How Can A Newbie Get A Pro Website Going?

Many people want a website. They need it for their business. Sometimes the site _is_ their business. Websites are an essential marketing tool nowadays.
Why?
Because people don't bother reading the Yellow Pages any more. They type a name into their browser. They even type web addresses into search engine boxes on their browser. They're lazy. They want it ASAP. And the 'net help them get it.
You want to be that site.
You want to be the website that comes up first in a search. At least for your brand name! Established businesses which rely on word-of-mouth can manage without a site. Others can't. A website is a business card if it is nothing else. It says who you are and what you offer.
A _good_ website is a marketing tool. It sells your product to the reader. It's a sales letter on the internet.
So how to get one?
-: Register A Domain Name.
This is an important step. You can proceed two ways: your-name.com or keyword.com. You can use your keyword or business name/brand name that's used by a lot of folks searching for your product. Or you can do both. This means two or more sites. There is wisdom in this: the more sites you have, the more niches in your industry you can target.
Go to a well-known registrar like NameCheap.com, 123-reg.co.uk or GoDaddy.com. Open an account and buy your name.
-: Get A Simple Website Designed.
This usually means employing a web designer. You can get a good deal if you keep it simple to begin with. Four pages will do: Index, What We Sell, About Us,, Contact us. Plus a logo. No need to get fancy.
Pictures are good: pictures of you, your premises, your product your staff, your vehicles. Pictures convey information faster. One good picture or symbol is worth 500 words.
You might even attempt a bit of designing yourself but I wouldn't recommend it, unless you're skint. The learning curve is too steep. You want to be marketing your product ASAP, not messing with CSS.
Web designers lurk in forums, freelance sites and, hey! they can be found using a search engine, too!
-: Get A Webhosting Account.
I prefer American webhosts. They offer more: more tools, more space, better technical support. Note: A .co.uk domain name will show up in Google.co.uk search results wherever it's hosted. A .com will not, unless it's hosted in the UK. This is important for country-specific sites.
The more tools and features a host offers, the better. Nowadays, they should be generous with bandwidth, Mbs MySQL databases etc. These things don't cost them much. What _does_ cost them is if your site is greedy with server resources. So they won't let you run chat-rooms for $10 a month, for example.
Spend time webmaster forums to find out which hosts are the best, currently. Don't bother searching via Google. The results will show unhelpful promo-sites. You need testimonials!
-: Upload Your Site.
Probably best to let your designer do this for you. A simple site is simple to upload. A site based on a CMS (Content Management System) may take longer. It requires regular upgrades, also. Either is good, as long as it helps you attain your goal: making money!
Joline E. Pouncey

Want to read more? Go to http://www.yourwebfixer.com and then give Tommy a call. Tommy offers website help from London, UK. He has twelve year's experience in commissioning software, websites and services.