I Need A Web Site, Now What?

Below are ideas to consider when taking on the task of building a web site for your small business. Read through the ideas to educate yourself on the basics areas of web development so when it comes time to talk with a developer you have a better understanding of the technologies and terms involved.

Initial Web Site Consultation

Every project should begin with an initial consultation. An initial consultation is used to determine a customers needs and educate them by answering questions and discussing areas of their web site project. When possible, this should be an in person meeting. With the information from this meeting, a potential service provider should be able to provide an accurate estimate for the work required. Most times, this "initial consultation" is free.

Web Site Options

Web Site Templates (Pre-designed Web Site)
Web site templates are available as a very affordable solution. A web site template is a predetermined design where the colors are changed to match a company and a company logo is placed on the site. This is typically a three page site. Home, About and Contact Page. Most web design firms offer a template option usually starting around $500. The drawback to this solution is your web site will look very similar to other web sites using the same template.

Small and Medium Web Site (5-20 Pages)
Many small businesses have interest in this size of web site. This provides a place on the internet for potential customers to find your company, view information about your company and contact your company. More people are turning to search engines when looking for services rather then a phone book. A small custom web site can be more affordable then you think. This type of site is usually custom designed from the ground up with your company in mind. This is a great solution for a small business start-up.

Large Web Site (20+ Pages)
Larger sites may require programming languages such as .asp or .php. When using these programming languages information is commonly pulled from a database. This is useful when a customer has a large number of products with many similar properties or a list of items or users. Large web sites using programming languages may get expensive, so make sure you get a proper quote up front.

CMS - Content Management Systems
Web Site CMS's are starting to become mainstream. A CMS allows a customer to update their own web site. While this is a great solution, it comes with responsibility. If you are at all savvy and are familiar with using Word and other text programs a CMS may be a great solution. Only choose this option if you have the time and patience to update your own web site. There are two negative outcomes that can occur from this type of system. The first is the web site owner may not take the time to update the web site so the site gets stale and outdated. The second is where an owner is a little too savvy for their own good and tries more advanced techniques within the CMS which end up breaking the web site. In this case a webmaster may need to come in and fix the web site.

Small Business SEO - Search Engine Optimization

The internet is one place small businesses can compete with larger brick and mortar competitors. What many companies don't understand is that programming a web site for search engines is just the beginning. After the first 3 months of activity for a new web site your web provider should meet with you to review web site traffic Analytics. In doing so, web traffic patterns can be discovered and web pages can then be adjusted as needed to turn web site users into conversions. The first step is to make sure your provider offers web site statistics. Second they should train you how to interpret them. Third, use this information to tweak your web site to turn "visitors" into "conversations". A conversion can be many things, from buying a product, to submitting a form it all depends on what the goal is for your web site.

Web Site Hosting

Why do I need hosting? Every web site on the internet needs to have a "web host". A web host is the spot on the internet where a web site "lives". In order for online users to see a web site it must be somewhere on the internet. A web hosting firm provides this service by allowing a user a place to put their web site files so they can be accessed 24/7.

Web Site Domain Name

Why do I need a domain name? A domain name is the name that a user types out to go to a web site. To get to this web site without using a search engine you would type in the domain name "rbwebdev.com". Every web site needs a domain name to make it easy for users to go directly to their web site. Domains are purchased from a domain registrar for a yearly fee. In return, the domain registrar keeps record of the owner of a domain and also properly forwards each request for the domain to the proper web host, which in the end displays a web site.

Other Things To Consider

One of the other items you may consider is a mobile version of your web site. This is becoming more and more popular as mobile devices are connected to the internet. Also, consider integrating social media into your web site like facebook or twitter. This doesn't fit every business, but it can really compliment the right types of business.

Now you are ready. Click here for some great tips on finding a good web developer.