There are several necessary pieces that have to fit into place before you can have a working website and if you're not in the industry, this information can be overwhelming. There are three main components getting your website off the ground.
DOMAIN
(URL, web address, .com, .org)
This is essentially your first step in getting a website. This is your .com. This is the information typed into the web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) that takes you to the site. Domain prices range from $5 to $50 a year depending on the domain extension you use. We charge $15 a year for domain registration.
Additional domain extensions: .com, .org, .us, .edu, .me, .net, .gov, .cc
HOSTING
Once you have your domain, you need that domain to point to a location on the internet where your website will be stored. These servers are what host your website. Servers are basically powerful computers that are always connected to the internet. Whenever you go to a website, say Google.com, your browser is connecting to the computers that store Google's web pages. Good hosting providers will also include free email addresses associated with the domain you've registered.
The thing to always keep in mind with hosting is: you get what you pay for. Many sites offer $2-$5 hosting but your site is usually grouped together with other sites, and many times your site will randomly go offline, and stay offline for unspecified periods.
We've done a lot of testing with a wide range of hosts and have found that cheaper priced hosts end up being more of a headache than anything. The servers we use are the same ones used by Nike, Toyota, Starbucks and ABC. Our hosting costs $15 a month and you're getting unparallel stability.
WEBSITE
So now you've got your domain registered and your hosting set up. Now it's time to have your website built. Before you can start though, there are a few things you need to think through, chiefly - What kind of site do you need? At first glance, this sounds like a vague question, but it plays a huge role in the web design process.
Here are some things to consider when thinking about the role your website will play in your business
- Do you want to sell products on your site?
- Will you be sending people to your site or do you want people to find your site on their own?
- Will this site be for external uses (sales & marketing), internal uses (communication within the business) or both?
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- How often will your content be changing?
- What is your budget?
- Will you have time to making regular updates to your site?
- Do you plan on selling advertising space on your site?
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These are just a few of the very important questions you need to be asking before you start building a website. One of the worst things for a business is to spend hours and dollars on a website then realize it isn't set up to accurately serve their company. Make sure enough time is spent wrestling with the different ways your business could utilize a website before diving into having it made.
Think of it like getting in your car and driving to someone's house. The car is your browser (internet explorer, etc.), the domain is the address of the house, the physical location (the lot) of the house is your hosting, and the house itself (and the rooms inside) is your website.
We get really excited about diving in with a company and figuring out what type of site would best suit their needs. Let us know if you have any questions about this process. |
