OnlineAllstar.com - Creating Websites

If you are setting up a website to start your first online business or expanding the presence of a traditional brick and mortar business this guide will show you how to create an inexpensive website to start making money online:

Selecting a Domain Name

A domain name is divided into three parts. The URL (uniform resource locater) or http//www, the second part is a name you choose such as onlineallstar and the third is the extension such as .com, .net, .org, .info, .us or .biz. The extension is used to signify what type of site it is such as .org for a non-profit or .gov for a government site but this doesn't always hold true.

Try to keep the domain name as short as possible. Shorter names are easier to remember than long ones. This may take some time as many of the best .com and .net domain names are taken. Also try to create a name that is easy for people to remember. If people can't remember your domain name it will be difficult to get repeat traffic.

There is some debate about between choosing a unique name or one that reflects your business. I recommend choosing a name that reflects your business. An example of this would be "Youronlinebusiness.com" or "Buyflowers.com."

Sites such as GoDaddy.com and Amazon.com have spent lots of money making their brands recognizable to the public. Most of us do not have the resources to accomplish this task.

Below is a list of places to get your domain name registered.

Selecting a Host for your website

A Web-hosting service provides the server on which your online business site will be located and accessed.
Some things that need consideration are rates, storage space needed, special software provided, backup and secure services for transactions. Many of the services provided by web-hosting services are similar but pricing can vary.

Below is a list of web-hosting service providers. This site uses Host Gator. It has inexpensive hosting options, is easy to use, provides web traffic reports, site templates, and exceptional customer support.

Planning and creating your site

Take time to surf the Internet and discover what you think looks good and what website features you think are best. Although you have the option of hiring a professional website designer there are many low cost software packages and turnkey solutions available. No matter which option you choose creating great content will take some time.

Remember to keep your site simple, easy to read, visually appealing and error free. Consider using pre-made graphics, blog, and website design templates when first starting out.

Generating Revenue for your Site

Whether you're expanding your "brick and mortar" business to the Internet or creating an online business there are several options to generate income for your website. These include taking online orders for your product or service, selling memberships, affiliate marketing, selling online advertising space, sponsored reviews and Google Adsense.

Accepting payments by credit card or PayPal is a must for anyone operating an e-commerce site.

Another way to generate income is charging a membership fee for access to information or material that is not readily available. Some examples of this are online news papers and magazines.

Below is a list of income producing opportunities you should consider adding to your website.

Promoting your Internet business

When promoting your website it is important not to overlook search engine optimization or SEO.
SEO is a method for ranking your website naturally in search engines by utilizing key words throughout your site.

Start by writing titles for each page that have descriptive words you want people to use when searching for your website. Also put the key words in the introduction to the page content.

In addition to SEO submit your site to specialized directories, write articles and become part of the social community. Web directories list websites by category rather than key words. They are important to providing links to your site so major search engines will list your website higher in search results. There are thousands of directories to choose from so below is a list of the top ranked directories you can submit to.

Write helpful articles that other site users will put on their website and include a link back to your site.