How to Start a Website & Its Costs
Starting a website begins with defining its purpose. Writers launch websites to showcase their work. Businesses create websites to sell products and services. Whatever your objective, a quality online presence can boost your business.
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Instructions
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Instructions
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Keyword searches can help in naming the website. Select a name for your website. Often this will be the name of your business. If you don't have a name, searching online for keywords related to your area of expertise may be helpful in making a decision. Find something that clearly relates to your business so that search engines will find it readily.
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Buy a domain for one year or longer. Acquire a domain name. Your domain name is the address where your website can be found. There are many online businesses that sell domain names. Each has a search engine where you can try out the name that you wish to reserve. If it is available, you can buy it for one year or longer. If it is not available, you will need to make another choice.
The cost of purchasing a domain name varies from $3.99 to $39.99 per year. Occasionally, there will be a sale where you can get a domain for as low as $1.99 per year.
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Web hosts plug you into the World Wide Web. Find a web host. Web hosts connect your website to the Internet using their servers. It is necessary to have a Web host in order to have your website accessible online.
Hosting services can be either free or paid. Free services have limited bandwidth and space. They may also include pop-up advertising. Paid services include unlimited bandwidth and storage space without unwanted advertising. You may even get your domain name for free when you sign up. Web hosting prices range from $3.99 to $14.99 per month, depending on your needs.
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Build your site. Get Web building software. The Web host you select may have Web building tools built into their product. In that case, you will not need extra software. If they don't, and you are not trained in writing HTML code, you will need to purchase software or hire a web designer to build your site for you. Cost of this software can be as low as $21.99 -- or up to $400.
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E-newsletters build your customer lists. Promoting your website is part of the cost. You have to get the word out. Much of that can be done for free through social networking. Free fan pages can be a strategic part of your advertising plan.
Online advertising and list building are effective, but they do incur a cost. Pay-per-click advertising, where you target your audience, is available for purchase. You set the parameters of how much or how little you will spend for a click. Total expenditures are capped at whatever level you choose.
Developing an email list is essential for a growing business. Offering a top-quality free newsletter or e-book will draw in readership to become a part of that list. Emailing services offer subscriptions starting at $15 per month.
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References
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