Getting Started with a "Starter Web Site"

If you've considered a web site for your business and made any inquiries, you've probably heard the term "starter web site". What exactly is a "starter web site" and is that the right way to go?

Typically, a "starter web site" is a simple, informative web site that presents your products or services and gives your contact information, perhaps including an online contact form. These are the basic pieces of information that a site visitor might need in order to evaluate whether your company's offerings meet his needs and then to contact you -- either to ask questions or do business with you. When you view a starter site in those terms, it is a good place to start on the web, as the name indicates...

What does a starter site offer to you and your business? While you may have visions of online customers flocking to your site, eagerly clamoring to spend their money with you, a starter site is more likely to offer you humbler benefits:

First and most importantly, starter sites provide you with a place to direct customers looking for more information. This is not to say that a web site will take the place of talking to your potential clients; in fact, initiating that personal contact may well be the goal of your starter site. However, think of all the places you can inject your new web site address in situations where a lengthy, face-to-face discussion of your products or services isn't possible -- on your business card that you hand to a new acquaintance at a social event, on your office voicemail message, on all your correspondences (including your email "signature"), and on all your promotional materials, to name a few.

Second, a starter site gives your business a certain degree of credibility. While it may not be fair, we've defintiely reached a point where businesses without web sites tend to be regarded as less stable or less advanced than their counterparts with web sites. Of course, the credibility afforded to a business with a web site can be pure illusion. Still, perception is important when you are trying to convince someone to spend their money with you rather than your competitor. After all, a starter web site with hosting is relatively inexpensive -- why should the customer spend money with you if you're not willing to spend a minimal amount on that web presence to help inform the customer? 

Third, a starter site can give you a great basis from which to grow. Many a starter site is launched with the idea that it is a temporary, short-term solution to getting online fast. And that it may be. However, if you're serious about having on ongoing presence on the web, give your starter site the consideration it deserves up front, and think of it as an investment, not a quick fix. In the grand scheme of things, there's probably no reason that you must get online this week rather than taking the time to get it right and launching a professional, polished site next month or next quarter. Often, it's the business that starts with a "quick fix" site that never realizes the benefit of an online presence. And that certainly makes sense: If your web site is amateurish and unprofessional, not only are you unlikely to want to send people there as a resource, but you're also unlikely to see business resulting from visits, and therefore you're unlikely to want to invest further. To avoid this trap, be sure that your site's design is given proper consideration, that the information presented is complete and timely, and that a user can easily grasp your main message and find information quickly. Most importantly, make certain that you're proud of your web site and that it represents your business' dedication to quality. Remember that a web site is an advertisement for your business ... so always put your best foot forward.

A starter site really is a great place to start on the web. Just be certain that the endeavor is treated as the investment it is -- putting up an unprofessional site "on the cheap" is not likely to win over your online visitors. On the other hand, by supplying useful information, presented in an engaging way and arranged in an attractive format, you've served that visitor well. A big budget is not required to achieve this, but planning and preparation is -- and contracting the services of a web professional should be considered.

Now get started!