Do You Need a Website?
Maybe. You definitely need an online presence of some kind. Personal, educational, business, community, and social sites offer a constant opportunity to communicate. In today’s world, if someone wants to learn about something, often they will “Google It”. If your opportunity does not appear in the search results, it may go overlooked! Don’t miss out on business. Get online. Now that you know you need a site, there are many different options:
Social Media Profiles and Community Sites
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Linkedin, Google+, Pinterest… There are lots of different social media profiles and community sites. An upcoming post will go into greater detail, but for now, what you need to know is that these sites offer you the opportunity to automatically connect with your existing and prospective clientele. Research which platform best connects with your target market, start your profile, and keep it updated. Integrate your profiles with your direct website to maximize your reach!
Free Sites
Google, Wikipedia, and Blogger to name three offer you the opportunity to store your free website on their servers. This is a great opportunity in that the price is right. A free site is much better than no site at all. The limitations of these sites include the following:
- Most of these sites require you to enable them to include advertisements on your site.
- While alternate themes are available, most of them aren’t customizable for your exact needs.
- Most limit your upload capacity and readership possibilities.
- Often your users must become members of the free site to read your content.
Paid and Hosted Sites
While more expensive, finding a hosting organization, and paying to have your own website offers the greatest level of direct control. You get to choose how your site operates, what it looks like, what advertisements you include (if any), and what add-on capabilities you employ.
Sometimes it makes sense to start with a free site, but if you’re looking for a continued online presence, a paid/hosted site is ideal. If you are unsure of where to get started, or how to get your site off the ground, contact us! PageLauncher will help you select the right type of site for your needs, get you set up, and help you to learn how to run the site on your own!
