This is how it all beginsSouth Florida Technology and Web Design for the Small Office / Home Office professional

The following is a list of twenty items that we came up with that will help you plan and achieve a successful website launch. We have launched over 100 websites to date and these tips are gleaned from years of experience. Learn from my mistakes and research, follow each step and you will be on your way to becoming part of the world wide web.

1. Find a reputable web design firm

Do the homework here and you will save yourself many headaches down the road. Make the effort to do some background checking. Call some references. Call the better business bureau. Are they incorporated?

We hear stories all of the time about deposits being cashed but the clients fails to see results. Don't let that happen to you!

2. Find an available domain name

We have a powerful domain search tool to help you identify the domain name that is perfect for your online project. Search domain names now.

3. Register the domain name yourself

Do not let anyone register your domain name for you. It is vital that you register this in your name only! For registering domain names, you can't beat our domain portal. We are an official reseller of ICANN domain names.

4. Setup Web Hosting account

We offer webhosting both shared and dedicated servers. We will take care of everythhing needed to get your site up and running: setting up your email accounts, setting up the domain name so your site will come up when it is entered into a browser. In general taking care of one of the most confusing parts of the web development process. Contact us about our hosting plans.

5. Modify name server information for the domain name to point to webhost

Your web designer should do this for you. If you have to do it yourself, log into domain name account and modify the nameservers for the domain name.

6. Setup email accounts

Again, your web designer should do this for you. Send them a list of email accounts you need and they will do the rest. While you are at it, go ahead and sign up for Cloumark spam eliminator. This is the best program we have found, and we have tried at least a dozen that did not work.

7. Setup temporary homepage

Use your logo, or just use text to put a "coming soon" page up with your email address so people can still contact you while your site is being worked on.

8. Design logo

Work with your web design firm for this. We have helped many companies with creating their brand and identity. Do not ignore the importance of a good logo. It is the foundation of your entire business.

9. Design homepage layout

Work with the web design firm to get the look and feel you want for your business.

10. Design inner page layout

Will be based on the homepage colors and layout.

11. Convert photoshop layouts into html, css and web-optimized images

12. Develop any backend database and programming

13. Identify keyword phrases for the website

There are several tools out there to identify keyword phrases that are relevant to your business AND are bringing in the number of searches per month that makes sense.

14. Write text using keyword phrases and gather images for inner pages

15. Combine content with programming and templates

16. Test test test

We can't stress this one enough. You think you found all the errors, but look again. You will be happy you did.

17. Soft launch for friends and family to test

Get your friends and family to start working for you!

18. Hard launch to general public

This is where all the hard work pays off!

19. Continue to add more content to website

After you launch, it never ends. Websites are living breathing things and you have to feed it at least monthly.

20. Search engine submission and reciprocal link exhchanges

Blue Hand Web Design can help you in deciphering this part of the play.

By following these 20 steps exactly, we can assure you that your website project will go off without any problems. Give us a call if you have any questions and would like us to help you.