Creating a Website for Your Business

The Internet has opened up new frontiers of opportunity for business owners. Companies that used to be limited to doing business in their own neighborhood or city can now advertise and sell their products and services worldwide. It's as easy as setting up a Web site.

An Ideal Location

Ask any business owner to name the three keys to a successful business, and he or she will tell you "location, location, and location." On the World Wide Web, your business can have the ideal location -- just two feet away from your customers.

More and more people are searching for products and services on the Web. Though a professionally designed, high-impact Web page may not eliminate your need for a physical location, it will introduce you to people who have no other way of finding out about what you have to offer. With a Web site, you can introduce your wares to customers across the country and around the world at a reasonable cost. What a great way to stretch those marketing dollars!

What's the Cost?

The cost of getting started can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, depending on whom you have design, maintain and host your site. The initial start-up costs will be your greatest investment, so shop around. Intemet Service Providers (ISPs) will often host your site for less than $20 per month, or even free, as part of connecting you to the Internet (be sure to ask whether a free site will include "pop-up" ads for other businesses -- these ads are out of your control, and can be annoying to your customers). If you are going to allow customers to purchase on-line using a credit card, this requires a secure line, which could also affect your cost.

A domain name, which will be the Web address of your business, costs $35 a year, plus a one-time setup fee of $20-$50. Your ISP may help you with this cost by allowing you to use an extension of its domain name, but having your own "dot com" sounds more impressive and is usually easier for customers to remember. For about $500, you can purchase a digital camera to use for adding pictures on your site. If this is too pricey, consider buying a color scanner and scanning your photographs into Internet-compatible files. Local copy shops can scan photos for around $10 apiece.

Savings and Synergy

Your Web site can reach millions of customers for the same money that you might spend on a newspaper ad that delivers a short message to a few thousand readers. An added benefit is that the information on your site can be maintained and updated much more quickly and economically than paper brochures which have to be reprinted with every change. If you don't want to do away with printed materials entirely, consider using them for information that does not require frequent updates. And make your printed materials work with your Web site by including your Web address on items like business cards, brochures and letterhead.

Make Your Site Easy to Find

Register your site with several search engines, such as Lycos, InfoSeek, and Yahoo. You want to be found where people are looking! Many search engines charge little or nothing for registration. Web design companies can provide you with a list of search engine providers, and even register your site with all of them for a fee. There are also sites on the Web that will register you on several engines at no charge.

Make It Stand Out

One of the greatest advantages of a Web presence is that you can give your business the image you want it to project. A small business owner can have a Web site that looks as good as the sites of multi-million dollar firms. Photographs are one way to enhance your site. Eye-catching artwork, graphics and multimedia tools will also attract viewers. Clip art and stock photos available from many sources can be used to liven up your site if you can't get original art. But be careful not to get too fancy; these features can slow down the process of opening and viewing your site, particularly for viewers with slower computers.

Design your page to include links to other sites on the Web. Viewers will appreciate your help in locating other interesting Web sites. And maybe you know other business owners who would be willing to include links to your site on theirs - cooperation makes sense!

Keep It Current

A Web site should be dynamic; keep viewers interested by updating yours daily or weekly. You can do most of the maintenance yourself with very little training. If you don't feel comfortable with the technology you need to set up or keep up your Web site, select a professional to help you. Many companies specialize in designing and hosting Web pages; their charges vary greatly, so do some looking before making a choice.

Be Ready to Respond

Even before your site becomes operational, get ready for the flood of information that may come your way. Internet surfers send waves of e-mail correspondence and requests for information to businesses on the Web. Set up a system to respond to these messages quickly and efficiently.

Use Your Site to Gather Information

Your site can do more than give your customers information about you - it can give you information about them, too. Many businesses track the number of visits their site receives by using a counter. In addition, a Web page host can provide statistical and demographic data gathered through on-line customer surveys, and even sort and summarize the data for you.

Don't Delay

Making the commitment to get connected is the first step. Then, decide what you can afford to spend. If funds are tight, remember that you don't even need a computer. However, this option does mean that you'll have to have someone else create your site. You can always add to and improve your site later, but don't wait too long to get started. The future of business is e-commerce. Now is a great time to get connected!

Where to Find a Web Designer

Ask business owners of Web sites you like who designed their pages. Your local Chamber of Commerce may have a list of members who provides these services. Your SCORE/SBDC advisor may be able to provide a list as well.