You Can Launch Your Very Own Website in 5 Steps

You may be at the point where you want to begin your own website. If so, here’s a list of what you should do.

First, purchase a domain name. Please, before you do this, follow these simple rules to find a suitable name:

The domain name should end with a .com.

Easy to spell.

Easily understood when spoken over the phone or in person.

No dashes or numeric characters.

Try to include alliteration or other elements to make it memorable.

Descriptive of what you are offering.

Now here are a few exceptions. If you are starting a personal blog (and by personal, it may be business oriented but it belongs to you), then it’s perfectly acceptable to use your name even if it’s not easy to spell.

Another of the criteria which is not a hard and fast rule is the “descriptive name” rule. Though that generally makes the most sense, many successful sites have broken that rule. The most important consideration is to put yourself in the prospect’s shoes and what motivates him or her.

Your second step is to find a good web host and sign up for a hosting plan. Ask your colleagues who they recommend. There are also online forums which devote considerable space to the question of which web host is the best.

Third, build your site. You will need to decide if you want the traditional “static” type site or if you want the newer blog format.

The fourth step is to put up content on your site. If you selected a blog format for your site, you will be pleased at how simple this step is.

Fifth, you will want to set up a schedule and program for promoting your site. After all, what good is having a website if no one knows about it? Some ways you can promote your site include article marketing, video marketing, viral friend scripts, press releases, forum marketing, and blog commenting.

Putting up a website can be quite taxing but can also reward you in more ways than you might realize.