1) Select your name. Even if your not ready to build you're site, it's a good idea to reserve your name before someone else does! Thousands of names are registered daily, and once its gone you will either have to pay someone a hefty fee to assume it, or pick some other name. Once the name is registered you can "park" it on a server until you are ready to build the site. You can check to see if someone is using your name by going to the internic web site.

Click on the Internic logo to search names...  

2) Register it! After you find an available name, the next step is to have me register it. Once this is done, you own that name until the day you decide not to renew it. Domains are registered yearly, or for multiple years. It is always best to have the web site designer register your name to avoid transfer fees and administrative problems.

3) Plan your site. Layout what you think you want your site to consist of and what content you wish to have displayed.   Place photos, descriptions and any other content in a folder to be reviewed with the design team.  You should visit competitors sites, and look for things you like and dislike.  Make note of those sites so we can see what you see.  We will offer ideas to help you along, but you need to have a general idea of what you want.

4) Build your site.  Once the preparation is complete we will give you a quote to design and host the project.  Once accepted you will be put on the schedule for development in the order your contract was received.   We will communicate with you regularly during the process and ask for feedback, and clarification.  Your cooperation is important to expedite the process of completing your site.  Most sites will be complete within 4 weeks.

4) Hosting - Once your name is registered, and your site is nearing completion, your pages will be moved out to a hosting service so that others can see your web site. Then, when someone types your name (www.yourcoolname.com) into a web browser, it goes to the registrar, who redirects them to the computer hosting your pages. Web hosting costs vary based on content and the size of the site.

5) Web site management and updating - This is the process of updating your site, and making periodic changes and moving them to the site that is hosting your stuff. Pages are edited offline using the program they were created on, and then transferred to the host site using a utility program called ftp. You can pay for maintenance by the hour, or take out a maintenance contract to lower the cost of doing regular updates.

6) Promotion & Marketing. It doesn't do any good to have a site if nobody can find you! The last step once your site is finished is to register it with as many search engines as possible, and start to look for links from other sites. This is usually best left to the webmaster, but can be tackled by yourself if you have a lot of time and patience. We use commercial submission software and that helps get you listed in shorter periods of time.  Once the site is complete you want to make it know in every way possible by including your web address in your promotional pieces, advertising, business cards, etc.  People need to see the address over and over again...