Page 151 - 597 Business Ideas You can Start from Home - doing what you LOVE! (Beginner Internet Marketing Series)

Step 7. Learn Ma rketing 1 01 1 43

as design-that kind of one-stop shopping is a great option for a
novice. Your web designer will need the information you receive
when you register the domain (which explains how they point your
domain address to their server).

Web hosting costs vary depending on the type and complexity
of the website. For a very basic website , the monthly fee can range
from $lO to $30. If all you need is a "static" website with no shopping

cart, hosting companies such as HostGator (www.hostgator.com) and
Server Intellect (www.serverintellect.com) are two well-known com­

panies that are on the less expensive side and customer friendly.
When you're thinking about your site design, discuss the follow­

ing variables with your web designer:

• Your overall vision about how the website will look.
• How many pages you think you want on your website (e.g., a

homepage, contact us page , about us page , products pages).
• Your goals (e.g., mainly selling product). What you want the visi-

tor to do or receive from your website.
• Discuss your budget .
• Discuss time frame.
• Discuss e-commerce and search engine optimization (in Step 8).

The bottom line is that you want to have an interesting, easy-to­
use, professional website that is user-friendly and represents your
product and company well.

Add E-Commerce Capabilities

E-commerce refers to the act of selling product on your website.
If you will be selling online, have your web designer build your site
to accommodate e-commerce functions. E-commerce can be very
beneficial to your bottom line. There is nothing like waking up in
the morning and seeing an order from someone in Australia or Tai­
wan. You can make money while you are sleeping or on vacation!
Even on a shoestring budget, you can still have a very decent-looking,