Website: A showcase for business
How does one get to a website for own business
Who needs one’s own website?
Every freelancer, who values client-service. The homepage is a platform that gives quick access to all necessary information. Some entrepreneurs decide to use a blog as a unique solution such as Twoday.net or Blogger.de. It is easier to set up a blog. The logbook structure is however inflexible. A further disadvantage: blogs are heavily dependent on intensive and regular content maintenance. A website has room for more flexibility.
Is it possible to build one’s own website?
Naturally there are some reasonably priced software such as the license software Namo Web-Editor or the OpenSource-Programme Joomla and Wordpress. Macintosh-Users can use Editor iWeb. However from technical and aesthetic point of view they often look amateurish. Web-design signifies design and programming and only few posses the required knowledge and skills in both fields. Potential clients might question the professionalism of the company if the website looks self-made. Hence it is recommended to call upon a professional Designer.
How does one find a suitable web designer?
The teamwork functions very well when the designer is at the same place or location. One can look for designers according to postal codes on the website of Allianz deutscher Designer (http://www.adg.de), and there are regional Design-portals such as Designszeneberlin.de or Creative.nrw.de. The book-series Web Design Index offers a wide overview of the current web-design. Most designers initially proffer a non-committal discussion. Prepare yourself for questions after three pages that please you and after three that you really dislike. It can last up to two months until a multi-page website takes full shape.
How much does it cost?
The costs of website designing a website start in lower four-figures. The fee calculator of the National association of Communication Designer assesses an average fee of around 2350 Euro net. Whoever wishes to have his own website despite a small budget can try to use a so-called statistical visiting-card site without a so-called Content-Management-System, where he can himself carry out small changes according to instructions.
What should be stated?
The content arrangement is very important. In order to have good search engine coverage one should devote a proper subpage for each service containing corresponding page titles and file names. With the help of a Content-Management-Systems one can control the website himself. The best suitable programmes are Open-Source-Programmes such as Contao or Drupal (or Sefrengo, comment of the editor); hence one does not have to depend on the provider.
How does the website become well known?
Above all by so called search engine optimization. Google offers an introduction on this subject at http://www.google.de/webmasters/docs/einfuehrung-in-suchmaschinenoptimierung.pdf. Google-Keyword-Tool helps find out how users formulate a search request on a topic. One can otherwise facilitate the online presence of his website by using Web 2.0 services like social networks or Twitter.
Source: Die Zeit, edition dated 18.8.2011, Author: Afra Schick