The Basics of Creating a Great Business Website

In 2010,

Your Website Should be the Hub of all of Your

Marketing Efforts

The Internet Levels the Playing Field

Where Do I Begin?

Domain Name

Your unique address on the web that you type in a web browser address bar to go visit a Web Site..

How to Choose a Domain Name

• Choose a name easy to write and remember.

• Don’t use hyphens or underscores.

• Don’t use unusual spellings.

• Keep them short as possible.

• Choose name the same or similar to your business.

How to Choose a Domain Name

Which to choose .com, .org, .biz, .info, .me?

Just because you have the .com doesn’t mean someone else can’t take the .net or other extensions.

Where Do I Begin?

Domain Name

You are not buying the domain name you are purchasing the right to register it and use it for as long as you continue to pay for it. Auto-billing is your friend.

Domain Name Registration

• You can register a domain name with any domain registration company.

• BlueHost.com will give you a free domain name when you buy web hosting for as long as you have hosting with them.

Finding a Home for Your Site

• Your site ( a group of files) needs to have a home ( web-server).

• This home base is called a web-host.

• A Web Host is a Business or Individual that has a server that rents space to you to house your web files and serve them up on the Internet when someonetypes your address.

Web-hosting 101

• What will I need to get hosting?

• What will it cost?

• How do I choose a webhost?

Web-hosting 101

• http://bluehost.com

• http://hostgator.com

3 Major Types of Websites

•Brochure Style Sites

• Flash Animation Sites

•Content Management Sites

You are in Luck!

13www.newtricks.me

Out with the Old

Brochure and Flash Style Websites• Must mock up completely before beginning to code in html and css.

• Once coded they hard to change the style.

• The content remains, once someone visits they don’t come back.

• And search engines do see or come back.

• There are templates out there easy to set up – They look like it.

• Even web designers don’t go back to their static sites to update.

In with the New……

14www.newtricks.me

We WordPress!

Content Management Style Websites• Built on a Data Base.

• Iterative Design Process.

• Once completed easy to change.

• The content changes, people come back and even subscribe.

• Search engines love the visits and linking.

• There are templates out there, easy to set up – They look like it.

• You need a professional to set it up then YOU maintain it.

Content Management Websites

– Static vs Dynamic

– Web 2.0

– Built on a database

– Text & images are filed

– Archives older content

– Interactive –Allows 2 way

Static Brochure Style Websites

16www.newtricks.me

Header

Text goes here

More Text goes here

Footer

Themes

Categorized for the Archive

Static Brochure Websites

17www.newtricks.me

Header

Text goes here

More Text goes here

Footer

NO ARCHIVE

Content Management Sites

SEO

Easy to

update

Easy to

build

Content Management WordPress Site

19www.newtricks.me

Header

Text goes here

More Text goes here

Footer

Themes

Categorized for the Archive

Content Management Websites

Hybrid

Front Page

Content Management Websites

-Social Media

-Catalog content

-Search content

-Subscribe to site

-Comments

Content Management Websites

Static Front Pages or …

Content Management Websites

Blog Front Page

Content Management Websites

Front Page: sticky above the fold/blog below

http:www.standupguys.biz

Five Elements of a Great Website

1.Design

2.Structure

3.Content

4.Optimization

5.Maintenance

Five Elements of a Great Website

1.Design

Looks matter. First impressions. The halo effect. If it looks good we broaden the scope to other characteristics deciding it is good.

Five Elements of a Great Website

2. Structure

Don’t make them think.

Too many choices stop action.

Guide them to take action.

Five Elements of a Great Website

3. Content is King

• Educate prospects and builds expertise.

• Blogs/Articles, Videos, Podcasts

• Lifeblood of search engines

Five Elements of a Great Website

3. Optimization

• Internally with valid code.

• Making sure search engines read your site and read it right for the results you want.

Five Elements of a Great Website

3. Maintenance

• You can’t just let it sit there.

• Like having a store you never update or freshen up.

• You must add content.

ACT Method for On-line Marketing

1. Attract

2. Convert,

3. Transform

4. Measure

ACT Method: A is Attraction

To attract means to

get attention or stand

out. Practically, this

means attracting

traffic to your

website—your main

online marketing tool.

ACT Method: C is Convert

Conversion happens when you turn a

stranger into a consumer or

customer. And there is a difference

between the two! A consumer may

take in your information or even

sample your product, but he or she

may not always buy.

Over time, that consumer may

become a customer.

Consumption of Valuable Content

+ Time = Client

ACT Method: T is Transform

1. Do a great job,

2. Use your Success to

attract more success.

•Testimonials

•Case studies

•Audio Interviews

•Pictures

ACT Method: M is Measure

Google Analytics

HubSpot

WP Stats

Mailing List Conversions

WordPress Websites

Business should have full

self- hosted version.

- your own domain

- customizable,

- full functionality

- all plugins

- all themes

- e-commerce

WordPress.com

•Site up in ten minutes

•Free

•Limited themes

•Limited plugins

•Limited Customizabiltiy