PREFACE

Note: The previous name of this ebook was How to Get Your Biz on the Web Quickly & Affordably: An Easy-to-Follow Guide in Plain English for Those New to Internet Terminology & Web Technology. It was first written in 2004.

For the 2011 update, I changed it to Want to Get a Website or Blog? Here’s an Easy-to-Follow Guide in Plain English That Will Help You Do So Quickly – and Cheaply!

Why the name change?

Because it’s not just for small business owners (at least the way it was primarily defined in 2004) any more.

Who This Information Can Help

Aspiring freelancers, internet marketers, bloggers, affiliate marketers, etc., all need websites these days. And, many of them have no idea how to go about it. I still get asked simple questions all the time like how to register a domain name and what’s the difference between a domain name and a web hosting company.

I was just as new back in 1998, when my business partner and I were trying to get a website. So, I understand the confusion all too well. So I guess you could say the name change reflects the growth of web entrepreneurship (exciting times!), which brings me to my story.

My Story: Getting a Website for the First Time

In 1998, I decided to get a website for my small business. I found the process to be confusing, expensive and frustrating. After five months, two web designers, several thousand dollars ― and a still unfinished site ― I just knew there had to be a better way.

Much later, I discovered that if I were somewhat familiar with the web design process and could formulate key questions to ask potential designers, the process would have been much smoother and less expensive.

Based on my personal experience, I formulated this guide to cover the basic issues one should know to get a website or blog. This in-depth ebook is for freelancers, bloggers, internet marketers, affiliate marketers, small business owners, wannabe web entrepreneurs – in short, anyone – who has little or no knowledge of internet technology, but is ready to invest in a website or blog.

It is also a resource for those who simply want to begin to understand the internet and web design.

By understanding the process and language of web design, you will be able to converse with and convey key ideas to a web designer in clear terms (or do it yourself, which is what I eventually learned to do).

Going the do-it-yourself route will ultimately save you time and money ― both of which are usually in small supply for solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, small business owners, wannabe web entrepreneurs, etc.

Questions and answers are written in simple, easy-to-understand language.

This book is organized in sections with a Glossary of Commonly Used Web Terms at the end. It also offers valuable insight as to why you should do something, instead of just saying, do it.

How I FINALLY Got a Website for My Business

Not wanting to risk more time and money, my sister and I (who were in business together at the time) learned how to build our company’s website. We spent countless hours (mostly her in the beginning) teaching ourselves the necessary software (which at the time was FrontPage (ancient, I know!)) and completed it within a month.

Now a website or blog can be completed in minutes -- really!

The site we slaved over for a month? This very one -- InkwellEditorial.com -- which has gone through quite a few revisions since 1999, when the first version of it went live.

I have drawn upon all of the issues I faced during this difficult process to help you, hopefully, avoid what I went through.

I hope you find the guide useful and that it saves much in the way of time, money and frustration in getting a web presence (blog/website).

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com

A complete table of contents follows.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE, Page 6

Who This Information Can Help, Page 6

My Story: Getting a Website for the First Time, Page 6

How I FINALLY Got a Website for My Business, Page 7

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WEBSITE AND A BLOG, Page 8

The #1 Thing to Consider When Trying to Decide Whether to Get a Website or a Blog, Page 9

THE INTERNET — AND ITS COMPONENT PARTS, Page 10

What Is the Internet? Page 10

What Does the Internet Do? Page 10

Who Runs the Internet? Page 11

What Is the World Wide Web? Page 11

What Is a Web Browser (a.k.a. "Browser"), Page 11

What Does a Browser Do? Page 11

How Do I Locate and Open the Browser on My Computer? Page 11

WEBSITES / BLOGS

What Is a Website/Blog? Page 13

What Is the Difference Between a Website and a Web Page? Page 13

Different Types of Websites, Page 13

The Four Main Reasons Every Business Needs a Website / Blog, Page 14

The Web Design Process: Questions, Page Answers Action, Page 17

Idea Formulation, Page 17

How Much Can I Afford? Page 18

Naming Your Site: Selecting and Registering a Domain Name, Page 18

How SEO Has Affected Domain Name Selection, Page 19

What is SEO? Page 20

Keyworded Content: It’s What Drives Traffic on the Web, Page 20

How Businesses Get to the Top of Search Engine Results, Page 20

How to Register a Domain Name, Page 21

Choosing a Web Designer/Web Design Company, Page 21

Questions to Ask All Potential Web Designers, Page 21

What Pages Must I Absolutely Have on My Website? Page 25

CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

What Is Content Development? Page 27

Create Effective Web Content in Four Easy Steps, Page 27

Finding a Freelance Writer / Editor / Content Developer: What to Look for, Page 27

How Much Should You Pay a Content Developer? Page 29

Why Producing Content Has Never Been Easier – or More Profitable, Page 29

ABOUT WEB HOSTING COMPANIES What is a Web Hosting Company? Page 30

What is a Web Server? Page 30

What Do Web Servers Do? Page 30

What to Look for in a Web Hosting Company, Page 30

Web Hosting Costs, Page 32

About Free Web Hosting Companies, Page 33

SELLING ONLINE

How to Sell Goods and Services on Your Website, Page 34

What You Need to Sell Goods and Services from Your Website Blog, Page 34

Why You Need a Bank Account to Sell Goods/Services from Your Website/Blog, Page 34

What Is a Payment Processor? Page 34

Why So Many Trust PayPal When Shopping Online, Page 35

What Is a Product Delivery Processor? Page 35

E-Commerce ― A Summary, Page 35

WEBSITE MAINTENANCE

What You Need to Know about Maintaining / Updating Your Site, Page 37

The Value of Learning to Update Your Website/Blog Yourself, Page 37

THE COST OF WEB DESIGN

An Overview, Page 38

YOUR WEBSITE / BLOG IS UP AND RUNNING ― NOW WHAT?

What Is SEO and Why You Need to Learn the Fundamentals, Page 39

Free SEO / Internet Marketing Tutorial for Web Newbies, Page 39

MARKETING YOUR WEBSITE

The Myth: If You Build It, Page They Will Come, Page 41

My Favorite Way to Market Online, Page 41

What is Article Marketing? Page 41

Definition of Common Web Technology Terms, Page 44

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, Page 47

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Want to start a successful freelance writing career, work from home and set your own rates? See all Inkwell Editorial Titles on e-Junkie.