There are minimums that you have to have to be viewed as a serious businessperson as opposed to a hobbyist or part-timer: a phone, a mailing address, a company name. A domain name and web site.

Every company should register their company name or a related domain name. At minimum, you want to use the domain for your email addresses - Pamela@YourComputerLady.com.  Why should you advertise for AOL or MSN or anyone other than yourself? An email address is a small piece of advertising, granted. But every little piece helps. People see your company name over and over. The domain name email makes you look like a business person.

After the domain registration, every business should have a web site of at least one page to have some web presense.  Not to have a web presence, puts a pall over your company implying that you are behind the times, out of date and not “leading edge.” 

The site doesn’t have to be 100 pages with Flash animations, rotating banners and symphony music. Simple is just fine. Have only the pages you need to tell your message. An online brochure, if you will. The design should be pleasing to the eye but glitter isn’t required unless you’re competing against The Gap or Barnes & Noble.

The true beauty of a web site for a small business person is that it can expand and grow as you do. If I print 5,000 brochures today and add a new product tomorrow. I have to throw away 4,995 brochures then order 5,000 new ones.  With a web site, I can just add a new page about the new product.

Many of my clients will put together a three month or six month plan of action. We make a list of items to add or expand on their site. We prioritize the list.  Then my programmers work on the list on a steady basis. The client has a set amount to budget for the site. The site has regular, consistent growth and activity which keeps it fresh for visitors. The regular activity also attracts search engines.

Speaking of search engines, do you need to worry about your ranking with Google, Yahoo or the thousands of other search engines?  Maybe. If the purpose of your web site is to make standard information such as order forms, technical data or industry tools available to existing clients, then search engines aren’t important to you. If the purpose of your web site is to draw new clients and introduce your product to people who have never heard of you, then search engine optimization is important on your site.  If new clients or online sales are important, you need to budget for search engine optimization just like you would any other piece of your marketing plan. (Please search this blog for “search engine optimization” for specific articles.)