Getting Started
What you need to consider.
- your website name (domain name)
- layout, presentation (click here to see some website templates)
- content - words, photos, downloads
- hosting costs - your website on the internet
- email requirements
- promoting your website
- search-engine optimisation SEO
Domain Name
This is the website name; the bit after www. and it includes .co.uk or .com or whatever you choose, these are the most meaningful.More often than not, you'll use your business name as the domain name - NO spaces or 'special' characters allowed, all lowercase.
For example the John Bull Inn on Waterside, Thorne could be johnbullinnthorne.co.uk. They actually decided on
the-john-bull-inn.co.uk
Domain names are usually bought via your hosting provider; a .co.uk cost about £6 for 2 years, .coms about £20.00 per year, depending on their offers
What I do for you.
- develop your website, with your content in the you choose, or specify
- organise hosting for your website
- upload your website to the internet
- search engine optimisation
- 'maintaining' your website
- regular reviews
Hosting
Wikipedia: hostingThe files, pictures, documents, etc., which make up your website must be 'put' on a specially interconnected computer on the internet which can deal with the technicalities of handling 'traffic' to your website.
This space is rented from service providers who have dedicated computer suites, suitably air-conditioned, etc., and reliably connected to the internet to minimise 'downtime'.
Your website can then be 'uploaded' to this hosting space & becomes your www.website.com
Hosting costs are from less than £50 per annum, depending on your requirements.
A few of the cheapest ...
You could always do a search for
'free hosting' and check the results ...
UK Host 4u £1.66 pcm @ May 2012
LCN £2.12 pcm
WebHosting UK.com £2.29 pcm
WebHostingUK .net £2.49 pcm
Search Engine Optimisation
Making your website search-engine friendly, basically. This will ensure that your website pages get seen by the search engines, and are displayed to the top of their listings
Promoting Your Website
Arrange for your website to be printed on your business stationery (yourwebsitename.co.uk), letterheads, business cards, leaflets & all adverts, accounts, etc..
Make your staff and friends & acquaintances aware of your website, and involve your staff in developing the content.
Get your website's link on other websites (often called reciprocal linking) and it should be done in a special way ! Start with friends & acquaintances who have websites, ask them to put a link to your website on theirs, and you arrange for a link to theirs to be put on your website