Partnerships 4 Business - p4b

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So you need a website for your business.

You knew it was a matter of time and now you realize, only after your competition has passed you by on the internet, you need a website. You have many questions:

How much is this going to cost.
How do I want my site to look online.
Will it bring me more revenue
Will it save me time

There is so much value a website can bring you and your business.

We will be discussing all the things you need to consider to make a smart decision for your website and the website design in this and many articles to come.

The first thing you need to do is take a look at your competition. Take notes on the things you like and dislike about the websites that you see. Copy the links of the pages so you have a reference point to show a website designer or developer to help them get a clearer picture. One of the reasons new websites can fail or become a burden is lack of communication in sharing your vision with whomever you decide to hire. The clearer the picture the easier time the designer will have in producing something you want.

Think about your target market and write down the demographic so your designer understands whom you are targeting. It helps them to decide certain color schemes or looks that will appear more appealing to your clients target market. This has a huge effect on the results your website should produce in the end.

The next thing you probably want to do is think about domains that you may be interested in for your business. Your domain name doesn’t have to be the name of your business. For instance if you sell carpet and your business name is Grand Carpeting your domain name does not have to be www.GrandCarpeting.com. It could be www.thebestcarpets.com or something similar. Be creative and try to include at least a search friendly "keyword" term in your domain like carpets or carpeting. That will carry some weight when someone is searching for you online. The designer you choose should be able to help you with this as you prepare. One thing you want to do is make sure YOU own the domain name you select. Either buy it yourself or if someone buys it for you make sure you get in writing that the domain is your property. That is a step that could relieve you of much pain in the future.

Next we will take a look at selecting a designer or developer.