Your first business website design

[Paul Baker]

For most new business owners, thinking about a business website, leads to overwhelming information that you have to sort through.

The problem with this is that you may not understand all the computer terms, and exactly how a website funtions. So i have put together a little checklist information summary to help you avoid being taken advantage of.

Steps to have your website
1. You will need to write up the content [the information you want on the web pages] because most designers dont do this.
2. You will have to supply your own images/photographs because of copyright laws. These pictures need to be in jpg or gif files for them to work on the Internet. Your website designer should know how to resize them for loading speed.
3. You will need to select a domain name [this is your street address for your website]. I recommend .com.au names to avoid breaches of Privacy Act or breaching other countries laws. Registering a domain name should cost about $25 for 2 years.
4. Have your website designed.

This is only the first part of having a website, now you need to;

5. Find a reliable and secure hosting [computer server on the Internet] to hold your website files so the Internet can see them. If you dont host your website pages, the Internet will not see them. There are lots of hosting packages out there, but keep to Australian ones in case of problems. This should cost no more than $300 per year.

6. Submit your website [add website address to the Internet search engines] so that people will find your website in their search results. If you dont submit your website, it may not get found by anybody. Dont pay hundreds of dollars for this, because you can submit your website for free to almost all of the major directories and engines.

7. Wait 4-8 weeks for your website to be listed by search engines and directories.

8. Continue to promote your website through online [links, directories, forums, and alliances] so it will be found higher in the search results.

Now your website is ready to start finding your customers.

I do recommend a good search Engine optimisation service to make sure your website is found by more people, but dont pay any montly fees or more than $1,000 to have your website optimised. A good SEO consultant can improve your website within 4 weeks for less than $500 and no monthly payments.

[HWT]

I've just started a new website (on May 2nd) and have almost gone the exact opposite of your advice.

Steps to have your website
1. Hiring a writer for the content.
2. Downloaded stock images from a free stock photography site
3. Domain name is a .com not a .com.au as I feel .au sites are really limiting
4. Site is simply growing organically by function not being designed
5. I'm using my existing, American host as Australian hosts open up a world of problems - mostly financial. I expect it to cost around $300-2000 per month and I really don't want to know what this would cost in Australia.
6. Keeping this site firmly under the radar until it is finished because I don't want customers on an unfinished site. Beta testers have the address though.

I haven't got a business name or payment gateway yet, and you don't mention payment gateways at all.

Interesting how your advice is so different to what I am doing ...

[Paul Baker]

Congratulations on getting your website started.

I welcome debate and enjoy it when people do it their way, no one way is suitable for everyone.

I did notice that you did follow the steps I outlined, you just took different action at each step.

You mentioned that .com.au domains are limiting and I would like to know your thoughts on this, because I havent found that .com.au are treated worse than others in my experience, but I could be wrong so welcome any information about this.

The Australian hosting companies charge less than you mentioned, and one at least only charges $55 per year- so again I am not sure how an Australian host limits your business. With an online commerce model I would want to ensure my customers payment and personal details are secure and other countries cannot always guarantee that for you.

Payment gateways werent included because this is a speciality area of business model and needs professional advice to suit your business and the forum post was aimed at beginning business sites.

In any case I welcome your foray into the online business world, best of luck.

[HWT]

.com.au's are pointless when you have no Australian customers. Americans barely realise Australia exists and my I think my new site is going to have almost exclusively American customers.

Dedicated Australian hosts with 200+G of transfer are expensive. I did see a few with 100G for around $300 a month and up on a quick google, which at the current exchange rate is no different from the $US279 entry level plan on my current host. They're just limiting because most Australian hosting plans have pretty low bandwidth limits compared to overseas ones, and then you have to factor in latency when your customers are overseas. It all comes down to the bandwidth.

I'm still researching the costs for this new idea but hosting is looking to be the biggest by far.

[one]

I've just started a new website (on May 2nd) and have almost gone the exact opposite of your advice.

Steps to have your website
1. Hiring a writer for the content.

I don't necessarily agree with this one, but I guess it depends on your writing skills and what you're writing about. If you can write, and you're passionate about what you're writing about, I would say definitely write it yourself!

Your passion should show through in the content and will help to get your readers more excited. I often find professionally written content to be very boring.

If you can't write and/or you have no interest in the subject, then I guess paying someone is a better option


2. Downloaded stock images from a free stock photography siteI hate stock photography, especially of people. Most of them are so obviously stock photos, and after a while you start to see the same 'models' popping up on different sites.

Stock photos are the first sign to me that I'm looking at a potential fly-by-night operation rather than a real business. Anyone kid can download free stock photos from their bedroom and setup a website, while original photography helps build a more professional image.


3. Domain name is a .com not a .com.au as I feel .au sites are really limitingThis depends entirely on your target market. For me, having a .com.au domain helps to add credibility. I'm generally a little more dubious of sites without the .au if I'm specifically looking for an Australian business.

But if your site is targeting an overseas market, then for sure a .com.au would not be the right choice.


5. I'm using my existing, American host as Australian hosts open up a world of problems - mostly financial. I expect it to cost around $300-2000 per month and I really don't want to know what this would cost in Australia.I use an Australian host for my business sites, I just find the support so much better when you can jump on the phone and talk to someone locally.

For all my other non-business sites I use a US based host, purely from a cost perspective and less concern about downtime on those other sites.


Interesting how your advice is so different to what I am doing ...I don't think there is one formula which is right for all sites. There are so many variables which can have the 'perfect formula' for one site being the total opposite of the perfect formula for another.

[HWT]

I don't necessarily agree with this one, but I guess it depends on your writing skills and what you're writing about. If you can write, and you're passionate about what you're writing about, I would say definitely write it yourself!
I only have 4 pages that need written content and they HAVE to be good and very unambiguous. Three I am going to get a writer to do, the 4th I'm going to get a lawyer to do. Can't have any slip-ups.

I don't have any funding so this all comes out of pocket, unfortunately, and my income at the moment is too close to $0 for comfort. Photographers and models are painfully expensive so that one in particular is a no-go compared to $0 for a stock photo.

I should probably get onto the start up sage or similar before I get too far with this ...

[The Start Up Sage]

I should probably get onto the start up sage or similar before I get too far with this ...

HWT - I have sent you a PM and can probably add more in private.

In general though, it really is 'horses for courses'. Here are our general thoughts on your points:

Steps to have your website
1. Hiring a writer for the content.

Do a first draft. Then re-write. Show some friends (especially anyone who works in sales because every website has to sell). Remember, most first-timers produce a website that tries to justify why they are in business. That is gobbledegook. Just explain in as few words as possible what you do and your key selling points. Don't try to win awards. Just get your core offer into the market. You can always massage text as the site develops.

If you have sharpened the copy and are still struggling, then engage a writer to sub-edit the words.

2. Downloaded stock images from a free stock photography site

Professional photography can cost a lot. Try some of the smaller photo libraries. Or if you use one of the big ones invest time reviewing all the shots. Truth be told, image selection is really a skill. However, better to have a product/service in the market with average stock shots than a website still in development. The former may earn a buck, the latter nothing. Then, when cashflow improves invest in an upgrade.


3. Domain name is a .com not a .com.au as I feel .au sites are really limiting

If you are US or OS, then .com. If Australia, definitely .com.au. Trust is a massive issue online. It always make sense to try to surround your key domain name with the variations. In other words, for $100 you can secure the .com, .com.au, .co.uk and perhaps one or two more. Then redirect all to your main site.

4. Site is simply growing organically by function not being designed

Don't really understand this.

5. I'm using my existing, American host as Australian hosts open up a world of problems - mostly financial. I expect it to cost around $300-2000 per month and I really don't want to know what this would cost in Australia.

Most hosting packages can handle the standard stuff and a bit more. We like Australian hosts for Australian sites (and also because tech guys are in the same timezone). US hosts for US stuff. All has to do with load times. Also, we have a hunch Google judges the location of the hosting and awards some SEO brownie points (of course, can't prove this). $2k a month is too much. Way too much. Start with your base needs then build when required (most hosts are more than happy for you to upgrade packages). Also, consider cloud computing.

6. Keeping this site firmly under the radar until it is finished because I don't want customers on an unfinished site. Beta testers have the address though.

It depends on your customer base. For example, with Business Switch our customer base rotates. As someone starts up, another person is planning to start a business. So it didn't really matter when we launched. Really depends on your product/service.

Ultimately, we see way too many people trying to be precision perfect with their website on launch. It's probably a throw-back to an era where brochures had to be perfect before you took them to the printer.

As a dynamic media we would argue that it is sometimes much better to get your product into the market and let your REAL customers judge. Then you can hone your offer to their needs.

Beats guessing!

[HWT]

I know a marketing writer so I get free tips :)



4. Site is simply growing organically by function not being designed

Don't really understand this.
Its a site that will provide an online service, so I'm never going to have more than about 20-30 pages in total, largely just input forms, most of which you won't see unless you're a member, another bunch again you need to be an admistrator for, and another bunch are just error/warning message pages. The entire thing reflects what the database and underlying code looks like, and some of the stuff that goes into the site is completely dictated by what you can do with css. The guts of the project is in c++ on a couple of cron job, not a web page. I only have 4 pages of text, one of those is the terms & conditions/privacy policy.

We've got a couple of people who are potential customers who are VERY interested and have some pretty solid opinions on what it should do, because the bigger services are so ... well ... useless.

[cahal]

Heres my first biz site..

Cahal Byrne Personal Training - Home (http://cahalbyrnepersonaltraining.webs.com/)

Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks :)

[HWT]

Ok, my MOTHER thinks this new site is a very good idea as there's a groundswell in the area. Nice to get an opinion from a non-tech person!

[newman]

Interesting Question.

My first site I built for my father - entirely directly using html in notepad - no Dreamweaver or the other dinosaur Front Page - worked out alright in the end and it was way way back in 2000 - makes me feel old.

[HWT]

hehe my first site was raw html but probably in vi, back in the early 2000s. I've been using Drupal a lot since then. Its still the same site, kind of. Lot more on it now though.

The irony is the current site I'm doing is so far only done in a text editor too! I'm running out of stuff I can do in php/javascript though, so soon I get to handball it over to the other half who will do the next phase in C++ of some flavour, in visual studio.

[RevoPT]

Anyone got anymore in depth SEO advice?

[Hampers]

Great thread and impressive responses to each dilemma.
Please let me know if you have a better local Australian hosting option that competes price wise with godaddy.

[melle1975]

i've been busy designing and building my own...wow...what a LOT of work!

[HWT]

Anyone got anymore in depth SEO advice?
Nope. All I can say is that regular updates trump anything else.

One of my sites has doubled its traffic in the last month or two (my main site lost about 70% of traffic so it hasn't balanced out yet) with Google's algorithm change and regular updates.

[Just Love Gardening]

I decided also to put together a website, based around the Tourism industry. Did a crash course on web designing with a few tutorials I picked up. It certainly is a challenge, that's for sure. Holiday To is the site.

[3DFOX3D]

HWT - out in the bush I see - I'm in Adelaide. May I suggest you modify the characture image you have on your home page - the open ended spanner is an AF and not Metric :)

[stevenhudson]

Just tried posting a long reply to this thread with some links to Google to assist....I can't because I haven't posted 10 posted...looks like I will return to Flying Solo and spend my time over there.

[Jay Elliott]

The first when building a website should always be to decide what you want to website to do. Are you collecting leads, selling a product or just giving them information about your business?

After you have decided on what you want it to do you can create the steps you need to take. When you are selling from the page the content may be the most important so start there.

Too often i see businesses who want a website to generate enquiries and just end up with a online brochure.

[HWT]

Our business website is just an online brochure. It works just fine :)

[Jay Elliott]

If that is the purpose it was built for thats great i am not saying that having a online brochure is bad. What i wanted to say was if you are not clear about what you want to start with how do you know how to build it.

[LemonChip]

According to me your website has a very good design, and it is very well organized. But I don’t have much technical knowledge to go in details.

Which website are you referring to here?

[Lori]

Meh, not enough posts for link to my website (it may be in my sig though...;) )

This was my first (well second, I updated it) time building a website and I did it myself using a site builder. Having no experience at all, I found it a little challenging - it aint my forte let me tell you. But all in all, I got it done and it wasn't overly difficult. I didn't have to write any code though.

I really went into what I thought my prospects were looking for rather than what I wanted and being that statistics say that many they don't move past the first page, I tried to include quite a bit in there but I'm afraid it might be a little "messy".

So if you're not an web developer and you'd like control over your site (not having to wait for each change to be made), I would suggest making your own using a site builder. I used ebizwebpages but there are plenty out there.

If you can see my site, I would love any comments / feedback - much appreciated.

[SarahSEO]

see my site tooo: e-datapro.net/

[Hampers]

Here's my first independent site Fruit Baskets Newcastle (http://fruitbasketsnewcastle.com/).