Going on-line: the basics

To create a successful web presence, you need most of the following:

Domain name

What's a domain name? A domain name is simply your address in hyperspace, similar to your phone number in the real world. It is how people reach you.

Do I really need one? Though not 100% necessary to going on-line, a domain name both makes your web address easier to remember, it also presents a professional appearance to the world.

How much does it cost? Shop around, there's now choices for registering your domain name:

bulletRegister4Less costs just $14.95 per year to register your domain name plus FREE WEB SITE (up to 5 megs). Another great free benefit of registering with them: they offer free redirection. So you can have your own domain name for a low price, and then have it point automatically to a free web site you have elsewhere. No more long Geocities-type names, let your visitors find you easily. Also, they redirect mail at no charge, and even offer up to 5 megabytes on their server for no charge.
bulletNetwork Solutions, the original monopoly-holder of all domain names, cost is $70 for two-year registration through Network Solutions.

Server space

Once you have your domain name, you must arrange for a place to have your web site.   Generally, small to mid-size organizations contract with an ISP (internet service provider) to rent space on their equipment. The ISP provides space, connection of your site to the internet, as well as 24-hour service and support.

Cost: Variable. Some services provide you with a limited amount of web space with your email service, so you may already have web space available to you. Depending on the service provider and what services you are seeking, cost to rent web space from an ISP can be from $5 to $50 per month, with setup fees of up to $100.00.

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Content (information to put on the web site)

If you have brochures, flyers, or any printed material, these can easily be converted into web content. Additional content you might want on a web site is:

guest book
forums/bulletin boards
video presentations
PowerPoint presentations

Design

Strange New Worlds offers a starter package for small- and mid-size businesses. This is for organizations that wish to maintain their own web site, but just need professional help to get them started on the web. The starter package includes the following services:

bulletBrochure special $399.00, if all you need is an on-line brochure and catalog, send in your brochures and sales material. We'll turn it into a small web-site, register your domain name, and provide you with a year's worth of web space.
bulletStarter Service, price $1500.00:
bulletDesign of up twenty pages, with content provided from brochures, newsletter, or other printed material. Includes a guest book. Up to one photo per page (more if scans provided by client).
bulletPreparation of pages so that they are acceptable for search engines.
bulletEstablishment of a navigation system for site.
bulletRegistration of domain name and establishment of server space. Registration fee and six months of web service included in price.
bulletSetting up of a template for easy addition of new pages.
bulletsearch engine registration
bulletAdditional services billed at $45.00 per hour
bulletPhoto scans, $10 per scan.

Maintenance

Web sites are always "under construction." To have a successful web presence, you must constantly freshen your content and keep the site up-to-date. At the very least, your web site your be updated monthly, so that your visitors will have a reason to return to your site.  I recommend MicroSoft FrontPage as software to use to maintain your web site. It is a simple program to learn for anyone familiar with word processing or desktop publishing programs. Client would purchase FrontPage software for personal/company use. You could also consider an on-line service, that allows updates from anywhere in the world.

Promotion

"If you build it, they will come" only applies to baseball fields, not web sites. You must work diligently to let the world know that your web site is up and running, and that it is the best source of current information about your organization. Ways to promote your site include: displaying your web address on all your printed and promotional materials, regular re-submission of your site to search engines, submission of your site to link pages, exchange of links with other organizations, paid advertising, banner exchanges.

E-Commerce

If you are going to sell product from your site, you will need:

bulletshopping cart
bulletmerchant account
bulletauthorization software or service
bulletshipping information
bulletproduct list