If you have a business and are ready to begin discussing the layout with the web designer, where do you begin?

Choose a domain name
When deciding on a domain name, think short and simple. The web address needs to be something easy for people to remember and easy to spell correctly. The ideal domain would be www.Yourbusinessname.com, but this may not be possible. Think about using .net as an option or abbreviating your domain name. Use our domain search and registration tool here.

Create an outline of your web site
Decide which areas should appear first on the home page as well as subcategories. The site should be easy to read and navigate. Too much crowding of information will be an eye-sore for viewers. If there looks to be too much information on one page, customers will more than likely just skip over it. Links should be kept together and placed towards the top of every page. Fonts should be reasonably sized and readable. It is important to place a company logo (towards the top in the header) on each page as well as a contact number (preferably towards the bottom in the footer).

Decide on content for your web site
The main focus should be web site content. What do you want customers to read about your company? Are you trying to promote sales or are you simply going to inform them of the company? A company history is a good way to show that the business is established and reputable. If you are a new business, focus on the services you offer and why you are different than other companies.

Choose products to feature on your web site
Selling products online is becoming more popular everyday. It is important to let the web site designer know from the beginning if you are interested in selling online. There will be a feature available to your customers to simply click to shop on your website. If you are not ready for an online store, there is always the option of just placing product information on the site. You may also think about offering special sales or online coupons that are printable from the site.

Guidelines for photos
The most appealing things customers want to see are pictures. The graphics you choose should coordinate with the overall theme of the site. Pictures should be placed on the site for sample purposes or identification in a .jpeg format. Pictures should have a resolution of no more that 72 pixels/inch, and an acceptable size should be about 400 x 300 pixels. This will help with page load times.

Putting it all together
It is beneficial to have all materials ready in order for your designer to begin. You may either choose to write the content and take the pictures yourself or hire someone else to do these tasks. The sooner you are able to get all materials to the web developer, the sooner they will be able to begin working on your site.

Using these tips as well as coordinating ideas with your web designer will ensure that your website will be a successful method of communication for your business.

If you are ready to get started on your web site project, please complete the following form or call Beth Floyd at 731-660-0700.

Look at the following web site templates for ideas for your business's web site.

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