Any ideas how my husband can get a free website to advertise his new business over the net?

Question

my husband has just gone into business for himself sub contract cleaning how ever he wants to branch out more & become even more independant he's tried advertising in the paper with little sucess. we'v e did a little bit of a pamphlet drop too with no sucess could some one please point us in the right direction what are we doing wrong?
That's why i was thinking along the lines of w website keeping in mind funds are limited at the moment. I would really like to see him suceed at this business as he has battled alot of personal demons & this is really getting him depressed .
As he feels working for himself could be a great blessing for him & our little family Thank you guys for any positive & good information would be greatly recieved & definately put into a plan regards Sarah !!!

Answer 1

He can get free hosting at Dot Easy.

http://www.doteasy.com/



You'll just need to pay for a domain name

which is the price of a cheap dinner :)



Michael

http://webmasterautomation.com

Answer 2

There are three thing you need to consider:

1. Will a Web site solve the problem of getting your husband more business?

2. Web site hosting costs

3. Who will design and build the site and how much will that cost?



1. Will the Web site get your husband more business than advertising in the local paper or from flyers? I don't think so because the Web is truly worldwide, and it sounds like your husband's business is somewhat local. Advertising in the paper, the yellow pages, dropping flyers, getting good word of mouth, etc. seem like the best ways to advertise a local business. A Web site can't hurt as an additional way for people to get information about a business, but people usually don't search the Web for local services (except something like Yahoo Yellow Pages).



2. The cost of hosting the site. Free Web hosting deals are usually really bad. Your site sits within some kind of frame, contains ads in exchange for free hosting, or has a URL that starts with geocities.com, all of which looks really unprofessional. Instead look for relatively cheap Web hosting. I use www.ipower.com, which costs about $100 a year, which includes domain name registration for the URL of your choice. This plan is enough for any small business that doesn't require complicated functionality like a shopping cart. If your husband's site is just going to be mostly informational, with maybe an email link or form, then you can get a good hosting deal for about $100.



3. Who's going to design and build his site? A poorly designed and built site is worse than no site. People coming to the Website will judge his company by the quality of the Web site. So how to get a cheap Web site that looks decent? There are companies out there that sell template Web designs. Another option is to get a student in a local college who is just starting out in Web design. There are a lot of people just starting out in the field who really need to have Web sites to put in their portfolio. Many of these people would build a Web site for free or a nominal fee - $500 - $1000.



The bottom line is don't think that a Web site will solve all of your husband's business promotional problems. Yes a Web site is good to have, but it should be just one part of a plan to promote the business.



Good luck.

Answer 3

Honestly, I'd go with facebook. You can make a business or a group page (as I'm not entirely sure if it costs money to make a business page, but I've seen people get around it this way) on there, where you can display your photos for people to see examples of your work. You also have the added benefit of being able to communicate with people directly through this page, and you can spread the word through inviting people on your friends list. Inevitably facebook creeping will lead to your exposure, especially if the photos you display for examples are eye-catching. I've also seen photography businesses offer photoshoots to people for free or for a reduced rate in exchange for their publicity; find some gregarious classmates you know will spread the word, and offer to do this for them. make some simple business cards to have them give out. If their experience with you is good, they'll be likely to do this. Word of mouth can do wonders: though it may just start out with your friends, pretty soon your friends tell their friends who tell their moms who tell the people at their work, and so on and so forth. A friend of mine has a mom who built up a successful senior and family portrait business doing this. Best of luck to you!

Answer 4

I have been very happy with Yahoo-Geocities at http://www.geocities.com for my site http://TaoBarbie.com . My site is relatively simple. I tried to design it so it's unclutterd and easy for the eyes and mind to read and absorb.



I pay $4.95 per month for an ad-free site. Anyone can get a free site, but Yahoo will post their advertisement on it. I think it's a fair trade. Originally, mine was free.



You can get your own domain name like "www.mysite.com" for $1.99 for the first year. If you decide that you don't need a domain name, you can just go with "www.geocities.com/mysite" or any other Yahoo ID name, and it will be free. A domain name can be addded later. You can build your site today. You can learn and experiment before you go public. Your website will be posted in Yahoo's search engines for free when you decide it is ready. All the premium features, bells, gadgets, and whistles can be added later, when the business is more successful.



You don't need to know html or java because Yahoo offers Page Builder, a free utility for making your own professional site with no experience at all. You can just drag and drop your content after uploading it.



Once you begin and learn to use the available features, you will have lots of fun. It may even become a little addicting.



Whether you choose Yahoo or another host, you are very welcome to contact me with any questions you may have. I would be happy to help with advice, free artwork or design. Everyone needs a hand not and then. Contact info is in my Answers profile.



Good Luck



.

Answer 5

MICROSOFT OFFICE LIVE

FREE - DURING BETA



Free web hosting, free website, free e-mail from Microsoft Office Live Basics.



Features include:



Personalized domain name and Web site

50 e-mail accounts

Web site traffic reports

Online workspaces for sharing customer, project, and marketing information

Answer 6

I have a few ideas for you. The first is to go to the library (FREE) and check out or order the book "Marketing without Money" by Nicholas E Bade. I am very impressed by the book which boasts 300 free or low cost ways to advertise your business with a special section devoted to website marketing. While at the library pick up a book (or two) on Business Planning because I find that is a critical way to make a path for the business to follow whether you are seeking financing or not. Newspaper ads are not the most effective way to reach businesses but trade publications might be. He should check with his vendors for job leads and marketing ideas. The vendors want to sell more product and one way to do that is to help him sell more, use more, or be made aware of special pricing. Businesses have two ways to get more profit ... increase income or reduce expenses. Your hubby should look into more tax advantages of the business as one way to increase income and should take advantage of a retirement account, self-funded with pre-tax dollars. He's not going to miss the few bucks per pay but it adds up over time. My favorite motto is, "don't wait for your ship to come in ... swim out to meet it" and one way to do that is heading to the library for not only the book that I am referring but other books on marketing, website development, tax books, etc. The only way to make money these days is in your own business and you'll be able to write off alot of business expenses if you do it the right way. Good luck.