As soon as you have acquired the name you want and selected your ISP, you are ready to create your website. In fact, you're almost ready to compete with the biggest players in business. With a domain name that is uniquely personalised to your business, you can alter the perception people have of your business.

Creating a Website

It's easy to create simple but effective web pages using Microsoft FrontPage [link]. You can develop and manage your website with FrontPage. You can build online catalogues to promote and sell products and services, manage product listings and take care of online payment requirements. You can add dynamic photographic and image content and produce professional results using the program's customised content. You'll save hours, without having to know anything about complex programming.

Working the Web Successfully

• Include your website address on all your correspondence.
• Encourage your customers to visit your website.
• Monitoring your website regularly means you know what's happening.
• Creating a website can be as easy as the software you use.
• Think carefully about who should host your website and why.
• Consider buying your own domain address.

Hosting Your Website

Normally, your Internet Service Provider will host your website. Your ISP may offer you free space and 10 or so email addresses. That may not be all you need. Website hosting is a service provided by many specialist companies at a very low monthly cost. It often includes many important extras such as generous hosting space, massive monthly bandwidth, detailed analyses of your website visitors, shopping cart set-up, a free mailing list facility, and much more. If your website is likely to have a large amount of regular traffic, or if security is really important to your business, then dedicated hosting may be your best option.

What Exactly is Email?

Email is probably the most important internet application for most small businesses. It's the ability to send letters, reports, presentations, photos, spreadsheets, and short simple messages from one computer to another, all over the world, at local telephone rates. All you need is an email program (usually part of your computer's operating system) and a modem connected to a phone line. It's a great way to do business and stay in touch at a very low cost.

Sekhar writes articles for Microsoft India Small Business