Seriously, do I even really need a web site?

Yes. You do. If you’re in business — even one that isn’t very big — people expect you to have one. They expect the name of your web site to be on your business cards. They expect it in the same way they expect any professional these days to carry a cell phone, have fax capabilities, an answer machine, and an e-mail address. If you want to be taken seriously and want to boost your ability to be found, then you have to take those expectations seriously. Believe me, your competitors do.

How do I get a name for my web site?

Getting a name for your web site requires finding one that isn’t already taken, and then getting it registered with a domain registrar. There are a number of companies that specialize in this and you can generally learn in an instant whether the name you want is already registered to someone else. There is a registration fee associated with registering a name, and a renewal rate that’s most often payable on a yearly basis. But the fees are low, typically in the $20 range.

If the name you want is taken as a “dot.com,” you may be able to get the name as a “dot.net” or “dot.biz.” You might also be able to get the name you want if you’re all right with hyphenating a portion of it. Thus, if “mysite.com” is taken, you might instead go with “mysite.net” or perhaps “my_site.com.” Once your name is selected and registered, you’re free to find a web host that will physically contain your pages for viewing by the public. There are literally hundreds of web hosting services with a variety of pricing schemes. Many of them will handle both the registration details and hosting, minimizing what you have to do.

In the end, getting a web site name and a hosting service are annoying administrative details, but it’s usually a one-time annoyance, and on the overall costs are nominal. If you’d like, I can help you find suitable services.

There are millions of web sites. How will mine be found?

Initially, your best strategy will come from your own efforts. You’ll want to include your web site address on your business card and other printed communications. You’ll want to tell customers who call or visit to check your web site for additional information. And, of course, you’ll want to include a link to your web site in all your e-mail correspondence.

Buzz generates buzz. Word of mouth works. Of course, you can speed the process by presenting coupons or specials on your site, thereby inducing people to visit it and see what you have to offer. You can also encourage trustworthy businesses to link to you.

But I thought search engines alone would do the trick. No?

Not all on their own, and not overnight. Sure, search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing and Ask are key players in helping web sites get discovered. They use sophisticated algorhythms to continually “crawl” the web in search of newly added sites. Different search engines employ different methods, but generally speaking they find sites — and rank those sites — by honing in on a variety of elements, including:

● Keywords and other “Meta Data”

Keywords and keyword phrases are those you believe customers would typically type into a search engine in order to find your business or profession. Those words are imbedded into the code on your site, and though they aren’t visible to visitors, the search engines sniff them out. Mind you, however, that the most-often used search engine by far — Google — officially does not pay any attention to keywords, other than those used in the paid ads that appear in the right-hand boxes on search results.

Other meta data — descriptions about your web site and page titles — are very much a part of the search engine robot process as well.

● Page Text

Many search engines pay the highest attention to the actual text that appears in your pages, especially the text in the first paragraph or two. That’s one reason why it’s so important to make sure that in your introductory text, you present the nature of your business in a succinct and clear way. It’s also important that your text include some of those same words that you believe customers would use when searching for your kind of business. The frequency of words — whether keywords in the code or words in your basic text — are like beacons to search engines.

● Links

Links to your web site are fast becoming the biggest and most important element that search engines pay attention to in ranking your site. Lots of inbound links suggest high interest. They indicate to search engines that people find you relevant. Thus, you really want inbound links. You really, really want them. The more there are, the more likely it is that customers will find you when doing a search.

None of this happens fast. And, because you’re competing with lots and lots of web sites—many of which may use the same strategies you do—there are no guarantees that once found, you’ll shoot high up on page ranking. However, over time your positioning will improve if you adhere to the basics described here, and then keep your site reasonably updated.

How much will having a web site add to my bottom line?

In the beginning, probably not a lot. Remember, you need time to get some buzz going and time for search engines to do their magic. Likewise, once your web site starts to generate some income for you—by sending more customers to your business, for instance—you won’t always know that those customers came to you because of your web site. In other words, except for storefront web sites, income is often difficult to quantify.

In my mind, an initial primary goal should be opening a new line of communication to your existing customers—those people who will email your web link to friends, drop you a line to share an opinion or ask a question—things they might not do if a web site didn’t make it so darned easy for them.

The real bottom line? Ask yourself what you hope to achieve with a web site. Presumably, you hope it will be a vehicle that drives new business your way, and over time it should indeed do that for you. But if your only goal is to generate income and see a fast return on your investment, you may be disappointed. It's true that the Internet and World Wide Web have been around for a while now. More and more people are getting connected every day. They like the immediacy of the web. They like the ease in which they can connect with businesses. They like the ability to do business from their own backyards. But the web is still an evolving medium. And it’s not a medium you can use to replace all your other strategies.

Can adding a social media effort drive people to my site, too?

Indeed it can. But like so much involved in attracting visitors to your site, it should be one strategy — not your sole strategy. And as a strategy it needs to be carefully considered and executed in a way that best works for your audience. It’s important to recognize, too, that social networking integration has to be maintained, and that takes time. Contact me if you want to chat about the potential for social media. It’s a vast subject and there’s a lot of misinformation out there.

I see a lot of video on web sites. Should I include video, too?

Absolutely! There are a variety of ways to accomplish video, which Forrester Research predicts will one day in the near future actually rank higher in search results than text pages when people are looking for information. Indeed, YouTube already is recognized as the second-largest “search engine” next to Google itself now. And, according to the February 2010 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine, “ . . . Forrester Research reports that compared with standard (search engine optimization) techniques, a properly submitted video is 50 times more likely to achieve a first-page Google ranking.”

The good news? You can add your videos to Google and make them viewable at no additional charge directly in your own web site as well.

What about using Flash on my site?

You can include Flash movies on your site. But understand that unlike other kinds of images or videos, Flash is not something that search engine robots “read” or that shows up in all mobile phones, such as the iPhone. Consider Flash for limited usage, but I urge clients not to get wowed by technologies that aren’t critical and can actually get in the way.

All of this is a little overwhelming. Where do I even start?

There’s no reason in the world that you have to do everything at once. In fact, it’s generally best to start with the basics and let things grow from there as your budget and comfort level expand. You probably didn’t bring your business to where it is today all on your launch day. Your web site doesn’t have to be any different.

The beauty of a web site is that unlike a static brochure or flyer you might hand out, you can add to your site very, very quickly, make changes, and in that process eliminate that whole feeling of being overwhelmed. I’m happy to help you figure things out based on what you need, and when.

Hey, I can’t find your prices listed. What’s up with that?

Well, when I got into this business I did list prices. Then I realized a “one size fits all” approach simply didn’t work well — not for the client and not for me. That’s because every company’s needs are very different. These days, I work one-on-one with clients to learn what they need and then either craft a flat fee for an initial web site, or work on an hourly basis. I can tell you this up front: I’m not the cheapest on the planet, nor am I the most expensive (in fact, not by a long shot.) But I also promise no one will give you better attention that I will.

Drop me a note or give a call from my contact page. Whatever suits you best. We’ll make things happen.

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