This was originally a posting I did for want2dish.com a year ago, but seeing as I've been really busy lately, I have no qualms about sharing it here for the first time ;)

First off, a little disclosure- I'm a web designer, a developer and social media aficionado (notice I didn't say "expert"). I will not tell you to make your site with any fly-by-night-cheap-sites-made-with-templates-that-500-othersites-use.com tools. Why? Because I want your site to be distinctive and I want you to have a good experience building your site. I can't tell you how many times I've helped people out that have horror stories about getting their sites built. It's sad, but true.

Some up-front truths you need to know:

1. Building a custom website is pricey- anywhere from $1200-$whateverYouWantToPay. The local average here (in Frederick, MD) with an agency is about $5k-$10k.
2. You need to know something about websites, domain names and hosting- If you don't know a thing about these topics, Google it or get a "Dummies" book.
3. Unless you are paying an agency to write it for you, you will need to provide the content (verbiage) for your site- Most agencies and freelancers will guide you, but you know your business and your message the best, therefor you will be providing them the content.
4. You will be doing this about every 3-5 years to keep your site fresh

The Process

Who do you use to build your site?

I said it before, don't use a template service. Don't use the site builder that came with your hosting. Unless you are a web designer that knows how to work within the restraints they place on you, these tools will make you look cheap and bad. You could use some overseas cheap site companies (I know a web professional that had a good experience getting her WordPress site built by a little Indian company), but (in my book) that's a form of online Russian Roulette. I wouldn't use anyone I couldn't sit at a table with in person. You can only do so much through email. That leaves you with 2 choices: an Agency or a Freelancer.

The Agency

If you can afford it, an agency is probably the best way to go. We have several here in Frederick that I know do great work! Benefits with using an agency include a quick turnaround time and full service offerings (design, development, content creation, hosting, and site maintenance packages, marketing and SEO). They are a true cradle-to-grave solution that can use their army of talent to whip out a truly professional site, guaranteed to work marvelously!

The downside to agencies?

1. cost! You will get  a lot, because you will get what you pay for.

My wife works at a non-profit in D.C. and they went to an Agency to get their information site (with an e-commerce and subscriptions component) launched. $500,000 later, they had it up and running fine! Chances are you will not be spending that much for your business site, but I just wanted to give you an idea of how big it can get. Frederick rates range from $120-$200/hr.

The Freelance Professional

Though, not super cheap- more affordable than an Agency. Benefits with using a freelance professional include personal service, a true desire to make you succeed (you have to look good, so she/he looks good), true talent and affordability. Rates range from $50-$100/hr.

The downside to freelance professionals?

1. turnaround time- they're only one person, and they might even (hopefully for them) have other clients.
2. limited services- designer and developer if your lucky and some marketing skills

Things to look for in a freelance professional:

1. A full time freelancer. Don't use a freelancer that does it on the side of their regular job. I realize I'll piss off some of my own kind, but medium-to-large business sites should be built by professionals that can dedicate full days to the task. I moonlight, but I pass off large jobs like these because I know I can't dedicate the resources to do the project justice.
2. Use agency veterans if you can. Freelancers that have worked in agencies have more experience with the "big picture". They've been privy to how the marketing works, as well as content generation. They also know how a proper agile-based project is run.
3. Good, raw talent. Look at their portfolio and make sure their site examples are actually still live sites.
4. Finally, call a couple of clients they've had and ask them what their experience was working with the individual. Chances are, you'll get a quick response either way!

What do you want to build?

What do you want to say about your business? Who do you want to attract to your site? What image do you want to convey?

These are questions you will be asked by your agency/freelancer. You will also be asked to give 3 websites that you like the most. They don't have to be too relevant to your business, they just have to be examples of styles that you like or usability (easy to use and get around). This will give your vendor an idea of what you like and what you expect as a professional site.

Tools to consider:

1. Shopping Cart- Do you want to sell anything online?
2. Blog- Do you want to convey your ultimate knowledge about the service/product arena you're in?
3. CMS (Content Management System)- do you want to update the verbiage in your site yourself?

Domain Name Management

Get your domain name yourself at either networksolutions.com, enom.com or register.com. I'm sure you've noticed the distinct lack of godaddy.com. It's because they are nothing but a marketing machine that traps you in their online infomercial with hard-to-use tools. I'm not bitter ;)

I want you to get the domain name yourself because you own the name- it is your brand as much as the sign on your establishment. If you get your domain name through a hosting account, agency's or freelance professional's channels, you'll find it more difficult to move on if you have to "ask" to transfer your name (after you've had a bad experience with them). It could (and has) happen.

Hosting

Go with what your vendor suggests, as they will know the technical requirements they'll need to have your site humming along. Always ask for access to the control panel setup or server account- just so you have it.

DON'T go cheap on this! If you're concerned with your site going down, 200 gigabytes of space (that you'll never use) unlimited email addresses (you'll have 3)- all for $3 a month, will not be such a deal when some hacker (also hosted on your server) takes down your site.

Conclusion

These are only the basics in what to expect and look for when setting up your professional business site.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about websites, come ask some true web professionals at one of our Frederick Web Technology meetups every month at http://fredwebtech.com. All are welcome!

When going to see Titanic in 3D, do NOT stand on your seat and yell "king of the world!"

Those suckers FOLD!