Creating company Web sites

Every day, people turn to the Internet for business and personal information. The Internet has become such a commonly used resource, it often is more efficient and informative than any other information source.

Because of the Internet's popularity, an online presence has become increasingly important for small businesses. A Web site is a dynamic medium that relays information about your company, services and products and can be changed instantly unlike traditional printed brochures and marketing pieces.

According to a National Federation of Independent Business' poll about the use and value of Web sites, about 57 percent of small-business owners use the Internet to conduct business.

If you have not already developed a Web site for your company, consider doing so. If you already have a Web site, it may be time to refresh its design and content. The following information will help you determine how to design or redesign your company's Web site.

Preliminary steps

There are several factors to consider when developing your company's Web site, including your budget, message, audience and goals.

Begin by setting a budget. For example, a business can spend anywhere from $500 to $5,000 or more developing a Web site. The cost will depend on the Web site's size and whether the site will be developed in-house or outsourced to a professional design firm.

A Web site designed in-house may be less expensive than one developed by a professional design firm, but its quality may suffer. Consider the amount of time it will take to design a Web site, and be sure to factor that into the cost. In-house development may take longer to produce and involve indirect costs, such as training and employee time and wages. However, content changes may be faster and easier to implement in-house after a site is complete.

A design firm may be more costly but will provide a professional design and technical expertise. Also, a design firm may produce a site quickly because of its experience and skill.

To determine your Web site's message and intended audience, focus on a specific goal without combining too many messages. For example, if your message is that your company is a low-cost provider of primarily reroofing services, don't waste space on your Web site discussing new construction. Also, keep your Web-site design consistent with your company's current image by basing it on the design of your company's printed marketing pieces, letterhead and business cards. A Web site should be an extension of your image—don't reinvent your company.

Before beginning the Web-site design process, browse other sites for ideas. Make a wish list of every feature you like, as well as note details and design elements you dislike. Even if a feature will not be implemented immediately, it will be helpful to establish it as an ultimate goal before a design is finalized.

For example, if you intend to add a photo gallery to your Web site after its launch, incorporate it in your directory structure and ensure there is enough space for the files to be added. Also, develop the navigation so a link can be added without disrupting your page design.

Do it yourself

Web-site development successfully can be accomplished in-house, but doing so requires someone at your company to have a strong working knowledge of computers.

Assuming someone at your company is comfortable with computer programs, assemble a team of employees to gather ideas. Meet with everyone who will be involved with developing the site, and find out what they want to include. Also, ask them to visit other Web sites for ideas. After you gather information, sort through it and define the project.

Begin by locating a Web-hosting service for your Web site. A host provides a server, which will store your Web site's files. If you already have Internet service, start by contacting your Internet service provider (ISP). Often, a basic Internet package includes a designated amount of server space for Web pages. If your ISP does not include Web hosting, it usually is available for about $10 to $50 per month. Web hosting also is available through Web sites such as www.hostindex.com and www.tophosts.com.

If you don't have an ISP, call your local telephone company to find out what types of services it offers. You also can visit www.thelist.com to search for ISPs within your area code.

Next, choose a domain name, which will be the name of your site. A domain name should be short and reflect your company's purpose and image. For example, NRCA's domain name is www.nrca.net. You can check a name's availability and purchase it through Web sites such as www.register.com and www.networksolutions.com. Domain names cost about $30 per year.

Once you have a Web-hosting service and domain name, you can begin to build your Web site. There are several Web-authoring software packages available, such as Microsoft® Word, FrontPage, GoLive, Homesite and Dreamweaver. Choose software that you are comfortable with—it should be easy to learn and use. Typically, software ranges in price from $100 to $200.

Once your site is complete, ask nonemployees and employees outside the development team to test the features and links. Ask the group to view the entire site and provide feedback about the site's design and usability. Their reactions will be a good indication of how your site will be received by visitors.

After the final changes have been made, you are ready to launch and promote your Web site. An easy way to promote a Web site is to add its address to your business cards, letterhead and truck signs—anywhere your company name and logo appear. You also can send promotional mailings announcing the launch and explaining features of your site. Be sure to submit your Web site to major search engines (www.yahoo.com, www.lycos.com, etc.) and ask organizations with which you are affiliated, such as NRCA, to exchange Web links. To register your Web site on a search engine, visit the search engine's Web site and follow the instructions.

You also will want to develop a mechanism for tracking how many users visit your Web site. You can track Web-site usage by contacting your ISP to receive a log of your site's activity. Usually, this service is available at no charge or for a small fee. An alternative is to register your site with a service, such as www.gostats.com or www.indextools.com.

In addition to developing a Web site, you may want to consider developing an intranet, which is a private Web site used within a company to disseminate information and centrally store files. Intranets are not accessible from computers outside a company's network and are particularly useful to companies with offices in different locations or employees who travel frequently. Many companies use intranets to post news, travel calendars, company policies and shared files.

Outsourcing

If you decide to outsource your Web-site design, a good place to ask for information is the company that produces your print materials. It may offer Web-site development services or recommend a good design firm.

In addition, you can ask other local business owners for recommendations, as well as contact the designers of Web sites you like. Some Web sites have links to their designers; you also can contact a Web site's owner for designer information.

Before you interview design firms, develop a clear idea of your goals for the Web site. Be prepared to give a design firm a budget, as well as information about the types of pages you want to include. A design firm cannot give you a time frame or cost estimate unless you know what type of Web site you want.

When you research a design firm, ask to see portfolio samples and visit Web sites the firm produced to get an idea of its quality. It also is important to look at the design firm's Web site. Is it professional in appearance? Do the links work properly? Is it easy to navigate? A design firm's site should demonstrate its creativity and technical capabilities.

Also, request a list of references. When you call the references, ask the following questions: Was the firm easy to work with? Did it deliver on time and on budget? What problems occurred? Was the end result satisfactory?

Once you have narrowed your choices to a few design firms, ask for written proposals. The proposals clearly should define the work involved, time frame and cost estimate. Also, they should outline the firm's policy for any changes to the original proposal. If a firm cannot provide a written proposal, hidden costs can arise and inflate the original estimate.

There are some cost issues to note. Because a design firm can help you secure a domain name and host or locate a Web host for your site, there may be extra charges. Be sure to ask how a firm handles search-engine registration.

Also, you will need to ask how a firm handles content changes. Usually, a design firm will offer to handle small changes to text and images for a retainer fee. This option is good for minor, infrequent changes to your Web site. Alternatively, a design firm can build a Web-site administrative tool to allow changes to be made by your company. This option is good if you plan to update your site regularly.

After you hire a design firm, agree on a realistic time frame for completion of the site. Set up a schedule for approving steps of a Web site's construction, and designate one person from your company to communicate with the design firm. Be prepared to deliver information and respond to the design firm in a timely fashion to maintain the scheduled time frame.

Once a schedule and contact information have been determined, most design firms will gather information about a company's ideas for its Web site with a questionnaire or interview. A firm may ask for a list of pages that need to be created, information about logos, color, fonts and graphics, and keywords that sum up feelings the site should evoke.

After you approve the proposal, the design firm will submit a preliminary Web-site design. It is important to work out the site's functionality and appearance at this point. Additions and changes are relatively easy and inexpensive at this stage of development.

The next step is to provide content. It is to your benefit to deliver as much text and graphics in an electronic format as possible. The less work a design firm has to do, such as retyping text and scanning graphics, the fewer billable hours will result.

After a design firm has all your content, logos and graphics, you will be asked to review and approve the final layout, format and design. Upon your approval, the design firm will post the final version of your Web site.

Improvements

Whether your Web site was designed in-house or outsourced, there always are changes you can make to improve it. Consider redesigning your Web site every two years. If frequent redesigns are not feasible for your company, it is crucial you maintain your site with up-to-date information and links.

Try to keep your site's content fresh by providing current information about your company's services and product offerings. In addition, make sure staff listings, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and mailing addresses are up-to-date. Test your site frequently to verify that links to other Web sites work properly.

In addition, significant changes can be made to the layout without altering content; such changes involve adding a new header, footer and navigation design. This will make over your Web site without the work required to start development from scratch.

A company benefit

The value of a company Web site can be difficult to measure—often, it indirectly may increase profits. Consumers increasingly are turning to the Internet to find information, services and products, making an online presence invaluable.

Paul Apostolos is NRCA's director of Internet development and network administration, and Laura Lewis is NRCA's manager of Web-site development. Both can offer Web-site design services and guidance. For more information about NRCA's Web-site design services, contact Apostolos at papostolos@nrca.net or (800) 323-9545, Ext. 226, or Lewis at llewis@nrca.net or (800) 323-9545, Ext. 260.