SETTING UP A WEBSITE: BASICS 102 MARKETING EDITION -by Boots N Lace

These days, Farmers need to be tech-y or they are screwed. Most live to far out for customers to come to them, and the Farmer’s Market is 1-2 times a week in most rural areas (if that) and weather dependent. Most are lucky to make back booth expense for the day—and who is staying with the Farm? So, a website IS the best way to get your product out there and known. I have been running a business for 10 years and the past almost 2 years has been in a rural area. Several drive 2 hrs for our dog training/boarding services. They would not have heard about me or my services without this said website. I did build it myself. I am NOT a website designer. Just know what I like and what the “tone” of my brand should be. Should you wish to view it, please do www.puppyluvfarm.com

What you will need:
-domain name or URL (same thing, used interchangeably)
-A host provider
-A website builder (online or you can buy a CD too)
-About $150-200 to start
-Nice photos of your product
-Look up terms for definitions if you are not CERTAIN of what they mean or you will be confused: search words, disclaimer, virtual,

STEP 1: Domain name or URL is the “dot com” address you enter in the search bar of Google or another search engine. These have to be purchased by you from someone. There are 2 companies that hold the ownership of ALL domain names (other claim to, but they buy them from these 2 sources as well, so don’t buy into that crap and pay a mark up!). GO-Daddy or Enom are the 2 companies, cost is about $12.99/year. Go to either website, and do a search to see if the domain you wish to own is in use. Also do a search for your desired business name to see if it is in use on Google. IF IT IS CHANGE IT NOW! Developing a brand takes several years to build. To find out down the road THEN that someone else Trademarked it as theirs and then serves you with a letter to not use it any more, SUCKS and the law is on the side of the Trademark owner. So be sure to check that.

STEP 2: Now you need a website service provider., cost is about FREE-$150/yr There are several free ones with options to upgrade as long as you add their hosting service (Covered in step 3), GO-Daddy has this, so does Wix. com. Both are user friendly, if you can Facebook and scrap book then you can use these services—it is just a virtual form of scrap booking! To start with, just get an introductory page and a second page with your product. Have nice photos ready to load.

Common Mistake: folks want to explain and talk to much on their website. NOOOOO….you loose business! Keep it short and sweet! Remember, this is advertising. Example: Do you listen to the pharmacy advertisements for disclaimers that the courts ordered for them to do when they go on and on about all the possible side effects? Nope, course ya don’t. So don’t put your customers through that either. You want JUST ENOUGH that they then pick up the phone and call ya because you peeked their interest!

Make sure your contact information is listed ON EACH PAGE at least 2-3 times! Make it easy for folks to find ya. I got pissed at Sprint a year ago because their web designer forgot to list the 800 number! Business hours of operation need to be at the bottom (folks are used to looking there) and make sure you use your search words (we will cover that in the 103) at least twice PER PAGE.

Avoid labeling your pages with: home page, contact page, etc. When folks search you, you want your PAGE NAMES to pull up on the search engine right? Look at my website. What are the pages names? Relevant to a common search for that business type, right? Think of things that people would be using to search your business for, and use those! If you can figure that out you are AHEAD OF THE PACK!

AVOID THE USE OF: Guest books, booking services through your website, review pages that a customer can enter on your website in order to avoid the NASTY work of the hackers. Why? They will reverse that page against you, crash your website, and your hosting service will drop you and your website like a hot rock. They will then hold your URL hostage until you pay to fix the hacking damage done. Ask how I know this. (Ass holes. They tried to say my website contacted ALL customer for the Navy Credit Union in New York with some scam when I am down here in TN!) This is also the very reason you want to stay away from “free websites” and service. Nothing is ever free and the free ones are the easiest for the hackers to use! If I am PAYING for something, I then can make an argument that the hosting provider is the one at fault as they are suppose to have the fire walls to protect me from that! So DON’T USE THE FREE SERVICES!

STEP 3: To “attach” your website and your domain name (or scrap book for explanation purposes) to the internet search engines (like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc) you MUST have a host, otherwise, you just have a pretty scrapbook sitting at home on a shelf that only YOU can see and no one else. The Hosting service is the one that will show your website to the world. This usually runs about $80/year.

NOW HERE’S THE KICKER. To save you money at first, use the free website builder from GO-Daddy or Wix.com but then pay them for their hosting service! You usually get a significant discount by doing this through them the first year. Currently my URL, hosting, and website are all thru Enom. But come the first of the year, I will be moving my URL to GO-Daddy (they will buy it from Enom and get it released) so that not ALL my eggs are in one basket. Word to the Wise from the Experienced: these hosting, ass holes play dirty. Set it up, then split it up as soon as you can. That way, should they sell any portion of your website, hosting service, or URL to a 3rd party provider (that has happened to me 4x in 10 years of business, and I knew about it once of being sold), then they can’t hold any part of your website hostage!

Make sure you understand the definition of EACH of these 3 things you need: domain name, host provider, and website builder before you start wheeling and dealing. To many people go into this lazy and unprepared. KNOW YOUR BUSINESS AND SAVE YOURSELF SOME CASH!