How to get your own Web site
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A presence on the Web is essential, but what should a Web site look like? What should be on it? And how do you get people to look at it?
I know I need a Web site, but where do I start?
Once you've decided to get yourself a Web site, there's an easy sequence of events that will get you online. The first decision to make is whether you pay somebody to make it for you or go for the DIY method.
Unsurprisingly, the difference between the two is cost. A professional site can cost anything from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds, but it will look better and probably work better than any home-made effort.
However, a home-made Web site can still look slick and cost from as little as a few pounds. It just depends exactly what you want to do with it, and this needs to be established before any decisions are made.
As with any new marketing tool, there's an enormous advantage to be gained in looking at as many other Web sites as you can. New users should familiarise themselves with what's out there and decide what works and what doesn't.
Try a search engine such as www.google.com, type in "London hotels" and see what comes up. Are the sites any good? What's your first impression as a potential customer? Is it easy to navigate around the site and find the right information? How quickly does it load on to the computer? Do you get a good impression of the hotel from the photographs?
Once you know what kind of thing you want on your site, you can decide whether you can build it yourself. Unless you fancy taking a course in advanced programming there is a limit to what you can do on your own. But the DIY approach does mean you are in charge and can do whatever you want, and change whatever you want.
How do I get a domain name?
Assuming you're going to build your own site, the first thing you need is a "domain name". This is the address, such as www.google.com or www.caterer.com, that takes the user straight to that Web site. This needs to be chosen carefully to be memorable and snappy. For example, "bellevuetowershotelandrestaurant.com" is not exactly to the point, but "bellevuehotel.com" is.
The Web is old enough now for most of the best domain names to have been registered already, so come up with as many options as possible, always bearing in mind how easy it will be to give them out over the phone.
There are hundreds of sites on the Web where domain names can be registered, and each will charge different amounts. Try searching for "domain names" on Google. Every service will also offer a space on the Web for the site to sit on, or be hosted. This is just a computer permanently attached to the Internet that will connect with anybody who types in the domain name. The cost of this also varies, from free (with conditions) to a few pounds a week.
There are plenty of companies that will host your Web site and let you own your own space on the Web. This service is different from the free services mentioned above and, although it will cost a lot more, it is much more reliable and professional and usually comes with good technical support if anything goes wrong. Again, try searching for "Web services" on Google.
The name is registered and the host chosen. What next?
Put simply, you need to build your site. Making a Web site is always described as "building", which can make it sound quite complicated, but it needn't be.
There are software packages available, such as Microsoft's FrontPage, which are simple to use and don't require any knowledge of programming. All the DIY designer has to do is lay out their Web page the way they want it and FrontPage will do the rest.
There are plenty of books and online guides that will help any newcomer through this process. To find them, try an online bookshop such as www.amazon.co.uk, or search Google under "Web construction" or "Web design".
What should the design look like?
The design of the site is crucial to its success. Here are some suggestions that could get your site noticed:
- Remember that users want to get the right information as quickly as possible. Unlike a brochure, they're not going to leaf through lots of pages before they reach the address and phone number. Give them options to go straight to any part of the site without passing through other parts they don't need to look at.
- Remember that users could be coming from anywhere, especially overseas, so don't assume any knowledge of where you are and what the local attractions are. Include your full international telephone number.
- Make sure that the information is accurate and up-to-date. It's surprising how many hotel Web sites have old rates and out-of-date offers on them.
- If you decide not to have a direct booking system on the site, put a contact e-mail address on it and make sure somebody is checking the incoming e-mails throughout the day. Keep your staff informed about your Web strategy and ensure they're trained in e-mail protocol.
- Remember that most users are just researching possible places to stay, so display the phone number and address as prominently as any e-mail contacts.
- Inject some personality and colour. If it's a small family hotel, it can be good idea to put a "Bob and Deirdre welcome you to the Bellevue Hotel" type of message somewhere on the front page.
- A map is always useful for visitors, especially if the hotel is in the countryside. Consider giving directions for drivers.
- Don't clutter up the pages. Divide the site logically and make sure users can easily find the section they want.
- Be objective. Look at other sites and then yours. If you were a customer, what would you think?
- Integrate your Web marketing into your overall marketing strategy for the business and ensure that images, logos etc are compatible with printed material.
How do I get people to look at my Web site?
Once the site is designed and available to Internet users, only half the battle is won. Just because it's there doesn't mean people will come to it. Search engines are clever, but they only look for specific things. A new site must tell the search engine where it is, if it wants to be found.
The way to do this is slightly different for each search engine, but the principle is the same. Go into Google, and imagine what a user would type in to find the new site, "London hotels" or "Dorset B&B", for example.
When the results come back, look at the bottom of the page and there is link that says "All about Google". Click on that and there is information on how to submit a site to be listed by Google. The search engine Yahoo! has the same sort of process, except the link is called "Suggest a site".
Submitting a site to a search engine does not guarantee a listing. Many engines - Yahoo! for example - have flesh-and-blood humans who look at the site and decide whether it should be included. The key is to persevere, keep submitting your site and sooner or later it will pop up.
Any parting advice?
These are just a few suggestions for setting up a Web site, but they barely scratch the surface of what's possible. The Internet is huge and there are hundreds of companies out there dedicated to putting businesses on the Web, so try shopping around and see what you can get for your money. It can vary wildly. Some will charge thousands for doing a simple job that could be easily done at home, others will come up with ideas and designs never considered. Do your homework.
