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Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to get started?
The process of getting a website up and running with TheSiteProfessional.com occurs in just eight easy steps:
1. Select and Register a Domain Name (also known as a URL or web address)
2. Choose a design
When it comes to design we offer two main options:
a) If keeping costs down is key, we have a wide range of templates which will save you time and money in the design process. Simply select one you like, provide feedback on any changes to colours or design you require and we can modify from there.
b) We can create a custom design websites from scratch, always with strong consideration to functionality and marketing given in the process. The website design will be prepared with your branding in mind and we will ensure it is developed W3C compliant css/xhtml templates. You will of course get to approve the design prior to moving on to further steps.
Either way, generally this process takes around 1 week.
3. Integration
Once you are happy with the design we are ready to integrate it with the selected website system. Which system your design is integrated with will depend on which website and hosting package you have gone for. If you are one of our more sophisticated content management systems, the integration of the design will include the setup of dynamic menus thorough quality checks on cross browser compliance and functionality. Generally this process takes around 1 week.
4. Upload content
To minimize costs, many of our clients prefer to write and supply their own content (i.e. copy and images) as after all, they know their business best. We are however very happy to assist with copy writing and editing services where required.
The number of pages of supplied content and images we will upload in this phase will depend on what has been signed off on in the estimate, however if you have opted for a fully integrated content management system, you will have the ability to add an unlimited amount of pages thereafter. Similarly when it comes to the sourcing of suitable images, you may like to supply images of your products, staff, premises etc. which you already have on file; or we can certainly assist with arranging photo shoots or sourcing royalty and copyright free stock photography from a range of sources. We pride ourselves on being able to source images which are not already 'seen everywhere'.
5. Optimize your website
Simply placing a site online in today's highly competitive web environment with no site optimization in place is like opening a shop with no signage and no promotions. The process of making your site visible to spiders and search engines is called search engine optimization, or simply SEO. Some of our website packages include us performing keyword research on our professional paid software and applying on page search engine optimization (i.e. meta data, page tags, keyword density, alt tags, etc.) to a specified number of pages. Further optimisation i.e. of further pages or off page optimization is available at additional charges and is highly recommended for your website's performance.
6. Training
On most of our content management system package websites we include one hour training in the use of the system which can be performed via phone, web cam or where available, in person. At this training we will also equip you with a manual. You are then free to make any 'last minute changes' you may require i.e. add new pages, spelling, grammar, contact details, and familiarize yourself with your new website system. Once you have given it 'the once over' and have given us 'the nod' or approval that you wish to go live, we'll swing into action and get you live!
7. Going live
There are a number of going live procedures which we will action to ensure your website has the best possible chance of performing well from the outset. These include setting your site up with Google Webmaster tools, verifying the site, submitting a site map to Google, submitting your website to the 'Big 5' search engines, setting up Google Analytics and scheduling you to receive monthly reports on your websites performance. At this point we will also set up e-mail addresses which are required.
How much does it cost to create my website?
As with almost anything, there is free and there's fee. I personally have had nightmares with the free web hosts because they can't guarantee stability and longevity for your site. Plus, search engines like Google tend to ignore them. If you plan on creating a site that lasts, I strongly recommend registering your own domain name instead of using the free web hosters. These days, the prices are so reasonable, it's definitely worth spending a few bucks.
There are two costs associated with building and maintaining a website:
1) The domain name (a yearly fee)
2) Web hosting (a monthly fee)
The price will vary depending on how far in advance you pay for your site. Generally if you pay for domain names years in advance (instead of year by year) you'll get a better deal.
The same goes with hosting. TheSiteProfessional.com will give you a better deal if you pay six months in advance for example versus one month at a time.
What is a "web host" and do I need one?
In addition to a domain name, you need a web host. A web host such as TheSiteProfessional.com provides the support for building your web site. Every web site needs to be hosted somewhere. The hoster gives you a certain amount of space for all of your web pages, provides email addresses and other features you may need to build your site.
How do I advertise my site?
There are many ways to advertise your site, but the most effective way is "word of mouth." It's free and if people can recommend your site that makes it even more credible. The more useful and unique you can make your site, the more others will want to bookmark and tell others about it. The biggest mistake people make when building their sites is lack of content. If your site is for information purposes and you want to reel in the traffic, then you need to start out with at least 30 pages of content and plan to keep building. Give people a reason to return.
Search Engines
The search engines are another great place to promote your site and some of them are still free (Google, for example). Find people with sites similar to yours and ask for a link exchange. That just means, they put a link on their site to yours in return for a link on your site to theirs.
Keep in mind it's most beneficial to link up with sites that have similar content. If your site is about jewelry, it won't do you much good to link up to a site that is about soccer.
How do I get my site listed with the major search engines
These days, the keys to getting your site listed and ranked high with the popular engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing is all about links. You want to get other sites that are related to your theme to link back to you using the keywords you are targeting.
For example, if your site is about bowling balls, you will want to get links from other bowling related sites. That's why putting out quality content and networking is so very important.
This helps provide a "vote" for your site and the search engines start to see that your site must be worthy of a good rank if other people are linking to it using certain
Learn more about getting listed in Google, Bing and more.
Social Media
Places like Facebook, Twitter and more have become very popular places for people to promote their websites.
Forums
Locate forums in your niche by searching for [your niche + forums]. Build a reputation by helping others in the forum. Most forums allow you to add a sig file to your posts to subtly promote your site. I used forums to build my brand when I first started.
Guest Blogging
This is where you write a guest post for someone else's blog. Look for related blogs and seek out opportunities by contacting the owner. Most blogs that accept guest posts have a link to their submission for or info on how to submit.
YouTube
YouTube is my favorite traffic generation method. It's a great way to build credibility and a personality for your brand. Create useful videos about topics in your niche and promote your site in the description or in the video.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn