Introduction
Ask yourself how much business you would lose if you didn’t have a phone if you hadn’t thought about getting a website. It’s hard to fathom running a business without one now, yet people have managed quite well for centuries without them. Every company had to decide to have a phone line at some point or go out of business. Businesses that haven’t yet established an online presence face a similar do-or-die moment. What is debatably a luxury right now is quickly becoming a requirement. As frightening as this prospect may be, there are measures you can take to ensure your company makes the transition smoothly and, in the process, makes the most of the additional channels of communication with customers that a website opens up.
To What Extent Does It Function, Exactly? In the most basic terms, the Internet is a system of interconnected computer networks worldwide that share data. Servers are a collection of computers that store and distribute data to “clients,” personal computers that request data. A website is nothing more than a set of related web pages that may be accessed from a central server. Web pages can either be “static” (showing fixed images and text, often called “content”) or “dynamic” (allowing the user to alter the page as they see fit). Most small businesses nowadays have their websites hosted by an internet service provider (ISP), often known as a “host.” Selecting a host is the first step in making a website publicly accessible. The price, amount of space, reliability, security, number of programming languages supported, and speed of the host server are all factors that should be considered when making a decision.
We refer to the address of a website (like www.getsolidblue.com) as its “domain name.” To determine which server should be contacted by a client when a browser requests a page belonging to a specific domain, a master list of domain names is kept. A domain name is required to launch a website; these can be inexpensive (may cost only $5 per year) or prohibitively costly if the desired domain name has already been purchased by a “broker,” who will only sell it to the highest bidder. Most small businesses don’t need a fancy, pricey domain name (because solidblue.com and its variations were already taken, I named my site getsolidblue.com).
Precautions to Take Before Establishing an Electronic Claim The purpose of your site and the complexity you desire are the two most crucial factors to consider before launching an online business. A simple static site will do if you only need to list the goods and services you offer. For visitors to your website to perform desired actions like making purchases (known as “e-commerce”) or requesting a catalog, you will need a developer to create the necessary programmatic instructions (or “code”). One of the best parts of having a website is thinking up new content ideas. This is where we need to draw a line between “design” and “development.” Despite common usage, there can be significant differences between the two tasks.
For this discussion, “design” will mean the artistic arrangement of visuals and text on a website. At the same time, “development” will include building a comprehensive program, complete with features such as user-fillable forms, payment options, and other functionalities. In most cases, the site’s intended function will dictate how sophisticated it needs to be. E-commerce or any other practical purpose necessitates competent development, such as quick and easy access to product information, safe order processing, an intelligent storage system for customer account information, and the careful use of design elements for advertising.
Remember that there are significant differences between online advertising and traditional forms of advertising like print or broadcast media. The latter category includes forms of media that require no action on the viewer’s part. Due to the nature of the web as an interactive medium, customers must actively seek you out. Offering a freebie to site visitors is an excellent method to get them interested in purchasing. A carpet shop that provides an installation guide to potential customers may increase the likelihood that the shopper will buy from that shop when the time comes.
Ask yourself seriously if your site will need a “database.” One way to keep track of information (or “data”) in an organized fashion is by using a database. Because of databases’ versatility and strength, a dynamic website can be an indispensable resource for any company. You can use them to keep track of consumer purchases and preferences, product information (including images), and even the text and pictures that will show on your website’s pages.
The ability to edit and add new information to a website is known as “content management” and is increasingly essential for any high-quality online presence. By modifying the information in the database, the site owner can make updates without contacting the designer or developer. You can use it to announce new weekly or monthly discounts, alter the product’s price or description, or do other things.
First Steps: What to Watch Out For The success of any online project hinges on your ability to find the correct designer. See how many web designers you can find advertising “Three pages for $999!” or another similarly unspecific deal. It would be best if you didn’t approach buying a website for your company like you would a pair of sneakers at the mall. The first impression it makes will be remembered, for better or worse, by every potential consumer who visits your organization. As a malleable platform from which to highlight your company’s strengths and principles, it’s counterproductive to take a cookie-cutter approach.
The designers that discount stores like these need a lot of customers to make a profit. There is a low probability that you will receive personalized assistance. If you ask for an explanation of the technical details in even broad terms, you will likely be referred to a generic “frequently asked questions” list. Budget operations make most of their money off of preventing changes to the initial design, the code may be insecure and poorly written, and the contract’s proprietary wording may forbid you from allowing a third party to edit the code.
Similarly, designers that quote a fixed hourly price for their services may not be the best option. You may be paid for services you perform on your own, such as purchasing a domain name or updating content regularly (assuming a sophisticated content management tool was not built into the initial design). The designer will try to drag out the process as long as possible to extract the most money out of you, and the open-ended nature of the hourly pricing model leaves you vulnerable to cost overruns.
Hiring a local professional that charges a set rate to build your site is preferable. You will work directly with the person handling your project, giving you peace of mind that your online presence is in good hands. The transparency of a flat-fee model extends to both the services provided and their associated costs. Don’t you feel better knowing how much repair will cost before bringing your automobile to a reliable mechanic? Your company is deserving of nothing less.
Be careful of any service that claims to submit your site to 10,000 search engines. Only a few companies offer search engine services (including Yahoo!, Google, Ask.com, and MSN), while others rely on these few to produce results. In addition, submitting your URL to search engines is usually free and relatively straightforward; if you don’t have a few minutes to do it yourself, there’s no need to pay someone else. Finding an advertising agency that focuses on search engine positioning is essential if you want your business to thrive. Similarly, if you wish your site’s content to evolve, you should want (and be willing to pay for) a powerful content management system.
Conclusion A website that has been carefully planned and built may help any business succeed. In the modern era, a company’s success or failure sometimes hinges on the quality of its website, which serves as everything from the point of contact and advertising to an easy and secure way to order products to a means for others to read internal information that would usually be supplied on paper. Having a clear vision for your website’s aesthetic and functionality and working with a talented designer is crucial to its success. That person is more of a “consultant” in the true sense of the word than someone who will throw things together for the lowest price possible.
Owning and operating a website can be a highly lucrative facet of your business if you approach it with some forethought and originality.
We integrate legacy applications [http://www.getsolidblue.com/Specialty-Integration.aspx] and create web-based solutions for businesses and organizations through Solid Blue Development [http://www.getsolidblue.com]. If you would like to speak with Peter Binkley, owner of Solid Blue, please visit [http://www.getsolidblue.com/Contact.aspx].
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