Anecdotal evidence suggests that a web presence is now essential for all service businesses, as an increasing number of consumers use the web as their first point of reference when deciding which company to choose. But gaining and maintaining a web presence for the web illiterate can be both costly and frustrating - and too often the naive are being misled and even ripped off by web professionals. Here is how you go about it - the right way. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that small service businesses do not need a web presence - they do.

The advent of the web has changed many consumers purchasing habits, as these days they can browse after hours, select a few different potential suppliers of the service they require and then either replace a phone call or even email an enquiry to their chosen one or two companies. Unlike earlier days - when service companies would know how many enquiries their business was getting simply by tracking the number of telephone calls being received - modern service companies will attract enquiries that they will probably not even be aware of, through their web site. Modern consumers will generally and in increasing numbers, browse the internet and make initial decisions based on what they see and read on the web sites.

The old days would yield a certain number of telephone enquiries which may or may not lead to work - but in recent times those preliminary telephone enquiries are as likely as not to have been substituted by a web search.

No presence at all, or a poor presence
It therefore follows that if you do not have a web site - and a professional one, not some bodgy DIY single page effort that looks like a fourth grader had completed it - your company will be missing out on what is the fastest growing marketing opportunity currently available. Thus, it is absolutely vital that all service companies have a meaningful web presence as no presence at all is almost akin to having no telephone number, such is the importance of a web page. Remember, that a very poor web presence is almost as bad as no presence at all.

Difficulties and traps
There are however, difficulties involved in establishing a web presence - and there are major traps for unwary and ignorant customers that need to be avoided at all costs.
The most common trap that novices fall into - and the most painful and expensive is getting trapped into a situation where a company will offer to build a web site cheaply, on the proviso that it is then hosted by that same company. Never let yourself get involved in a situation like that - where your web site is in effect owned by another party which you are totally reliant on from then on.
This type of web presence is definitely not in your best interests and there are plenty of company’s around peddling these all encompassing services.

Steps to a web presence

A) Domain name - you will need to register your domain name as quickly as you can. These days, with so many registered domain names, it might be impossible to register your business name as your domain name as someone else may already have it, but try anyway. Having your domain name match your trading name makes very good sense, both from a marketing perspective, but also because some consumers may try and search for you on the web by using your trading name if they are not aware of your domain name.
Do’s and Don'ts of domain names
i) Try and register your domain name within your country’s domain space. ie. In Australia try and register yourbusinessname.com.au, as opposed to yourbusinessname.com for example, which is the primary domain level which emanates from the United States, where it all began. In New Zealand, register yourbusinessname.co.nz. More and more consumers are aware of the difference between the .coms at the end of a domain name and will often search accordingly.
ii) Register the domain name yourself and make sure it is owned by you or your company. Do NOT allow a third party to register the domain name unless it is in your name.
iii) Make sure that the domain name registration is not part of a package which will include hosting and often design as well, as these types of packages are invariably overpriced and generally a rip off.

B) Domain hosting - Once you have a registered domain name, you will need to have your web site ‘hosted’. Picture hosting as your cyber space address like a post box in the sky. Hosting should include both your web site and your email addresses. Hosting can be professionally provided for as little as $15 per month from any number of major hosting companies.
Do’s and Don'ts of hosting
i) As stated previously professional web hosting can be obtained for as little as $15 a month, so avoid those companies who want to charge you hundreds of dollars a year - and there are plenty of those sharks around. Believe me, the basic web needs of any service based business are more than adequately met by any number of professional firms charging that sort of fee. For example, we have in excess of 10 web sites hosted for us and this costs less than $30 a month altogether!
ii) Avoid tieing your hosting package into your design package and/or your domain name registration. It might be tempting to let one company do it all for you, but it is simply not worth it in the long run.
C) Web design - With a registered domain name and a hosting package, the final step is to have your web site designed. Compared to web design, the rest is simple as it is here that serious mistakes can be made, a lot of money can be lost and a company can be seriously damaged by incorrect design.

Do’s and Don'ts of web design
i) Have a plan before you see a designer. It is vital that you have a good idea of what you wish to convey through your site. Don’t let the designer write your message, just let them design the pages using your message. All good web designers will also be able to assist you with the copy if you are not very good at writing it, but the original ideas must be yours.
ii) Don’t fall for the trap of trying to design it yourself using a cheap program - or getting a really tacky job done for a few hundred dollars. It is simply not worth it.
iii) Don’t get bamboozled by the designer who may try and upsell you into a site that offers too much. The site firstly needs to be simple, with a clear message and generally, a unique buying proposition on each page. Do you need a flashy introduction page with music and twirling pictures? No. Consumers hate having a page which takes ages to load and then tells them nothing at all - unless of course you in the game of selling dreams or fantasies like peddling alcohol, music, holidays, financial planning etc where a mood has to be created throughout the site.

Most good web sites for service industries should include the following:
• an introductory page where there will be some general information on all of the services offered, with links from there to additional pages which will expand on the offered services.
• Secondary pages which may include a page of testimonials, a detailed description of the serviced offered, detailed information on the principals of the business, any awards, trade memberships, etc.
• A contact or enquiries page. Often this is a form that can be filled out by the potential customer with a request for more information or potential times for the work to be completed. But a simple page which outlines your contact details including an email address is often sufficient - and a lot cheaper than having a form that needs to be filled out.

Paying too little or too much
What should you expect to pay for web design? A simple but effective site with several pages of information as outlined here should cost from $750 to $2,000. Hosting less than $20 per month and domain name registration under $100 for two years.
“It is vital that the services offered are explained in a lot of detail as your web pages sell your message for you without you being present. You may never hear from the enquirer again, or never know they have clicked on your web site, but many consumers are now choosing to search for their goods and services on line, so you really need to paint a compelling, detailed and accurate picture of your company.”