| ess to say for many aspects of working online you | | | | account due to spam complaints, missed payments |
| will need your own website. Depending on what you | | | | or any other reason will retain the name that you |
| want to do it is not always possible to function | | | | purchased and assume ownership of it. Meaning that |
| without one. | | | | you will not be able to re-register it anywhere else |
| If you are going to be working as an affiliate or are | | | | and so will loose all the traffic that you may have |
| considering doing freelancing or data entry then you | | | | spent months directing to that address. As with all |
| may be able to get away without one but for | | | | things be sure to read the small print – |
| everything else you will need to build a website. But, | | | | it’s small for a reason. |
| it’s ok, I am here to tell you that that | | | | Ok so now that you have your name it’s |
| doesn’t have to be as frightening a prospect | | | | time to choose your web host. |
| as it may at first seem. | | | | Quite often this can be one I the same provider and |
| There are many people who will build your website | | | | so if you are going to use your registered name as |
| for you and not all of them will cost an arm and a leg | | | | the address for your site then be sure to register it |
| although the price does vary depending on what you | | | | with them as it saves you having to transfer things |
| want. | | | | over at a later date. |
| The other option of course, is to build the site | | | | So what do you need from your web host? |
| yourself and although this is not something that you | | | | It is essential to know that whatever goes wrong |
| will be able to do over night there is a lot of | | | | with your site there will be someone that you can |
| technology and software out there that will help you | | | | contact, preferably by phone 24 hours a day 7 days |
| do just that. Again the prices can vary dramatically | | | | a week. There is nothing worse than sending a |
| depending on what you want to do but there are | | | | helpdesk ticket for support and not receiving a |
| also a lot of free resources if you look. | | | | response for 3 days, and the best way to find out |
| But before you get to building your site you need to | | | | how good the support system is, is to ask their |
| have a name for it. I once received some very good | | | | customers. Visit forums and ask questions or search |
| advice about deciding on a name for your site and it | | | | articles and read reviews also ask your friends and |
| was this “Just get on with it” | | | | colleagues who they use and if they would |
| Many people find themselves suffering from | | | | recommend them. |
| what’s known as ‘Analysis | | | | Building Your Site |
| Paralysis’. We so desperately want to come | | | | As I mentioned before there are many people out |
| up with a success sounding name that we spend | | | | there that will build your site for you. All you need to |
| days deciding what to call ourselves only to find | | | | do is give them the details and the premise and they |
| when we go to register it that it has already been | | | | will take on all the technical work for you. To have |
| taken. | | | | your website professionally designed and built from |
| How to choose your domain name: | | | | scratch can cost you anywhere from a few hundred |
| Consider this: | | | | to a few thousand dollars. And there are many places |
| 1.What does your business do? | | | | where you can find companies to do it for you. |
| 2.Who does it do it for? | | | | However if you like a challenge and have basic |
| 3.What is you unique selling position – in other | | | | computer capabilities it is perfectly feasible that you |
| words what have you got that the others | | | | can build your own site depending on just what you |
| haven’t that will make people want to come | | | | want it to be. |
| to you? | | | | If you decide to take the challenge on yourself then |
| 4.What is your name? | | | | my first suggestion would be to find some help, |
| The last one may seem a bit odd but I’ll get | | | | support and guidance. If you are quite new to web |
| back to that in just a minute. After considering the | | | | design there will be many things that can throw you |
| first 3 points come up with a list of several names | | | | and if you don’t have someone to ask it can |
| that you could use and then take them to a domain | | | | become frustrating. Again joining a forum is one of |
| registrar and see which ones are available for you to | | | | the best ways to find help from like minded people |
| use. | | | | or you can just use the power of the web to find a |
| Prices don’t vary too wildly but it is worth a | | | | place where you feel comfortable enough to ask. |
| look around. | | | | There are some things that you will need: |
| .com names are among the most expensive and with | | | | A domain name – Clear, concise and easy to |
| good reason, as it is the first extension that people | | | | remember. Also be careful with names that people |
| will type if they are unsure of your full address and | | | | can easily misspell. |
| also the most professional sounding. Stay away from | | | | A web host – Good customer support is |
| cheaper more obscure extensions they may not cost | | | | essential. Also check uptime and bandwidth. |
| as much but you need to consider what kind of | | | | Web page templates – Depending on your |
| image you want to portray to your customers. | | | | products/services your site should have a certain |
| Almost all domain registration services will offer free | | | | consistent feel to it all the way through. |
| extras such as domain and email forwarding, if the | | | | Html editor software – Html is a very |
| company you are using doesn’t offer these | | | | complicated language, if you don’t know it or |
| basic add ons then say thank you and move on to | | | | don’t want to learn then you will need |
| one that does. | | | | software that can do it for you. There are lots of |
| 4. What is your name? | | | | free programmes. |
| There is one domain name you should definitely | | | | Ftp software – This is how you get your site |
| register and that is | | | | from your desktop to your server. All FTP software |
| Why? Because branding yourself in your market is a | | | | is basically the same but if you are new then stick |
| brilliant way of letting people know not only who you | | | | with the more basic versions until you figure out |
| are and what you do but also that you are very | | | | what you’ll need the rest for. |
| serious about it and take pride in your position. Think | | | | Header, footer and other graphics – All |
| about it, would you want your name branded on | | | | websites need graphics of some kind. There are |
| something that wasn’t up to par, and | | | | packages that you can buy online and edit to your |
| that’s exactly how your customers are going | | | | liking or you can spend around $60 - $100 and get |
| to see it too “Oh, Denise has put her name | | | | the basics done for you. |
| to this so she must think it is a quality product | | | | Those are the very bare basics that you need to be |
| service” | | | | able to start building your site, you will also need to |
| And as long as it is a high quality item your name will | | | | consider e-commerce, download protection, and a |
| become synonymous with quality in your field. | | | | few other factors depending on what your site will |
| Warning: some domain registrars, upon closing your | | | | do. |