1. Get Your Domain Name

The first thing you need to do before anything else is to get yourself a domain name. A domain name is the name you want to give to your website. Choose a name that best represents your business or organization. While a short, concise name is generally preferred, sometimes a longer name may be remembered by potential users and thus be a better choice.

When selecting names, come up with several alternatives because your first choice may not be available. Name availability can be checked quickly at places like: http://www.cheap-domainregistration.com and www.networksolutions.com.

I recommend that you stick with either a .com, .net and .biz extensions as most other extensions will not be remembered by your users.The Cost to purchase a Domain Name  is approximately $5.00 to $30.00 depending on the type of extenstions. If you are only registering a .com name, you should not pay more than $10 per name.

HINT: Check with various Web Hosts prior to paying for a domain name because several Web Hosts offer FREE domain names if you register with their company.

2. Choose a Web Host

Your website can be hosted on one of many servers throughout the country including several local companies. Keep in mind that the location of your web server is insignificant to the user. Pick a Web Host that you feel is both affordable and reliable. A basic hosting plan should not cost more than $10.00 per month. However, if you are looking for an e-commerce hositg plan, you could pay well over $60..00 per month.

In addition to cost considerations, choose a Web Host that has a reliable track record. Most hosts will provide data on the “Down Time” and you should beware of using any host that is unable or unwilling to share this information with you.

HINT: Before choosing a Web Host, call the company on the phone to see if they have a LIVE customer service person and also to see how long it takes to get in touch with customer service. I’ve talked to a lot of people who choose a Web Host and when something goes wrong, the company is impossible to get ahold of.

3. Design Your Website

Once you have your domain name and web host, your next step will be to design your website. The cost to develop a webpage is affected by the amount of content, the complexity of the site and the web designer you hire (unless you plan on doing the design work yourself). Because of these wide ranging variables, it is very difficult to estimate what might be considered reasonable design costs. However, a simple site that is essentially an online flier can be created for as little as $50, while a more complex e-commerce site can easily cost thousands. Don’t be afraid to ask several companies for pricing estimates before making a decision.

HINT: Find simliar websites to the website that you want to create, look at these sites to see who the Web Designer is. A lot of times, web designers will put a link at the bottom of websites that they have designed. 

Following these simple steps will allow your business or organization to establish a presence on the World wide Web. If you have any further questions, feel free to email us at:  contact@bummarketing.com