Additional information

If you are hiring a web designer, it is important to determine if pages are created with SEO or search engine optimization. Important key words and phrases should be incorporated "naturally" in the development of the website for maximum Internet exposure. Offering unique content rich in information on your site will greatly enhance your site for your Internet audience. It is essential that ethical SEO techniques are implemented. Unethical practices may actually get a site banned from search engines. For more information, please review: Google's information for Webmasters , which includes specific guidelines.

Other factors involved in the development of a website include your expected budget. Most web design companies require a deposit before the site is developed with the balance due before the site is launched live on the Internet. It is wise to require that all expected deliverables be written down in the form of a proposal and/or contract so that there are no misunderstandings.

Domain Name Registration

A domain name is an Internet address used on the World Wide Web to locate your website. One does not actually own a domain name as annual fees provide the “right” to use it. Annual fees for this privilege range from $15.00 to $35.00 depending on the company providing the services. When choosing a name it is important to choose a name that others can remember easily.

The option for "private registration" is also extremely important. ICANN requires that when a domain name is registered, that your e-mail address, physical address, and phone number are published in the public WHOIS database. This requirement makes this personal information to be available for anybody to view on the web. To protect your personal information to deter spammers, telemarketers, identity thieves, harassers, stalkers and others who "mine" the public WHOIS database, consider a private registration.