Advertise Your Business Or Website At HomewithGod.com

Step by step - starting a web page to market a product

Basically you need 3 things

1. To know what you want your site to market and how
2. A Web Site
3. Search engine "status"

A. Web Site essentials

1. You need a computer – I can’t imagine trying to do a website without one

1. computer stores can help you here
2. almost any "modern" computer will be able to handle this stuff

2. You need a camera – a digital is best and cheapest in the long run

1. with a digital camera you will need a "reader" that will read the information from the camera disk to your computer or the camera will have to be able to "hook-up" to the computer
2. if you have a "film camera" you will have to have your pictures digitized somewhere
   1. a scanner will do this
   2. I think places like Kinko’s do that now,
   3. "Mail in" picture companies put pictures on disks

3. You need some way to make "web pages"
   1. You can hire a web designer.
   2. You can do it yourself.

1. Most servers (see below) have built in "web page maker" programs. Or you can buy programs that make them, like Microsoft Front Page and Adobe Page Maker.
2. A graphics program is helpful to edit pictures, I like Corel but there are many others. However, most digital cameras come with programs adequate to meet the basic needs.
3. If for some unknown reason you want to know how a web page works http://www.howstuffworks.com/web-page.htm

4. You need a server (the internet company that "holds your web page" for others to see, something like an electronic library). You find them on the WWW.

1. There are many "free" servers but many do not allow people to "sell things" be sure to check the user agreements [recommended www search words; free web page Christian]. While you are looking around I would recommend that you use www.geocities.com and get a free Yahoo page just to play with. If you like what you do, I believe they will sell you pages where you can sell.
2. You can also buy your own domain – your own web name. Mine is www.agapehands.com . My "geocities site is http://www.geocities.com/equiluv/agapehands.html . You can see the difference in names and functions. If you go to "my owned domain" you do not get assaulted with pop-ups. If you go to my "free" domain, geocities is in control. I bought my domain through Network Solutions http://www.networksolutions.com but I am not convinced they are the best. However, they may be the easiest. They provide very professional looking "dummies" point and click web page templates along with decent support.
3. Additional information can be found at http://a-web-biz.com and http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol37/webdesign.htm

B. Search Engine Status

1. In order for someone to "see your page" they have to find it.
2. There are two things I did to have my page "listed"

1. Paid for a search engine to list my site ($39.00 a year through Network Solutions)
   1. A lot of places let you renew automatically after a year. Don’t do it. Once the search engine knows you exist, it will check up on you periodically.
   2. There are "tricks" to getting listed near the top http://searchenginewatch.com is the best resource I have found to explain these.

2. Searched for Christian sites that have "Reciprocal Links". The more you are linked the more likely you are to have people (and search engines) find you.
   1. Some listing sites are servers – many will list you for free.
   2. Some are individual sites where I have emailed the site owner

C. What you want to market and how

1. Try outlining – that essential 5th grade skill – web pages are like outlines
2. Start specific then you can add on
3. Giving information that they seek, other than simply "your product", helps to bring people to your site.
4. You might want to help to support your site with links that pay you for selling. They are free (legitimate ones) and only cost you your time. I started with Commission Junction www.cj.com . Don’t expect to get rich quick. People have to want to come to your site, find your site, and then see products you sell. Usually "free web sites" do not allow these links.

The best advice I can give:

• Get a site and learn. There are several free sites that will only cost you your time.
• Look at other people’s sites and decide why you like or dislike them
• Get a friend of relative or two or three who will HONESTLY tell you what they think about your site. Don’t take it personally if they tell you they are lost, take it as great advice.