| The following is a quick reference for new/soon to be | | | | Coupled with the design of your site you will at least |
| webmasters, the information contained in this article is | | | | want to learn the basics of graphic design, the worst |
| simply what has worked for me in the past, all | | | | thing you can do is buy a brandable domain and throw |
| webmasters will develop their own unique ways of | | | | a generic logo that can be found on 96 other sites on |
| going about their daily business. | | | | it, this will greatly reduce your ability to stand out from |
| 1. Web hosting | | | | the crowd, after all if you see 96 signs with the same |
| This will be your second hardest decision when it | | | | logo but different company names how are you going |
| comes to launching your website, when first starting | | | | to remember the 33rd company? |
| out it is ok to settle for free hosting, many free hosts | | | | If you absolutely do not want to learn graphic design |
| will also give you a free sub domain, more about that in | | | | you can have a logo or layout designed for you at a |
| #2 Domain Names. | | | | relatively cheap price, just make sure it is 100% original |
| If you do settle for a free host you must ensure this is | | | | and you have all .psd files etc before finalizing the |
| only temporary, for the most part free hosts have | | | | transaction. |
| terrible uptime and are littered with mandatory banners | | | | 4. Content is King |
| and or pop ups/unders, this is not a good way to | | | | Ask any webmaster, they will all agree, content is king, |
| develop a recurring customer base, and if there are 9 | | | | this is the absolute best way to have your site noticed |
| banners and pop ups on your site you better be | | | | and stand out from the crowd. One well written, |
| getting paid for them. | | | | keyword rich article pertaining to the content of your |
| In order to choose the correct paid host you have to | | | | site will get you more visitors and a higher search |
| figure out what your site will need to run, is it an | | | | engine ranking then one hundred plain product pages. |
| ecommerce site? do you need php/mysql? 35 | | | | Now, I recommend you write your content yourself, |
| databases etc. You are the only person that will be | | | | whether it is the actual content that brings your site |
| able to decide the requirements for your site. | | | | together or an article you've written about your sites |
| If you are unsure as to exactly what your site needs | | | | topic, it is best to write this yourself. The reason for |
| there are many sites out there that have databases | | | | this is if you don't actually know everything about your |
| full of web hosts and web host packages/prices. | | | | "widget" this is a good way to learn about it, also |
| 2. Domain Name | | | | people will respect the article more and it gives you a |
| In order to run any website you will need a domain | | | | feeling of self satisfaction when you finish a nine page |
| name, no one will ever find you without one, chances | | | | article. |
| are atthis stage no one will find you anyway. | | | | If you have trouble writing long articles or putting |
| There are a few different ways we can go about | | | | together a correct sentence you are not left out in the |
| obtaining a domain name, if you know exactly what | | | | cold, there are many sites out there that have other |
| you want and have some funds to purchase your | | | | webmasters as well as freelance writers dying to |
| .com go ahead and take that plunge, but if your not so | | | | write an article specifically for your niche, I at one point |
| sure you have found that perfect name, or if you don't | | | | a few years ago had 6 articles written for me for $7 |
| even know what kind of domain you would like, feel | | | | each, not to bad when you think about the amount of |
| free to settlefor a sub domain. | | | | traffic you may get from these articles being on your |
| Now in the eyes of a lot of well established | | | | site. Googlefreelance writers or contract writers and |
| webmasters a sub domain from a free host or free | | | | you will most likely come up with some decent results. |
| domain company is a not a good way to go, I got that | | | | 5. Marketing |
| a lot when I was starting out, lets face it, with a sub | | | | I don't care what your site is about, there comes a |
| domain no one will ever take you seriously is not very | | | | time when you will have to promote it, if you are just |
| professionalor memorable, but it's a starting point none | | | | starting out chances are you have a very limited |
| the less. | | | | budget, so some tips on how to get visitors to your |
| Basically what we are trying to do with a sub domain | | | | site for cheap. Forums are a great way to establish a |
| is get your site on the net, that's all, get it live so you | | | | following online, join some forums that relate to the |
| can view it, make changes, fix bugs etc, we don't want | | | | category of your website, spend some time each day |
| to launch a site that is not user friendly or just plain | | | | posting and getting to know the other forum members, |
| ugly. | | | | be sure to keep an updated signature (assuming the |
| Now after you have your site up at your free sub | | | | forum allows signatures) so that anyone reading your |
| domain from your free host we have got to start | | | | post can also view your current project, but don't |
| looking at a real .com you will not get anywhere in this | | | | expect results right away it often takes months to |
| business without one. So search around the internet a | | | | actually see the users coming from these forums, but |
| bit, find a good registrar, at the time of this writing | | | | be patient and develop a rapport with them, you never |
| moniker.com, and all seem to be decent sites, the latter | | | | know you may even meet a future business partner. |
| a little pricier than the former but they all have their | | | | Another way to start instant traffic is to purchase an |
| own pros and cons. | | | | ad campaign on a site related to yours, this may be a |
| Now, this decision may be the biggest decision of your | | | | little difficult, some sites prices are very high, the best |
| current project, do you go with a keyword rich domain | | | | way to get the most for your money is to purchase |
| or take the road less traveled and snatch up a | | | | links or banners on an up and coming site, if you |
| brandable domain? Now you may not know exactly | | | | attempt to purchase banner space on the top site in |
| what I'm talking about when I say brandable, if your | | | | the business it could easily cost you $200 a week, by |
| really new to the game you might not even know | | | | buying from the up and comer you will receive a few |
| keyword rich so I'll try to put it in layman's terms for | | | | less visits, but it will cost alot less too. |
| you. | | | | If the site you are trying to develop is for a product, for |
| A keyword rich domain is using the most highly sought | | | | the sake of an example we will say candy apples. |
| after keyword for your site/product etc in your domain | | | | Another great way to promote it is in your local area, |
| name, if I was creating a site on DVD players my | | | | take a day and visit all the local businesses have |
| domains would possibly be something like this | | | | samples for the staff, ask the craft stores if they |
| dvdplayers.com, portabledvdplayer.com, etc, a great | | | | wouldn't mind handing some business cards out for |
| tool for this is the Overture Keyword Selector found | | | | you, if you're lucky and you have a decent product |
| here, google it. | | | | they may let you sell from there store front, I have |
| If we want to take our domain the other way and | | | | heard of this happening manytimes and people just |
| make it brandable much like Google, Yahoo, eBay etc, | | | | don't realize how powerful local business' can be. |
| there really is no "How To" guide, for me caffeine and | | | | 6. Update, Update, Update |
| advil seems help, if you are planning on taking this route | | | | This is exactly how it sounds, no visitor wants to come |
| I've been told using other languages is good, beware | | | | to a site that has the same article or look on the |
| the the actual meaning of the term in another language | | | | homepage for six months, they will simply become |
| though, the urban legend of the Chevy Nova in Latin | | | | bored with it and find a different site promoting the |
| America comes to mind, Google brandable domains | | | | same product. In order to survive online you must |
| see what you can find. | | | | update your pages. |
| 3. Web Site Design | | | | If you have a content site, write an article a week, its |
| If you already know how to code in HTML, PHP etc | | | | not hard, but it gives you 52 articles a year, that's a |
| then you are well on your way and can probably skip | | | | good starting point and will encourage people to link to |
| this step, if not you have quite a way to go. If you | | | | your site. |
| want to create a website it is imperative to learn how | | | | If it is an e commerce site, update the home page with |
| to code, you don't want to pay between $500 and | | | | specials, have contests, anything to keep the visitor |
| $5000 to create a website on a whim then continue to | | | | interested and coming back for more, a content |
| pay someone every time your site needs updating. | | | | (pardon the pun) visitor is a return visitor. |
| Take a look around the net for some tutorials | | | | So now you should now what direction you're going |
| regarding HTML in order to establish the base of your | | | | online. Just remember, take your time, don't throw up a |
| site, I'm not going to lie, there will be alot of reading and | | | | sloppy site, and never ever give up, the internet is |
| very long nights involved in learning web design, but it | | | | probably one of the hardest places to make a living, |
| will reward you with unlimited possibilities when it | | | | but the feeling of euphoria you get when you know |
| comes to creating personal web sites or online | | | | you can, tops any other high you can experience. |
| communities etc. | | | | |