Your first business website design

**Paul Baker** · 06-04-10, 03:28 PM

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** · 14-05-10, 04:25 PM

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** · 14-05-10, 06:28 PM

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** · 14-05-10, 07:02 PM

.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** · 17-05-10, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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 site

I 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 limiting

This 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** · 17-05-10, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by one

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** · 22-05-10, 01:32 AM

Originally Posted by HWT

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** · 22-05-10, 10:49 AM

I know a marketing writer so I get free tips

Originally Posted by The Start Up Sage

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.