How to Build a Company Website

By Christopher Capelle

  • Overview

    A company's Website is as essential as a phone number in today's business environment. Not only does it serve as a information portal for your company, it can also be a storefront that allows customers to place orders, a way to request customer service or a method your company can be found on the Web by customers using a search engine. Building a Website can be as simple or complex as you want it to be.
    How to Build a Company Website
    How to Build a Company Website

    • Step 1

      Ask yourself exactly what kind of site the company wants. Is it going to be information only? Will it sell products with a traditional Web shopping cart? Will it link to other sites, provide general information or contain help files?
      Amazon.com is the gold standard of e-commerce sites.

    • Step 2

      Decide what graphics and other elements (Flash, for example) are going to be on the site.

    • Step 3

      Create a standard template that every page will be built on. Maintaining continuity between the pages is extremely important.
      Dreamweaver is a popular software package.

    • Step 4

      Create each page, again paying attention to continuity, which includes graphics, font style, page layout and links to easily navigate to other pages. Again, simple is better than complex.
      A non-functioning Website is bad news.

    • Step 5

      Upload the site using your FTP software. Depending on your Web hosting company, the site can take between one minute and 24 hours to be live.
      You need FTP software to upload your Web pages.

    • Step 6

      Have an impartial third party surf the site, and get their opinion on how the site looks, how easy it is to navigate and get their overall take on it.
      Make sure your site is easy to navigate.

    • Step 7

      Tweak the site once it's up and running and you get some customer feedback.
      If you're international, consider a multiple language site.
    • Skill: Moderate
    • Ingredients:
    • Web software
    • FTP software
    • Web hosting company
    • Tip: Keep it simple.
    • Tip: Strive for consistency between pages and easy navigation.
    • Tip: Keep all copy short and sweet.
    • Warning:
    • Most customers don't like Flash movies, music or pop-ups, so tread carefully in these areas.

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