CONSTRUCTING
YOUR WEB SITE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyone
can prepare a web page, but since you're advertising your
online
business for the world to see, and to judge by first
impressions,
you need Internet professionals who can help. There is
never
a finish to the start that you make when developing a web site.
In
fact, developing a professional web site for your Internet business
will
take you through several stages. Some steps will necessitate
being
repeated for the lifetime of your site. How much can you expect
to
spend? The answer to that question relies specifically on what the
owner
of that site wants to do with that site and where they're
located.
*
Conceptualize
You
must envision what the ultimate purpose of your web site will be.
Whether
your dream is to sell M.I. Hummel figurines or pay tribute to
country
music by setting up a chat room and CD store, all tangible
aspects
of your web site should originate from these seeds of thought.
Unless
you are well read or experienced in all areas of web site
development,
your initial construction efforts will result in a very
basic
framework. Think and rethink. Toss your ideas at others with
web
site experience. Surf web sites and bookmark those that you
really
like to use as a resource. Draw thumbnails of your site's
design
and the blueprints for progression through your site.
Some
commonly asked questions might be:
Will
I use graphics? How will I process orders taken online? Will I
register
a domain name or use a virtual domain? How many email
accounts
will I need? How many pages are necessary for my web site to
come
across in a clear, user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing manner?
Where
will my web site be housed? Who will maintain it? What amount
of
promotion do I desire to achieve solid visibility? How will I
anticipate
growth and measure the effectiveness of certain strategies?
*
Construct
If
you know how to program in HTML and Java and have the contacts or
technical
genius to set up transactions software then you can get
started
right away. The resources at http://bignosebird.com can guide
you
in building your own web page. Otherwise, you should investigate
web
design services.
Be
sure to install META Tags between the <HEAD> and </HEAD> tags
behind
the scenes of your site. Use our free guide to help you get
these
built correctly at http://METAtag.WebPromote.com .
A
Crain Communications study lists the following prices as a benchmark
for
how much you can expect to pay per hour to build a web site.
Service
Price per hour
Database
Programming $150
Java/Shockwave
$135
Copywriting
$125
Interface/Page
design $125
CGI
scripting $120
Basic
HTML $90
For
the solution to buying and selling goods or services over the
Internet,
visit InterWorld Corporation at http://www.interworld.com .
Maybe
you'll add audio to your site. Find out how at
http://www.cnet.com/Content/Builder/Authoring/Audio
.
*
Optimize
The
process of evaluating, reorganizing, shifting and changing should
be
continual. Providing a channel for feedback from site visitors,
reading
web site design trade journals, surfing the Internet and
asking
others should always provide you with ideas to freshen the
appearance
of your site. You should measure the effectiveness of any
promotion
through web auditing.
*
Update and Market
Announce
your online presence to the world. Register your web site
in
search engines, directories and yellow pages. Create linking
relationships
with other web sites that target the traffic in your
niche
market. Purchase targeted banner ads, develop a newsworthy
press
release, and initiate an opt-in direct emailing campaign.
Over
the months following the birth of your web site, you should
listen
carefully to feedback, seeking the opinions of marketing and
web
site design professionals as well as consumers, your lifeblood,
about
their experiences at your web site. You'll need to be
aggressively
marketing your Web site if you expect to get a steady,
growing
number of visitors. Work diligently toward the goal of
branding.
There
may be no instant and magical allure to your web site, but with
a
strong commitment, there can be a magic combination of promotion,
design
and customer service that will position your online business
for
success.
You
can visit http://www.netb2b.com/cgi-bin/cgi_wpi_archive to look at
NetMarketing's
hypothetical Web Price Index.