I can't figure out people who have products or information to sell who do not have a website. With some people, it's fear of technology; others just haven't realized that we've entered the electronic age. If you are not in the latter category, and you are reading this article, put up your website today -- it will take you about an hour!
To get started, you need a domain name. This is the dot com address people will go to, when they want to see your site. Now, I don't represent any particular company, so this is not an advertisement for domain sellers and web hosts, but I use Register.com. You can go there, or to others like them, see if your desired name is available, register it for as little as $19.99 per year, and begin building your site -- all in minutes.
Once you've registered your domain name, you'll be directed back to the host and given numerous options. Now, if you want to save money, and you don't require a lot of bells and whistles, just choose the option that allows you to set up the site yourself and pay the minimum hosting fee, usually around $4.95 per month. At Register.com, this option is called Website Now.
When you click on Website Now, you'll be directed to a blank page and options on the left, such as Choose a Template and Edit Your Site. Click this option. From here the site will walk you through some very basic options, like choosing a background (there are many nice ones, depending on the type of business or service you have), writing a headline or title for your site, and adding text and graphics. If you have pictures you wish to add, and they are in a file on your computer, you'll be given a Browse option. You click this, find your file, click on it, and it will appear. Then you'll be given the opportunity to add a caption and change the size.
You can also add e-mail links or links to other websites.
It's all quite simple, and the site host page walks you through all of it. When you're finished, you click a link on the left called, Publish Your Website. Click this link, and your new advertising power tool will be active in cyberspace for all to see.
Now, you just need to get people there. Learn how to write some articles, and submit them to a site like this one, with a link to your site. This is a great place to begin.
Mark Barnes is the author of the new novel, The League, the first work of fiction, based on fantasy football. He is also an investment real estate and home loan finance expert. Learn more about his suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com