So you think it’s time to create a website? Whether it’s for personal use or for a business you just started, the internet is a great way to market and promote at a minimal cost. And, the best thing is that your web site delivers your message to a world of customers, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
It is important to remember that web sites are living virtual pages. You will never be completely finished. Updates are common and important. No one will visit your site if the material is old and dated. People like new and change when it comes to web sites.
But, don’t change too much. It’s important to keep a consistent appearance to your site, but the content needs to be fresh and new.
Simple web sites are easy to create, but sites that need a shopping cart or other complex applications may require a professional web site designer to successful install and operate. I use the Yahoo! web site builder because it is easy to use and offers a huge library of templates to choose from.
Here are the top four areas to consider when setting up your web site:
Avoid the standard template look. Scan through the template libraries and search out choices. Do not choose the first one that appears or you risk your site looking like your competitor’s site. Choice of color scheme and font will help differentiate your site as well. But, don’t use too many different fonts. That creates a “busy” feel to your page. Update your content often. Add fresh new blogs, question/answer columns and photographs. People love photos! It creates a personal feel to your page and invites people to visit often. Add a calendar and clock for convenience too. Make sure your contact information is simple to use and easy to find on the page. Post a telephone number, email address and physical address to make sure people can get in touch with you. Facebook, Twitter and MySpace links should be on the contact page as well. Create a revenue stream. GoogleAdSense and other programs are available to add advertising content to your page, which will generate revenue for you every time someone clicks on the ad. These are free to install – just register and go.
Every web site has a beginning, so go ahead and start. Content can be added as you have time. Just make sure the basic contact information is loaded to the site first. It’s fun to be your own webmaster! And profitable too!