List of Content

Okay, Hi, I’m Bobby C. You want to start a website for your business and you are probably pretty excited about it. But wait, how do you go about starting a website, what do you need, where does it go, who’s going to design it, and so on. Well I’m going to break it down for you and give you a better understanding of what you need step by step. It’s really not that difficult for either of us if you have everything you need in order.

Far too many business owners come to me gung-ho about getting a website for their company before they are even close to ready. Now don’t worry it’s not that hard but people get overwhelmed and suddenly make a big deal out of writing a paragraph about themselves, their business and what they do for work. Seems to me that someone that’s been in business for ten years should know how, when, and where they started their business and certainly know what they do. So the first thing you need to do is write out some basic information about you, your company, and what you do. You do not have to be a literary genius, just be yourself and explain what you do. About four paragraphs in a Word document will do for now.

Visual Content

So now you have your text content in order and it’s time to start digging through pictures or taking pictures of your business, products, services in action. This is another point where business owners have trouble for no reason. Somewhere along the line you must have taken pictures that represent your business, products, or services, right? Even if not, it’s safe to say that a majority of the population today have smart phones right in their pocket that are fully capable of high resolution images. So if you are working or selling take a picture of your guys at work or your favorite products and so on. You are not expected to be a Professional photographer, just have a steady hand and snap a shot of what you think best represents your business. Of course there is always the option of hiring someone to get it done.

Account Information

One of the biggest hang-ups in order to move forward once your basic content is established is accessing or creating accounts. By accounts I mean for Social Media, Banking, Hosting or any other accounts that will be necessary for your website to have the functionality you desire. Social Media is a very strong tool these days for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and I would highly suggest putting it to good use. Banking information is mainly used for income on your website and a place for money to go from sales, donations, or payments for service. Hosting is necessary so your website has a place to live on the internet and a domain name address to find it. Having this type of information at hand will speed up the process immensely and if you don’t have it already I can surely set it up with you and document credentials along the way. Credentials for all accounts are always filed and copies are forwarded to you.

Budget / Needs

Once you have all of the above and are ready to start shopping for a designer, price has to be determined. Ultimately, the cost of your website is entirely up to you. Take for instance, I have numerous clients approach me with “How much for a website” and that is like walking into a car dealership and asking “How much for a car?” What are your goals? What features would you like? Do you need a store? Will there be data entry? Maintenance and such. It’s impossible to quote a design without first knowing the details and requirements along with readiness for the design. That said, as you shop around don’t go by price but rather by what you are going to receive for the budget you have. As a rule, a basic five page website with no bells and whistles from me will cost you between $650-$1250. We discuss in detail what you are looking to achieve, how much you have to invest, and build accordingly. You can always add to your website as time goes on and the website makes you money. The websites you see online that have thousands of pages once had five pages, no questions asked.

Conclusion

That should do it for now and if you feel comfortable enough with your prepared documents and other content then give me a call to discuss a time to get you and your business online.

Thanks, Bobby C.