Now that we have picked out the perfect domain (or hopefully domains), it is time to start thinking about your website.  So, first things first.  You need to define your purpose, what you want to achieve.  You need to know why you are taking the time (and marketing dollars) to build a website.  As in anything in life, if you don't have a clear and measurable goal, you can't be successful, so here is where it all begins. 

Businesses (and individuals) build websites for many reasons:  
    - To communicate an image
    - To sell a product or service
    - To generate leads
    - To advertise an online catalogue or brochure
    - To reduce overhead
    - To provide customer service
    - To publish important news and events
    - To provide information to a niche audience
    - To publsh images or photos for viewing
    - To provide a means of accessing other websites
    - To satisfy a need for social interaction

Whatever your purpose, this is the first step.  Treat the definition of purpose as you would any other major business decision.  Think about the return on investment and make yourself accountable.  You need to know what you want to accomplish and what your visitors will want to gain.

Once you have it figured out, write it down.  Make it your mission, a Website Mission Statement.  Be clear and concise.  Let this guide your actions, spell out your overall goal, provide a sense of direction, and guide your decision-making.  This is the context within which your website design will be formulated.  Think about  your target market, moral / ethical image, key features, special considerations, and expectations of growth.  Then break it down into small achievable goals and keep it  visible at all times.  Know how and when you plan to evaluate your progress. 

This may sound a bit overwhelming, but taking the time to do it up front will help you develop a site that can grow and improve over time.  Otherwise, you might as well be trying to hit a moving target, and you will never feel the satisfaction of even a small success.

Now that we have established that everyone needs a website, let's jump right in.  Ask any web developer and they will tell you, the first step is to register your domain name.

You can register your domain name at www.grab-my-domain.com.

OK, but what exactly is a domain name?  In technical terms, a domain name is an identifier that maps to an IP address on a web server.  Wow!  Maybe we should put that in terms we can all better understand.

To put it simply, a domain name is much like a telephone number.  When you enter a domain name into the address bar of an internet browser, it's like making a phone call, but instead of getting a person you get a website.  And, like a telephone number, a domain name is unique.  That's right, unique!  Only one person or business can register a domain name anywhere in the entire world!  Also like a phone number, a domain name is exact.  Dial the wrong number and you get the wrong person; mistype a domain name and you get the wrong website.  Worse yet; it may be a competitor's website!

So what does this mean to you?  Well, it means that picking your domain name is one of the most important things you can do when planning your website. 

So how do I pick my domain name?  Don't automatically assume that the best domain name for your business is the "name" of your business.  Oh sure, there's value in that; name recognition and all that stuff.  But, instead, consider the following when identifying a domain name that is right for you.  

What type of business are you in?  Your domain name should tell people a little bit about you; what they can expect from you and your website.  Your business fills a niche, use it.

Avoid confusion. Your domain name should be distinguishable from that of your competitors.  It should be easy to spell with very few explanations.  You don't want to spend your hard-earned marketing dollars advertising for someone else and directing your potential customers to your competitors websites.  

Key phrases.  Include key phrases in your domain name.  This can help improve your rankings with many of the popular search engines.  Consider placing dashes "-" between the words in your domain name.  Though not as easy for your customers to remember, the search engines really do like it, and you may find that the domain name you are looking for is more readily available.  

Does size matter?  Well, that depends.  Short is great when advertising your site on the radio, but that's not necessarily true when looking at what makes a domain name interesting to a search engine.  The general rule of thumb is to try to keep your domain name to three words or less.

Numbers.  Yes, numbers.  Why numbers?  Well, they count as characters in a domain name.  So, consider the number 4 in place of "for"  and 2 in place of "to" when picking your domain name.  And while we're talking about such things, what about the letter u in place of "you"?  You see where we're going with this?

Can I have more than one?  Certainly you can.  As a matter of fact, I recommend it.  The more the merrier.  The nice thing about domain names is you can point one at another, kind of like forwarding phone calls.  And, there are a lot of good reasons for having more than one domain name:

Protect yourself.  It is important to protect your name.  If you don't, your competitors might.  And once they register that domain name, you can't, unless they're willing to sell it to you, at their cost!  OUCH!  What's worse, they may point it at their site and start taking some of your potential business away.  So, register your business name, corporate name, dba, anything that you use to identify yourself.  

Stick it to 'em.  Speaking of your competition and those sneaky tactics they may pull.  Why not do it to them?  If you have a competitor with one of those oh-so recognizable names, grab the domain name, and use it or just hold on to it.  Hey!  If they had thought of it first, they would have done it to you, right?

Misspellings.  Consider registering common misspellings of your business name.  I mean, take a look at the mail you receive from the post office every day.  Ever notice how many ways people will try to mispell your company name?  There you have it.  Nice thing about the post office is, they can usually still find you.  Not so on the web.  As I said before, domain names are exact.  So register those common misspellings as well.

Do it NOW.  It is important that you don't wait to register your domain name.  There are already over 100 million domain names registered worldwide.  This has grown from a measly 10 million over the last 10 years and continues to increase by about 10 million every year.  So, whether you are ready to move your company to the web or not, once you find the domain name that is right for you, just do it!  Otherwise, when you actually get around to it, it may be too late!

Don't forget to register your domain at www.grab-my-domain.com.

Recordkeeping.  It's very important that you keep accurate records of your domain names.  Keep up with the date of registration, date of expiration, where you registered your domain, and the credentials required to log on if you did it yourself on the internet, for each and every domain that you register.  You also want to make sure that your domain name is set up with the correct contact information.  Your email address associated with your domain name should always be correct.  You will receive your renewal notices at this email address, so if you stop receiving emails at that location, you will no longer be reminded when it is time to renew.  Next thing you know, your website is down and you are out a couple of hundred dollars trying to recover your domain name.  It's just not worth it!  Maintain those records.  Stay on top of it. 

Working with a service provider.  One thing that I have noticed with many of my clients who have migrated their domains to White Knight Technologies is that their previous service provider held their domain name hostage.  What does that mean?  Well, instead of registering the domain in their name, the domain was registered in the service providers name.  Never, never ever, let that happen.  Your domain registration belongs to you, and registration in your name is the only way you have to prove it.  So once you have registered your domain name, it is a good idea to check to make sure it really has been registered to you. 

You can check the ownership information of a domain at whois.grab-my-domain.com.

Many businesses ask the question, do I need a website?  My answer is uncategorically YES.  Having a website online allows customers, potential employees, and business partners to quickly and easily find out more about your business products and services.

In the past, potential customers would use the Yellow Pages to search for a business in their area that provided a product or service they needed.  But today, that same customer will use a search engine to find a list of businesses that meets their needs with instant access to a world of information about each of the businesses on the list.  That's right, I'm talking about their web pages.  Pages that are filled with information about their products, prices, locations, directions, contact information, and often the ability to purchase what they need right their online for delivery to their home or office.

Having a website is referred to as having a "corporate presence."  Potential customers will often want to "check you out" before taking that first step to building a business relationship with you.  Since your site may be the first chance you have to make an impression, it is important that it be professional-looking.  Done right, your website will add visibility and credibility to your business. 

In addition, the internet is one of the most cost-effective means of advertising that is currently available to the small business owner.  Websites are surprisingly low cost, having infinite potential limited only by your imagination.  And unlike printed advertising, a website is dynamic in nature, giving it the ability to change as your business grows and changes.

That being said, you should never consider your website to be the end all beat all of advertising, but instead include it as part of your overall marketing strategy.  By advertising your website in addition to your product and services, you give your potential customers the opportunity to learn more about your product or services than they could possibly gain from a printed ad.

White Knight Technologies, "saving you from the web of confusion".

Small businesses everywhere are trying to take advantage of the internet as a way of marketing their products and services.  With millions upon millions of businesses already on the internet and many more joining their ranks daily, understanding what to do to best use this resource can be a daunting task for even the savviest of business owners.  It is the goal of these tips to guide you with the information necessary to place your business on the most extensive marketing media available today, the internet!

So join us as we breakdown this tangled world wide web.  We will provide you with the information you need to understand why your business should be on the internet, important considerations for the development of your site, options for achieving your ultimate goals, and several all-important internet marketing strategies. 

White Knight Technologies, "saving you from the web of confusion".