10 Tips For Getting A Website Designed, Developed And Optimized

Here are some tips for all those business owners out there entering into the wonderful world of websites for the first time. I had to learn a lot of this myself the hard way! I became well versed in the vernacular and in the end was able to make some really smart choices with regard to my new website. I abandoned my old site and walked away from eight months and nearly two thousand dollars because of the mistakes I made choosing an unethical web designer who registered my domain in her name then later held my site hostage because she wanted more money for work I had never ordered in the first place. Please note that this person came highly recommended and had over 100 clients! I was in a rush though and didn’t do my homework or trust my instincts!

1. Purchase your own domain (url), Go Daddy http://www.godaddy.com/ is a great site for this purpose, very easy to navigate. You can hire your web expert before you purchase your domain, but please ensure that you are the one purchasing your domain as there are unethical web designers out there who will take your money, purchase the domain and register it in their own name instead of yours, which makes it impossible to stop them from either refusing to relinquish the site to you if you decide to go elsewhere or selling the domain to the highest bidder. A reputable firm will often offer help with regard to helping you choose a good domain name, especially if you are also using them to optimize your site.

2. When choosing a domain name, be aware that this is a great opportunity to help yourself in terms of search engine optimization (SEO). Choose something simple like your business name, or geographic location combined with whatever service it is that you offer on your site, example:
www. newyork webdesign, etc.

3. When choosing your web designer/developer, you can do your own Google searches using a combination of phrases that include what you are looking for and your geographic area such as web design Vancouver, Vancouver web design, SEO New York, New York SEO and see which companies consistently get first page ranking in the top five or so spots. This way you know that they are on the ball with regard to the latest SEO techniques. If a company can’t keep themselves near the top, how are they going to do it for you?

4. Interview those top designers and developers in person if you can, check out their portfolios. You can also get referrals from colleagues and friends if you like, but in the end always go with your own preferences. You can learn a lot during the interview process and many reputable companies offer a free one hour consultation. Interviewing someone in person gives you a better read on whether or not this is a good fit for you. Remember that there is a wide range of styles and prices out there! A simple site that is easy for your customers to navigate and well optimized for the search engines is better than a complex site with lots of fancy flash media and background music. You can always develop a more complex site later on.

5. Once you decide on a designer/developer; get a signed contract with well outlined specific details and firm deadlines. Lots of excuses, missed deadlines and lack of communication/misunderstandings are huge red flags that this may not be the right fit for you.

6. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay upfront, this is a recipe for disaster, a 10% deposit is all that I would pay, if that. A signed contract is enough for most people.

7. In my personal opinion, hiring the same company to do the design as well as the SEO is a good idea, because then the site can be built properly from the beginning and you won’t have to pay extra for an SEO expert to correct any coding errors or content issues.

8. Be aware that SEO is an ongoing process and that it requires constant attention, therefore you will probably have to dedicate a certain amount of money each month/year to maintaining your site appropriately.

9. Make certain that you are taught how to properly manage your site and make appropriate changes so that you can do your own updating without negatively affecting the SEO. Remember that search engines like Google love fresh content. A great way to do that is by having a Blog embedded into your site. Some people prefer to pay their web masters to manage those changes, which is fine, just be aware that you will have to pay, probably an hourly rate, and the changes may or may not be made in a timely fashion.

10. A good company will also be able to set you up with hosting your site. Some companies offer to host for you. My preference is a separate hosting company that you have direct access to, so that in the event you decide to take your site elsewhere for whatever reason, you can do so without conflict. Keep in mind that if you have paid for and registered your domain in your name, paid for the design, paid for SEO, hosting etc. it is your legal property, protect it the same way you would anything else that you value and into which you have invested time and money.

By: Hypnoalison

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Alison L. Longley is a Master of Clinical Hypnotherapy, certified practitioner of NLP, PSYCH-K, Heart Resonance Energy Therapy and HypnoBirthing prenatal education. Alison specializes in treating women children and teens with an emphasis on anxiety, infertility and childbirth. Visit her website at www.hypnotherapy-vancouver.ca