How to Start a Website

You've surfed a million Web sites, but now it's your turn to jump into the fray with a site for your business. Where do you start? First know what you want to accomplish with your Web site. Will it sell product? Promote your services? Act as a gateway to other resources? With a business purpose in hand, you can move on to developing a site that will attract users and generate customers.
Start with the best practices of The Best Small-Business Web Sites in America from Inc's annual Web Awards competition. Those stories will provide you with inspiration and ideas for creating a winning Web site. Then move on to this roundup of articles, which provide advice on the nuts and bolts of building your own Web presence.

Domain Names
The first thing you'll need is a catchy address for your new Web site.

Name That Domain
Creative entrepreneurs use marketing savvy, geography, and a little imagination to get great Web addresses.

How Secure Is Your Domain Name?
Here are five potential security risks pertaining to domain-name ownership and tips to minimize them.

Are the New Internet Names Right for You?
Two new top-level domain names are now available -- .biz and .info. Are they right for your needs?

Get a Life -- Buy a Domain Name
Don't be wooed by free domain names. Lee Hodgson explains why they leave bad first impressions and confuse customers and why search engines shun them.

Web Hosting

Don't trust your new site to just any Web host.
Penny-Wise, Site-Foolish
Don't scrimp when you pick a Web host -- unless you like greeting customers with "Site not found."

Four Web-Host Warning Signs
Here are the most common indicators that a Web host is in danger of folding.


Are You Dedicated to Your Web Site?

Perhaps you're wondering what a dedicated server is and whether you need one. Here are some guidelines to help you decide.

Site Design
Attract users with a simple, straightforward site that doesn't keep them guessing.

Hiring a Web Designer: Advice from Award-Winning Sites
Inc Web Award winners offer advice on how to hire a Web designer.

The Price of Ignorance
How much should you pay for a premium Web site? If only there were a simple answer.
Duh-sign of the Times

Web design isn't about flashy graphics and features. The best sites appreciate the value of simplicity.

Design Your Site for Your Users
If you want to maximize the Web's power to recruit new customers to your business, you'd better have a crackerjack site. Here are some practical pointers for creating one.

Five Home-Page Essentials
Make your home page do what you intended it to do -- earn money, build community, and disseminate information.