Reasons why you need a website ... 

• Business websites (for-profit & non-profit) can legitimize your company in the minds of your customers or clients. Providing vital information about your services 24 hours a day / 7 days a week, a website also allows interactive communication between you and them via live chat, newsletters, email, etc.  Your business website can be a complementary revenue source to your brick & mortar establishment if you sell products or accept cash donations.  Cheaper than the yellow pages and most print ads, your website is a very cost-effective promotional tool.  

• Social websites (weddings, family reunions, births, etc.) allow busy family and friends to feel apart of the big event. They can instantly share your photos, get driving directions, view your gift registry or send you a cash gift, and RSVP your big event on line with just the click of a mouse.  Your social website can be as unique as you are.  Unlike traditional mementos which are usually thrown out or tucked away in a closet or drawer, you can revisit your special day over & over. 

What you need to do to have a website ... (comments & recommendations)

1.  Get a Personalized Domain Name - 

• A domain name is the text name corresponding to the numeric IP address of a company's computer on the Internet. For example, http://www.bgge.com is the address of this website.   
• For tips on choosing a domain name, click here. 
• Bravenet is currently offering Domain Names for only $8.95 / year.
• BGGE Web Design will perform the technical setup for it's customers - FREE.

2. Build It - 

• Build it yourself.  Some website builders use FTP software which is not very user-friendly for beginners.  File Transfer Protocol - standard for transferring files from one computer to another, (IE from a web creator's computer files to the virtual server or vice versa).  I recommend Bravenet's, ecomPlanet's , CityMax's, or Yahoo's easy website builders.  There is nothing to download .... just type, format, & save to publish.  
• Have it professionally built.  A custom built 3 to 5 page website may cost $200 to $2000 or more.  For example, this website designer specializes in non-profit and small business sites and charges $50 an hour, billed at 10 minutes per change minimum.  Dependent on the quality of work & the time involved, the fee may not be unreasonable.  Just google it & compare.  Believe me, website design can be quite labor-intensive.     
• Let BGGE Web Design build it.  If you don't have the money, time, or the desire to learn all the back-office details, but want to put your business on line now, I will build you a professional looking 3 page website at the introductory price of $100.00*.  Your website will be ready for approval in 7 days or less.  Not only will I build it for you, I will personally coach you through the crucial aspects of promotion & maintenance.  (*This includes a $25 set-up fee.  Normally, I charge $35/per page.  Some restrictions apply.)

3.  Select a Hosting Plan -  

• In simple terms, a web hosting service allows individuals and  organizations with on line systems for storing, maintaining, & publishing information, images, video, etc.  Click here for more info.  The web host offers hosting plans with a set number of features and functionality at a set price.  
• In terms of price, features, server reliability, and security, I recommend Bravenet, ecomPlanet , CityMax, or Yahoo.  To compare hosting plans, Click Here .
•  BG&G Enterprises has partnered with ecomPlanet Web Hosting to offer several hosting plans.  Build a web site for your Business, Family or Organization. Get Started for FREE!   

4. Promote It - 

• "If you build it, they will come".  Well, in the internet world, much more is needed. 
• Find FREE promotion tools here. 
• BGGE Web Design will code and submit your site FREE until your site is picked up by three or more of the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, Excite, Alta Vista, Excite, AOL, etc.).  I will also recommend the best promotional strategy for your website type and provide general marketing tips  through BGGE Webmaster Newsletter.

5.  Maintain It -

• Website maintenance includes, but is not limited to - checking for broken links, optimizing your graphics for faster downloads, adding fresh content, updating web copy. 
• As a business owner, I firmly believe that the "right hand should know what the left hand is doing".  Although you may hire an office worker or accountant to do your books, you still need to know how to interpret that data to evaluate how well your business is doing or determine if someone is mishandling your money.  If you don't stay on top of things, you can get into a world of trouble.  Just look at the recent headlines about some CEO's who are facing legal and financial ruin because they claimed to be unaware of what was happening in their own companies.  That is why ...
• BGGE Web Design will provide you with detailed progress notes while developing a maintenance plan for your website during the first 30 days - FREE.  After that, there are several maintenance & promotional plans available.   For instance, pay only $15/month for basic maintenance like uploading photos, optimizing keywords, promotions, etc.  As an alternative you can elect to pay for maintenance on an as-needed basis or request on-site training.  Because the recommended website builders are so easy to use, you may already possess the skills to maintain your own site.  Regardless, you can subscribe to receive my FREE monthly newsletter with tips and tools that will help you keep your website fresh and marketable.  "Knowledge is power". 

CLICK HERE  to Compare Plans Bravenet FREE Hosting & Domains ecomPlanet Get Started for FREE! CityMax All In One Website Builder Yahoo!  Web Hosting