The Newbie?s Guide to Small Business Web Design

You've got a concept for a business, are excited about putting it out on the Internet, know a little bit about computers and the Internet, but know nothing about building a web site, or web design.

You can still be highly successful and save money by doing the job yourself so long as you've got the willingness to learn and the time to spend on the project. It can be fun ? and it should be.

The contents of this article will greatly improve your knowledge of web design without causing you to feel overwhelmed. Keep this article as a reference point, check off each part as you go through the process of development, and, in due time, you will have an effective web site for marketing the information, product, or service you wish to provide to your customers.

Domain Name

Keep it short and relevant to your business. Do not get frustrated trying to lock down a domain name by settling on anything to get you web space. You will soon realize that every word on your web site has relevancy to its success. Register for no less than two years. Serious businesses don't renew yearly. You have to show that you're going to be sticking around.

Web Hosting

Don't mess around with small time web hosting. Affiliate yourself with a reputable company that provides top-notch service, as the rewards with regards to security and support are worth the extra dollar.

Web Site Construction

The basis by which people choose to build their web site is at their discretion. Microsoft FrontPage is a worthy choice for those of you who are new to web development and starting from scratch. Instead of reading books to learn about web design and development, you may be much better off using Google, MSN, or Yahoo to find the answers to your questions. Use "quotations" around your question in a search bar to get more specific answers.

Layout

Building your web site on a template is a fine way to start, but you may want to learn how to build from nothing. The mistakes that you may make along the way will prove invaluable. It is strongly recommended that you go with Tables instead of Frames, and if you don't have a clue what either means, just do a little reading about the two on the Internet before you start building.

Resolution

It would be a safe bet to keep your web site at no more than 750 pixels wide, regardless of the fact that more and more people are going to 1024x768. If your site is geared towards older folk, then you can count on the majority being at 800x600 for easier reading. You don't want to alienate your visitors by having them scroll to see the whole page. Be sure to check that your web site pages show up the same in all browsers.

The Intro

Never ever put "Under Construction" or any other type of phrase that says that you are incomplete on your web site. Your site is young ? it is never incomplete. Try to refrain from saying "Welcome to ?". You should think of your web space as being real estate. The space you use up with unnecessary text is a waste of advertising.

The Text

Keywords, their place on a web page, whether they are bolded or not, and the number of times each word appears on a web page are factors that determine how high you end up in search results.

HTML Tags

Before I say anything further, don't get freaked out by HTML code. It not as hard as it looks. Again, do a little reading on the Internet ? this time about Meta Tags and Keywords. You will have to make sure that your Title, Description, and Keyword Meta Tags are bang on with the text on each web page you build. You can use many free Tag Analyzers found on the Internet to check relevancies.

Graphics

Graphics increase load time and looks. There's a fine line between too little and too much. Use customers, not friends and family to gauge what is appropriate for the way your web site will look.

Random Tips

You may need to read a little to learn how to implement some of these tips, but nonetheless, they are here for your consideration to improve the placement of your web site in search results:

1) Make sure your TITLE is right below the HEAD in the HTML code. 2)Use one or two keywords in an ALT Tag to describe your images. 3) Get links pointing at you from sites sharing similar content.

Austin Culley is the Chief Operating Officer for Oil-Net.Com Inc.
http://www.oil-net.com

---

Quality Graphics for your Web Site

For most people graphic design does not come easy. Unfortunately... Read More

Flash Design Adds Website Versatility

You have probably viewed many Flash-based components while surfing the... Read More

Increase Your Credibility With Web Site Awards

Web Site Awards are given from other sites to reward... Read More

How To Increase Your Conversion Rate or What Most People Miss When It Comes To Optimization

Everybody talks about the importance of testing your sales copy... Read More

How to Create an Enjoyable Web Page Design

Novice and professional designers alike ? you may probably be... Read More

Don?t Put Your Slogan in the Title Tag - Optimize Your Web Pages

Don't just put your slogan in the title tag when... Read More

Can a Webpage Created Without HTML?

The HTML editor is usually a webpage design software that... Read More

Click Here

See, works every time. Seriously now, for some reason people... Read More

Design Your Site For Your Customers

The most important person that you need to please when... Read More

Why You Should Use CSS

It seems more and more webmasters are using CSS for... Read More

When Your Graphic Designer Costs You Money

So how do you know when your graphic designer costs... Read More

Alternative to Web Site Templates and Design Software

Before I discovered the concept of Web site templates, I... Read More

To Hire or Not to Hire a Website Designer

In the early years of the internet the actual design... Read More

Stop Sabotaging Your Sales

Do your web pages, sales letters or personal presentations include... Read More

7 Reasons Why Using CSS is a Must

CSS is a new option for website designers that have... Read More

How To Boost Your Chances at Having a Successful Web Site

New Web sites are springing up online by the millions.... Read More

6 Website Design Disasters and How to Avoid Them?.

Let's face it; the line from A Field of Dreams... Read More

How To Set Up A Professional Website On Your Own Using Web Templates

To create professional websites is not an easy task by... Read More

6 Design Flaws Newbie Web Designers Make: Fool Everyone Into Thinking You Know What Youre Doing

Even if you're not an accomplished webmaster you can still... Read More

How to Create A Homepage That Works

Want to know what the worst thing to say on... Read More

Why You Want to Include an FAQ In Your Site

Congratulations! You've got a brand new site and it's doing... Read More

Graphic Design Using Color

Color is everywhere and conveys a message even if we... Read More

Web Designers Beware!

As a web designer, I have a personal interest in... Read More

How To Create A Professional Website In Less Than A Week

Here's a really simple way... any novice can create a... Read More

How To Create A Stunning Drop Capital Effect On Your Web Pages

Drop Capitals are frequently used in many newspapers, books and... Read More

Converting Traffic into Sales

Making a successful online business can be a long and... Read More

The Key to Getting More Magic Shows Booked Online

This article is the result of a conversation I had... Read More

3 Simple Ways To Dramatically Improve Your Website

Before you start worrying about marketing your website on the... Read More

What Drives Repeat Visitors To Your Site?

There can be zillions of reasons why your visitors return... Read More

Building Web Sites Using Web Templates

Gone are the days when you had to rely on... Read More

Making Good Websites that Stand Out

Websites, there's literally billions of them out there in cyber-space.... Read More

Do Your Website Yourself - 4 Simple Steps to Get Your Dreams on the Web

Many people hire professional web site designers for as much... Read More

10 Reasons Why You Need A Multilingual Website

The internet continues to grow and has become the default... Read More