Getting Started: Placing Your Business Online

1. Design Software

Numerous web authoring software packages exist on the market today featuring built-in templates, making it easier to develop and produce your web site. Many software packages are available for download from the Internet, and many include trial offers allowing you to try before buying. We provide a list of several software packages that are available for download.

Note: All of our web hosting accounts include Microsoft Frontpage Extensions, allowing you to easily take advantage of the popular Microsoft FrontPage web design software. In addition, we include SiteBuilder, the Joomla! Content Management System (CMS), blog software (WordPress), and osCommerce - all with customizable templates.

2. Web Site Design

Creating your own web site can be easy and fun. Select from the many templates included with your software package above. Alternatively, you may wish to outsource the design of your web site - we provide more info on this here.

Note: Because Unix is case-sensitive, it is best to name all files in lowercase and to also refer to these files in lowercase when creating a link.

3. Find a host, (if you haven't already).

Once you have created your site, you will need a place to house your files (referred to as "web hosting") so that they can be viewed by anyone with Internet access. We have multiple web hosting packages to select from depending on your needs.

4. Upload

After you have chosen a web hosting package, you will need to copy your files from your hard drive to the web server. This is referred to as "uploading your files".

All of our web hosting packages include a Web Control Panel. This is a web-based site management tool. One of the features is the capability to upload pages very easily. In addition, all web hosting packages include FTP access.

5. Promote Your Site

No matter how great your site is, if you don't promote it, no one will come.

Promotion takes many forms, involves many steps, and never ends. It is probably the most important aspect of operating your web site.

The basic steps one should follow in promoting an online business involve registering the web site with all the major search engines, as well as with the specialty search engines and directories when and where appropriate.

Before registering with the search engines, however, you'll want to make sure to use the appropriate Meta tags in your html code to help increase the chances of your site being listed higher in the search engines.

An excellent (and free) newsletter on promoting via search engines is available from Web Position.

In addition, all of our web hosting packages include basic consulting and promotion services to help you do this right.

6. Congratulations!

Your site is now ready to be viewed by all.

Note: More detailed information on Getting Started is available in Part 1 of our Online Support Manual.