There's a lot of pressure on businesses
and consumers to get online and get
there quickly. You see other people
setting up shop on the World Wide Web,
and often hear that you must be online
in order to survive. But many small-medium
enterprises (SMEs) and Ministries are
at a loss as to where to start. They
don't know how to create an online presence,
they don't know if the investment will
pay off, and they often don't have much
money available for experimenting. EMWD
has you - the SME and Ministry - at
the core focus of our business model.
We want to hold your hand from the initial
process of understanding "What
is a web site, "Why
do I need a web site,." "What
is a Domain Name," and "What
can a Web site do for me" to
the development of your online presence
to the launch, hosting and maintenance
of your web site. Once we answer those
4 simple questions for you, we need
to help you understand what hosting
platforms are available to you and which
makes the most sense to achieving your
particular objective. First lets start
by posing these simple questions and
providing a detailed answer for each:
1. What is a Web site?
In general, a web site is a place or
a "domain" on the Internet
that can be used to display your ideas,
products, services or anything you want
the entire world to see. Your web site
is only one area sector of a global
network of computers, users and content
that connect people around from around
the world seamlessly 24 hours a day,
7 days a week. With a website, you will
be able to have any information you
choose presented to any and every user
of the World Wide Web.
2. Why do I need a Web site?
A website is a necessity in today's
technological society. Millions of new
users are connecting to the Internet
from any part of the world at any time.
People use the Web to do almost everything,
including banking, shopping, and researching.
Not only is it quick, convenient and
easy, but it is always a changing environment.
Newly updated sites always appear and
there are always new things to explore
on the Internet because of its comprehensiveness.
A website is like a phone number, it
is the first place people look before
they do business with your company.
If they don't find you, they will then
find your competitors. A website could
present vital company information to
the prospective client. Almost everyone
can be a competitor now, whether you
are a multi-million dollar company or
a startup with a revolutionary idea,
visitors will base their judgment on
the design of your website. Thus, there
are wonderful opportunities on the Internet.
3. What is a Domain Name?
A domain name is an address on the
Internet. It is the name people will
remember when they want to go to your
site. Like an address of someone's physical
business, a domain name allows you to
easily visit his or her location on
the Internet. The best domain names
to select are those that are easy to
memorize, simple, and great sounding.
Great domain names help contribute to
increased site visitors and return rates
of visitors.
4. What can a Web site do for
me?
A website is a presentation tool used
by many people for a variety of useful
tasks including:
- Providing support to your clients
by providing online chat support or
online documentation.
- Providing press releases about your
company. The first place people usually
expect that information (especially
shareholders) would be from the company's
website.
- Selling products online to people
around the world at any time of day.
This can help increase your name recognition,
while at the same time increasing
sales with low overhead.
- Receiving feedback and comments
from your users. The easiest way for
people to submit comments is through
a website. No paper or postage is
necessary.
- To teach people over the Internet.
The Internet is a great educational
tool, allowing students to retrieve
the latest information on their subjects
of study. Students can work at their
own pace and attend classes at any
time with ease.
- To have a centrally located place
for making announcements and posting
relevent information for your employees,
clients, and congregations.
Now that you have made a determination
on why you need a web site, you must
choose which hosting platform better
fits the ultimate need of your web site.
