing questioning. Nothing is as frustrating as being shoved from one unwanting soul to another like a hot potato. Find out the title and department before you're sent there.Ask for the Highest Level. Find the level higher than the one that typi may not be able to deliver all your requirements

Option 3: Appoint a web design agency

Pros

• Team of specialists likely to deliver professional results
• Good option for complicated requirements
Cons
• Likely to be most expensive solution

Option 4: Appoint a freelance web designer

Pros

• Professionally designed site but likely to be cheaper than an agency and able to work within your budget.

Cons

• For more complicated sites check freelancer’s skill set can cope with your needs. Unlike an agency this is a ‘one man band’

What to include on your website
Each business will differ, but a typical simple business start up site might consist of;

1. a home page to welcome your visitors
2. a page containing background information about you & your business
3. a contacts or enquiry page (with email form)
4. a high level product/services pricing page
5. a portfolio page with some examples of your work and customer testimonials

Top tips for search engine friendly web sites
Whether you decide to build your website yourself or appoint an agency or freelancer it is important to make sure your site is search engine friendly so that people can find you online. The following will help;

Problem Solving Skills for Job Seekers
IntroductionStructuring techniques help overcome limitations of human problem solving. Effective structuring analysis techniques logically organize the elements of a problem to help us analyze each element separately, systematically and sufficiently. In this article you will learn one of the most powerful problem solving tool to solve real-world problems. It is called as Problem Restatement.Problem statement that defines a problem must take causes of a problem into account. It must distinguish between problem and symptoms of the problBR> Each business will differ, but a typical simple business start up site might consist of;
1. a home page to welcome your visitors
2. a page containing background information about you & your business
3. a contacts or enquiry page (with email form)
4. a high level product/services pricing page
5. a portfolio page with some examples of your work and customer testimonials

Top tips for search engine friendly web sites
Whether you decide to build your website yourself or appoint an agency or freelancer it is important to make sure your site is search engine friendly so that people can find you online. The following will help;

1. Think about how customers might search for your site and include these keywords in your page titles and in prominent positions on the home page. A well written home page containing important keywords will help boost your ranking.
2. Label your images with suitable ‘ALT’ tags (alternative text tags). Many search engines also use these to help rank your relevance to searches.
3. Include appropriate meta tag descriptions and keywords in your source code.
4. Use the H1 and H2 tags for headings in your source code and ensure these include words from your ‘hitlist’ of desirable keywords.

Follow these simple steps and you’ll be up and running on the web in no time! Good luck!


Read more about marketing your business and web design advice for the small business

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