The first question
people always ask is, "How does one 'start' a website?"
Below, you will
see each step explained in detail. If you want any of these steps taken care
of for you, we'll be happy to do it! Just give us a call at 626-446-4448 or
1) You need
a domain name.
When someone tells you to "visit my website at www.EmeraldCat.com"
the "emeraldcat.com" part of that sentence is their domain
name. You've seen them end with a .com, .net, .org as well as other
extensions. You will need one of these so that people can find your
site. Try to pick something easy to remember - for you and for others.
It has to be original, however.
We can help you register your domain name for $10 per year. Click here for more info.
2) You need
a hosting service.
This is the company that will keep your website on their computers for
you. These special web computers are called web servers. The price for
a hosting service can vary greatly. If you have a very simple site,
it can cost as little as a few dollars a month. If you have a site which
has a lot of graphics or images, or if your site is an "e-commerce" site (i.e., people will be purchasing things from you online), it can
cost much more. Generally, you're looking at range between $5 per month
(with many advertising banners you have no control over) up to $500
per month or more for a fully-functional, real-time merchant site (like Amazon.com).
The average site only costs about $15 per month to host. If you want certain
bells and whistles (like chat features, visitor tracking, etc.) this
can sometimes add to the monthly cost of your site.
Web hosting is available through Emerald Cat Web Design. Click here for more info.
3) Now you need
a site!
This (at least as far as we are concerned) is the fun part! Whether or not you have an idea of what you want your site to look like,
you might want to start things off with Emerald Cat's free consultation.
At this consultation, we will discuss fundamental site elements such
as:
The general
feel you want for your site. Do you want it to be fun? Professional?
Classic? Artistic?
Try think about
what the purpose of your site should be. Will it be merely informational?
Will you have photos? Do you want to explain something to people?
Provide a service?
What colors
do you want on your site (for instance, this can be based on the colors
of a logo)
If you already
have a site, what do you want changed?
Then, based on
this consultation, we will guide you to which of the Emerald Cat packages best fits your needs.
4) The final
product.
With Emerald Cat Web Design, you will be encouraged to contribute your thoughts and ideas to the site
as it begins to take shape. If you don't like the direction it is going,
just say so. This is YOUR site! It should be an accurate reflection
of you and your business.
5) Promote your
website.
If your site is for a business purpose, you may wish to submit your
site to the search engines - that is, Google, Yahoo, Alta Vista, etc..
You may also want to advertise on other sites via banners or link exchange.
There are several different ways to promote your site which can be
presented during the initial consultation if you are interested.
6) Maintenance.
Once your site is complete, it is likely that you will want to update
it now and then - especially if you are presenting information that
changes daily, weekly or monthly. You can make updates yourself, or we can do them for you.
7) Pricing.
Please see our available design & development packages.
We look forward
to creating your website with you!
