Many of the clients I work with are very new to the online world of business and websites. Having been a small business owner for over 10 years (usually running more than one at a time!) I want to give you some helpful tips that I wish I'd had when I was just starting out!

+ Decide on your name. It sounds easy til you actually try to do it! Your business name should be descriptive (should contain words that convey somehow what it is you do or sell) as well as unique, and try to avoid purposeful misspellings (kool vs cool) as this will mean some people will never find you when they type in the correct spelling of the word in google! If you're completely stuck, you might want to check out my Business Consulting service.

+ Make sure your domain name is available. You'll want your domain name to include your business name and be as simple as possible. Try to avoid super-long domains and lots of dashes. You can go to GoDaddy.com for a domain search.

+ Browse online for websites, graphics, logos, colors, etc that you love. It's a great way to get inspired.

+ Do your homework. If a web designer doesn't have a portfolio and tesimonials, there's probably a good reason. Any reputable designer will be ready, willing and able to provide references from actual customers.

+ Think about your products. A HUGE part of making your website look professional is having professional looking photos. I can't stress enough how important this is. The sleekest website can be brought down to just-ok (or worse) by adding very poor photos to it. There are lots of product photographers out there who can help you, including myself!

+ Streamline the process. While your designer is working on your design elements, get your website content ready. You'll need keyword-rich text for your home page, and most likely text for About, Contact and Customer Service pages, plus any other pages you will have on your site.