ADVICE_STARTING OUT

How to set up your web site

Part one: Why you probably need a web site, what it will cost and who should run it

Marc Holt

If your company doesn't already have a web site, or even if you do, this article is written to help you. We will discuss the reasons for setting up a web site, the costs involved, how to select a webmaster, where to host your web site, and much more.

And for those of you who already have a web site, you will learn what to expect from your web site and your webmaster. Is the site designed effectively? Does your webmaster have the right qualifications? Is she/he helping you promote your site properly? Are you getting value for your money? How do you conduct e-commerce?

Before we start, let me introduce myself. I have been in the computer business in Thailand since it began almost 20 years ago. During that time I have sold hardware, written software, consulted to local and international companies on computer problems, and even written a column for Database.

Three years ago I started an Internet company. Since then I have created web sites for local and international clients, set up e-commerce web sites, hosted web sites on virtual servers and helped my clients promote them. I am a member of several professional associations, including the HTML Writers Guild and the Link Exchange Digest (a webmasters discussion group). Through these organisations I keep up with the latest web site marketing trends and Internet technology. It is an ongoing process.

The Internet has grown in the last three years at an incredible rate. When I started my business there were less than 50 million people connected to the Internet. That has more than tripled today. The Internet is growing fast and is incredibly useful to companies and organisations that want to tell people about their activities.

The Internet has almost made faxes obsolete, and probably will in the near future. Instead of a fax machine many companies now use a scanner to send documents through the Internet for the cost of a local phone call to their clients overseas or around the corner.

You can call home from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection for the price of a local call. It is even possible to set up a video connection so that you can see the person you are talking to. All you need is a small video camera plugged into your computer. The Internet is revolutionising the communications industry and the way we do business.

Do you want to find out the latest weather in London, stock prices in New York, how to buy copies of ancient Inca pottery from Peru? Or buy the latest Thai music using a credit card, even if you live in Russia? It's all on the Net.

The Internet is changing the way companies do business. Many local companies are going global, selling to customers all over the world. Size doesn't matter any more. One person, a computer and a modem can achieve the same results as a huge corporation.

Knowing how to cash in on this bonanza is more difficult. You need to know what you are doing and how to achieve success. Like any other business, you can succeed or fail on the Internet. To succeed, you need to set your goals, plan your objectives, and put time, effort and money into it. Like any other business, if you can't do it yourself you should hire a professional.

DO YOU NEED A WEB SITE?

If you sell noodles on the street, the answer is "No". But if you have a company that sells a product or service and you want people to buy it, you do need a web site. Your competitors surely have one and they are already reaping the benefits and profits from it.

Your company probably already has a beautifully-printed four-colour brochure. Think of a web site as an extension of your colour brochure. But instead of reaching a very limited audience within your immediate business area, a web site can reach anyone connected to the Internet anywhere in the world 24 hours a day. It's like having a salesperson who never sleeps.

It doesn't matter if your product only sells in your local area and is not suitable for export. You still need a web site. Instead of giving out brochures, if you visit a potential client, you can simply tell them: "Log into our web site to learn more about us." They will be impressed that you are using the latest technology and will have a more positive attitude towards your company.

A printed brochure can quickly go out of date as business conditions change. But you can change your web site whenever you need to for a fraction of the cost of a new brochure print run. And you can use your web site to run promotions, tell people about new developments in your business, display a newsletter, sell online, and so on. A web site is a perfect way to keep potential and current customers up to date on your company activities.

WHAT DOES A WEB SITE COST?

The answer to this question is "surprisingly little". Web site production costs vary, depending on the webmaster you hire to do the job. But on average, it will cost between 20,000 to 50,000 baht to create an entry level web site. Compare that to the cost of an advertising campaign on TV, newspaper or magazine and it is a very low cost indeed.

Webmasters use a wide variety of billing systems. Some charge by the page or for their time. Some specify a maximum number of graphics per page, others don't. Or they may quote you a project cost. Before you decide on a webmaster get quotations from at least two or three and compare. And remember that the cheapest may not necessarily be the best. Look at their qualifications too.

Then your monthly costs will depend on a few factors, including the cost of the virtual server service you use. (A virtual server is a computer, or hard disk space, that is shared by many web sites.) You will need to include the maintenance fee you negotiate with your webmaster; e-commerce costs; web site promotion costs.

You will need a domain name, which consists of a "name.type", like this: holtww.com. You can buy a domain name from the InterNIC organisation which is the official body that assigns them. It costs $US75 for the first 2 years. More about this soon.

CHOOSING A WEBMASTER

It is surprisingly easy to learn HTML (the language used to make a web site), and you may be tempted to "do it yourself". If you are only going to build a very simple site of one or two pages and don't care what visitors will say about it, go ahead. Otherwise, leave the job to a professional and concentrate on doing your business. It takes time and effort to design a web site, and only a professional will have all the necessary skills to make it a success.

Creating a web site should be a partnership between you and your webmaster. The webmaster you choose should be knowledgeable about page layout, graphic design, HTML language, web marketing techniques, search engine registration, and how the Internet works.

Look for webmasters with experience and a portfolio of web sites they have already made. Compare the work and qualifications of at least two or three webmasters. Ask these questions:

1. What professional associations are they a member of? Check the associations to see what they do for their members.

2. What discussion groups do they subscribe to, and how active are they? The answer to this question will tell you whether they keep up with the latest technical information.

3. Do they have a web site creation contract that spells out clearly the terms and conditions you will both work under to achieve a web site? The contract should clearly lay out what each partner is responsible for.

4. How will they help you promote your web site once it is written? Do they know how to write the HTML code to increase your chances of being listed high in search engine results? How often will they promote your web site? They should do this at least once every two months. Do they promote to web site indexes? How many?

5. Can they offer you other marketing ideas?

6. Is the webmaster easy to work with? This is perhaps the most important question. If you can't get along with your webmaster, you will not be able to work together to create a winning web site. But this doesn't mean you should hire your wife's brother because he is a nice guy and needs the money. You should choose a webmaster for their professional skills, and then consider whether you can work together.

The true value of hiring a professional is that you get an effective and efficient result.