Welcome to WorkingMan WebDesign
For those who are unfamiliar with the web, learning to understand the details of setting up a site can seem daunting. For a basic site there are a few things that you have to do to get things going.
First your site needs a "home". This is a place where your website will reside and anyone on the Internet can "surf" it. This home is called a server. Basically a server is just a computer that has phone lines hooked up to it that other computers access. Each of these servers has a unique number associated with them, just like your telephone number. Your site will be associated with this number called an IP address. IP is an acronym for "Internet Provider".
Second you need to have a "Domain Name". This is the "name" of your website such as WWW.YOURCOMPANY.COM. This makes it easy for the "humans" that are surfing the web to remember your address. If you didn't have a domain name, you would have to enter the string of numbers that your IP assigns the computer that your website resides on.
Next you need to have a website designer. There are many companies that will not only provide hosting, (providing space for your website), but will also provide professional level designing of websites. In this vein you should take the time to consider what you want from your website.
Often people think that unless you have products to be ordered on-line then a web site isn't much use to your company. Contrary to this statement is the "service" oriented companies that showcase their work on the web. Construction companies that give their potential clients a look at their level of work, are not only showing what they are capable of, but also give the clients ideas that maybe they hadn't thought of before. A Landscape designer can show the possibilities of their work and help to establish a presence in a burgeoning industry that can be driven by word of mouth. A Catering service can show menu selections, table layouts and pricing structures for potential clients. As you can see, a website can not just be about selling your products, but selling your company as well. If you are looking to establish a presence on the web you can start off with a basic site.
A basic site should give an overview of your company and the products and services you provide. You may want to have a few photos or a list of your products. Driving directions to your location with a map can help your potential clients reach you.
Other things that you may want to consider are:
- What areas do you cover?
- Do you have a telephone number that you could be reached at?
- How about an email address for questions?
- Do you offer phone orders for your products or services?
- Do you want to have a "mail order" form that your customers could print and send in payments for goods that you would ship to them?
- Would you confine this shipping service to a specific region of the country?
Another of the beauties of a website is its ability to change with your company. Ads in newspapers are run for a short duration and reach a limited audience. Telephone book ads are the same way; they are static only for a longer period of time. For some businesses this is a perfectly acceptable way to advertise. For others, establishing a presence on the web can help them take advantage of people who are letting their "mouse" do the walking instead of just their fingers. Electronically posted coupons for instance can be rotated through monthly or weekly cycles. This can cause customers to repeatedly come back to your site to check out the specials that you may be offering. While they are there they may see something else that interests them to order or contact you on!
As you can see a website can add to your businesses capabilities and performance. A website can also allow your customers an on-line look at your products and services and may help to reduce the "information" only phone calls that can tie up your staff. For the next millennium, the Internet is the way to help boost your communication and service to your customers.
Ok, now we get to the big question. What is this going to cost me?