The domain name is the address where your website will be found on the web, for example: www.yourcompanyname.com.  It is very important that you choose a domain name that your customers will associate with your firm or organization.  The domain name is the first impression of your online credibility and for the search engine optimization (SEO) to find your website.

When choosing your domain name try to use your company name or one to two words that define your business, i.e. www.elawebsites.com.  Here ‘websites’ is the defining word for my domain name.  Domain names cannot be longer than 63 characters, although shorter is better. 

Domain companies will check on the availability of the name you choose, and will also give you relevant domain names based on your search.  However, sometimes the website address you really want is already taken and creativity comes into play.  In addition to your chosen domain name, it is a good idea to purchase similarly sounding domains that may be confused with your domain name.  This protects your business from losing visitors to other sites.  For instance, my site name is www.elawebsites.com, but I have also purchased www.elawebsite.com, which will protect my business in the future. 

Prices range from $6.00 US to $12.00 US per year per domain name.

Web hosting allows individuals and organizations to make their own website accessible via the World Wide Web. Basically, it is where your web pages are kept.

If you have a simple website, an inexpensive web hosting plan can meet your needs. However, if your website is more complex, where multiple products are sold or services offered, evaluating potential web hosting companies may be an important step. Choose a web hosting company that provides support 24/7 so visitors and search engines do not face problems, such as being unable to access your site for periods of time.

The best way to select a reliable and trustworthy web hosting company is reading reviews and forums to see the other website owners' opinions. There are all kinds of web hosting companies. Forums can provide the small busines owner with information on the different web hosting companies serivce records with their customers. Comments from others on the various providers will help to make an informed decision as to which hosting company will best meet the needs of your company.

While it is important for you to investigate this aspect of the process on your own, two web hosting companies that have received positive reviews are Web Hosting Talk and Find My hosting. There are all kinds of hosting companies from which to choose.  Two are: GoDaddy and 1 & 1 Web Hosting.

Think of the structure of the website as you would a skeleton; that is, you start with the bare bones and you build it, by adding content, piece-by-piece.  To help you create that structure, use the worksheet form.  This will help to identify the sections needed on your website.  Some sample sections to consider are: About Us, Services Available, Products, FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions), Customer Testimonials, Articles, Information, Contact Us, and Additional Links.

Click here to open a empty PDF worksheet.

You may use some of the suggested section headings or create and add your own that are specific to your business.  For each section, you are provided a box.  In the box enter text that will give your customers clear, concise information in relation to the section heading –here you are building your content.  Keep in mind that each box represents a separate page.  The more section boxes of text you complete, the more pages you create.  Continue until you have every section you want on your website.

The content in your website is the essential key to attracting visitors.  Sites consistently top-ranked by search engine optimization (SEO) are the result of having interesting, unique content that is well-written and consistently updated. 

Web surfers do not always read a site’s entire content; rather, they scan pages looking for words and sentences that ‘stand out’ and quickly provide information they want or answer questions they may have with regard to that particular website.

Several words of caution: do not exaggerate or use confusing language.  Your text message should be as informative as possible yet simple and straight to the point.

TIPS FOR GOOD SCANNABLE CONTENT:

• Write appropriate content
• Start paragraphs with conclusions
• Focus on one idea per paragraph
• Use action words
• Use lists
• Write clear, concise sentences
• Use sub-headings, if necessary
• Always proofread your content