Often, the only difference between those who succeed and those who fail is that those who fail believe that they don't have the resources or money to build a good website. In truth, great web design and cheap web hosting are absolutely attainable for even the least tech-savvy among us. Best of all, you don't need boatloads of money to get a domain name, have a website designed, and find website hosting. So, for anyone who's sitting on the fence, it's time to take the plunge and stake a claim to your slice of cyberspace.
Getting Started
The hardest part of developing a website is knowing where to start. It's extraordinarily helpful to find a company that offers both affordable web hosting and web design services. Navigating the waters of registering a domain name, working with designers and programmers, and finding the right website hosting solution isn't for the faint of heart. That's why it's critical to find a company with which you can partner who can offer everything you need.
Turnkey Website Design
When selecting a company to help you get up and running, choose one that offers turnkey website design packages. You should be able to get a comprehensive package for a reasonable price that includes the design of five web pages with five graphics per page, a free domain name, a year of free hosting, and submission to a thousand Internet search engines.
If you need an ecommerce web site and hosting, the company you work with should offer a turnkey online store package. Their design should include the installation and design of a shopping cart, at least 15 web pages and 20 product pages, a module that calculates shipping and sales tax, an online merchant account, and automated customer sales and notification emails. The services should also include a free domain name and a year of free website hosting.
What to Expect
Once you've selected a company with which to work, they should direct you to a place where you can check on the availability of the domain name you want to use. They should then request a bevy of information from you, so that they can understand your business and the goals you have for your website. After that, they should contact you to discuss their design strategy, and collect the images and text you'd like to use for your site. Following that phase, they should develop a preliminary website for you. You then need to go through the site with a fine-tooth comb to ensure that it meets your needs and that it is fully functional. You should then submit any revisions to the company for incorporation into the site. Following your final approval, your site should go live. Although this sounds like a long, drawn-out process, if you provide them with materials and feedback in a timely manner, it's not unreasonable to expect to have your site up and running within three weeks.
Affordable web design and cheap web hosting give you the opportunity to put your best foot forward and create a distinctive online presence. There's no reason not to take the plunge!
