In this post, you’ll find a thumb nail sketch of the basic essentials to get you started. In later posts I’ll give you a more detailed analysis, together with recommended links for you to play with. Forewarned is forearmed in this business!
1. Setting up your own website:
If you want to sell online, whether it’s your own products, or somebody else’s affiliate products, you’ll need a store window to display your goods to maximum effect, and with maximum impact. So it must be the best you can afford. We’ve all been window shopping, and as we walk along, there are store window displays that positively jump out at you, inviting you inside, and successful store owners pay their window dressers a small fortune to tempt you inside. Then there are other stores where the display is so tacky and uninteresting, you walk on by.
Two initial steps:
Register your website, otherwise known as your domain.
Get it hosted.
Again, you will need the help of the search engines to register your domain. There are literally millions of websites out there, and many of the most popular are already taken. It is obvious common sense to choose a domain name that relates to the product you are selling. If your preferred name is already taken, many of the companies offering you a domain will suggest alternatives. They may also offer you a design facility, taken from one of a number of 'templates' stored on their system. The market leader by a mile is http://www.godaddy.com/, but big is not necessarily beautiful, so check out the competition, and take your time.
You're looking for a catchy domain name with excellent visual impact. Depending on the region or regions you are targeting with your website, the suffix is important. As a general rule, the suffix .com is the best, as it has a global appeal, so if it's available, take it.
Now I’m not in the business of promoting or endorsing any products or programs in these posts, in spite of repeated requests to do so from site owners, so you’ll have to do some research yourself. If you type website designers into your search engine, you’ll get over 24 million results!!
Lord knows how much business the twenty fourth million guy is managing to drum up! But take my advice! Don’t always ignore the guy off the first page. It’s all about advertising and paying the search engines a hefty sum to move your site up the listings and into the top 100. A quick check of the top 20 should give you a flavour of what's on offer and what to look for, but have a good browse around, check out their displays and their costs before jumping in.
2. Finally, you will need to 'host' your new website to get it out there on the internet. Again, there are thousands of hosting companies looking for your business, so check them out. Also check out if there are any hidden extras, including residual costs for maintenance and support, and if there is a minimum contract period, is there a penalty if you leave and go to another provider.
Above all, read their terms and conditions before signing up. If you don't like what you read, don't sign up.
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