Creating Your Web Pages

Web site Basics

• 3 things you need:
• An idea of what you want to include on the site
• A “domain name”
• A “Web host”
• The Key Ingredient:
• Someone who knows how to pull all of these together!

What to include in your site

• Home page
• Basic overview of your business
• About us (background information)
• Product/service Information
• Contact information/maps
• Pictures!

What else to include in your site

• What will your customers want to see?
• Check out other sites on similar topics!
• What do they have that you like?
• What can you offer that they don’t?
• Specials
• Coupons
• Testimonials

Domain Name / Web Host

• The 2 things you will need to buy:
• A DOMAIN NAME gets you the www.mybusiness.com name
• Ex: www.toyota.com
• This is what people type in to find your Web site!
• A WEB HOST gets you storage space to put up your pictures/text describing your business.

Domain Name / Web Host

• Most sources today offer BOTH domain names and Web Hosting:
• www.godaddy.com
• www.register.com
• www.networksolutions.com
• There are LOTS of resources on the Internet, check around:
• www.webhostingratings.com (over 200 to choose from)
• Compare cost, data storage, visit some of their sites
• These sources will tell you which domain names are / aren’t available
• This is important! Put some thought into your domain name.

• 3 popular options

Domain Name / Web Host

• COSTS
• Domain names: $10 - $35 / yr
• Most companies offer the same thing, very little difference in service
• Web hosting: $50 - $200 / yr
• Offer different levels of service based on storage size / data transfer
• For most small businesses, the “basic” package is sufficient