How to establish your new company web presence

5 Steps to getting your new company on the web

A big part of getting your new company off the ground is establishing a presence on the web. Even if you're not into HTML and web development, there are a few steps you can take to get started.

  1. Buy a domain: Do a search for a domain registrar. They are the people you buy your domain name from. Consider using your company name and/or maybe a keyword that a person searching for your product or service might use to find you. The domain registrar will have a tool for helping you find an available domain.
  2. Buy web hosting: Your new company website needs a place to live on the web. In other words, just like your new business needs an address, your website needs an address too. That's where a web hosting company comes into play.
  3. Design: You may or may not have the skills and resources to design your own site. If you do, great! If not, you can find a local web designer to help you with the look and feel for your site.
  4. Research: Know your market. Use market and keyword research tools to help you find keywords that people are actually using. Pay attention to the type of keywords too. For instance, someone searching for "baseball" may be looking for the latest scores, or information about the sport. Someone searching for "buy a baseball bat" is probably about ready to spend some money.
  5. Content: This is probably the toughest part for most people. The web is driven by content. Search engines rank your site in large part based on your content. Your potential customers will often decide whether or not to do business with you based on your content. Whether you do it yourself or hire someone, create fresh, engaging content. Focus on information that will be helpful and relevant to your website visitors.

Once you've established your web presence, there are a few things to keep in mind as you move forward.

  • You'll want to create a "privacy policy" and "terms of service" page fairly soon. It's a good idea to consult your attorney regarding any required legal language in your jurisdiction.
  • Social media has rapidly become a driving force of online business. Make it easy for people to share your content with links to various social networks.
  • Mobile technology is growing exponentially. As you're designing your site, ask your web developer about ways to make your site mobile friendly.