For those of you pondering the whats, whys, and hows of getting your professional VA website set up, I thought I'd post a thread on the topic. I hope it helps!

STEP ONE: DOMAIN NAMES and REGISTRATION -
You'll need to come up with a domain name/URL - this is your .com address.
A good domain name can make all the difference in how the search engines treat your site when it comes to potential clients scouring the web for VA service providers - for more detailed info on SEO (search engine optimization, just click here.)

Admittedly, at this point it can be difficult to find an available domain name with Virtual Assistant in the title - so get creative, combine it with your own name, company moniker, etc.
You'll need to check for the availability of your chosen domain name before you can purchase it. Go to a registration company such as GoDaddy (their prices are rock bottom!) and once you've found a suitable domain name that's available you'll need to register it.
The cost for registering a domain name ranges anywhere from $5 on up per year. You may have the opportunity to register your name for up to 5 years at a discount. If you choose not to do this you will need to pay to re-register your domain yearly. As long as you pay that registration fee, the domain name/URL belongs to you.


STEP TWO: HOSTING YOUR SITE -
Webhosting isn't a complicated affair - you simply pay a company to give your URL space on the net. It can cost anywhere from absolutely nothing for a free host where ads are displayed on your site (not a professional option for a business website) up to $30 a month for a basic website. The average seems to be around $10 - $15 per month. Many webhosts offer a deal for prepayment of a year of hosting in advance, etc. but you'll need to check around to find out who is offering the best deal.

One thing to keep in mind is that all webhosts are not created equal - some limit the number of emails you can have, or the size of your website based on your monthly hosting fee. Try to find a webhost with as many free features, possible ad ons, and the like as possible. Also keep in mind that some webhosts only offer support during business hours (M-F 9-5) so if something goes wrong with your site in terms of hosting you won't be able to get assistance over the weekend - I've seen this happen personally with many client sites, as a result we now require our clients to host with us and I'll give you a major tip here, *we* now offer hosting exclusively to forum members! Check out the complete details here.)

STEP THREE: DESIGNING YOUR SITE -
This is the fun part! (at least in my opinion )
Now you've got to decide how to present your website visually - what colors, layout, fonts, etc. do you want to use? If you're interested in designing your site yourself there are a number of ways you can approach this:

-Using graphic design programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, etc. you can create your own custom graphics and logo. This is one way to really show off your style and professionalism, not to mention your design talents. Of course, in order to implement them you'll need to know CSS and HTML or perhaps you're a more advanced coder and are into PHP...
If you're a lifelong student, why not learn a bit of the code-stuff just to have it under your belt! HTML and CSS are relatively easy to learn and there are many excellent tutorials out there, just Google "Easy HTML tutorial" and "CSS tutorial" to get started (I mention and link to one of my personal favorites on HTML here). There's no better way to learn than by DOING so use your new site to practice and experiment.

Does the idea of coding and design make your head spin?? You can ask for advice in the coding and design section of the forums OR you can

-Use a ready made template. There are tons of affordable, ready made website templates. You'll still need to understand a bit about websites in general to be able to use these but your design is basically all set and there are some great professional looking templates out there at very affordable prices - some are even completely free!
Just Google "free website templates" or "ready website templates" to shop your options.

There is a really good step by step tutorial on how to manage setting up a website with a ready made template - it gives a few links to free template sites and even goes into detail regarding how to handle getting the template and it's folders onto your server using an FTP client. Great info if you're going this route.

-If you want an out of the box, do it yourself solution there are also any number of 'prefab' website building programs out there. The fees are reasonable and allow you to get a multipage website online in a matter of minutes (although I'd recommend spending a minimum of a few hours on your professional VA site...this is your internet office front door and you want it to reflect your level of professionalism!
To find a selection of options for these kinds of websites Google "website builder". Keep in mind though that these options tend to be very limited in terms of how creative you can get. In this case it is also smart to have at least one good HTML tutorial on hand so you can easily manipulate a few design elements.

Oh, and don't forget to create a visually appealing, memorable LOGO for your company! The logo is such an important aspect of your website - so don't leave it as just a basic bit of plain old text! Get creative here, even if you don't have the interest or skill to create a really complicated logo using the design programs I mentioned earlier there is a very inexpensive option called The Logo Creator - it's TOO easy to use, comes with all kinds of great little graphic bits to play with and allows you to make something really outstanding if you're willing to take the time. If you leave the design of your entire website up to a do it yourself program at the very least create a brilliant logo for your site!

-And if all of the above is absolute Greek to you then you'll want to consider hiring a professional web designer. The cost of a professional, basic website custom designed and coded by a professional will run you anywhere from about $300 and up - depending on what kind of website you want and how many 'features' you choose to incorporate. Remember, like anything else, you get what you pay for so if you are going to hire a designer do your homework - look at their portfolio, ask for references, etc. Don't assume that cheaper is better in this case.

No matter which of these options you settle on for your website try to be creative about the colors you use - that's not to say you should make everything pink or bright green, or both - but there are a gazillion dark blue themed websites out there...pave your own way, don't be afraid to use a little color and stand out in style!


STEP FOUR: CONTENT IS KING! -
It's all well and good to have the prettiest site on the block, but what does your site say, literally? When crafting the text for your website try to write in a way that is both intelligent AND user friendly. Don't go overboard with corporate style jargon - it really IS ok to let your personality shine through.

Above and beyond anything else - CHECK YOUR SPELLING. I can't tell you how many professional websites I've seen with bad typos and grammar - if you're not good with this kind of editing, ask someone who is to help you or post your questions to this section of the forums.
While you're writing your website be sure to use keywords in the text - this is what the search engines will pick up on when someone is searching through your industry or niche - so work those keywords in there, but do it in a way that makes sense for your visitors first and foremost. The search engines may be crucial to your site getting found, but they're not going to hire you - so write for your human audience first.

To recap - the five most important suggestions I've made here are:
-DO choose a domain name that contains some good KEYWORDS - this is a hefty percentage of the SEO battle taken care of right there.
-DO choose a webhost with excellent service and lots of extras for free!
-DO spend some time creating a truly professional logo - this is your calling card on the web and even if the rest of your site is super simple in terms of design a great logo will make all the difference.
-DO use color in your website. Everyone's seen the navy blue color scheme done to death. If you want to stand out from the crowd, get creative!
-DO write good, clear and informative website copy - then go back and triple check your spelling and grammar!

Any questions about ANY of this? Feel free to post any and all here at the forums - that's what they're here for
And once your site is ready do share it and show it off in the websites section!

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