When it comes to launching your business, a web site is a must. If you don't have a web site, please won't find you and it will hurt your credibility. Whether you need a simple corporate web site for your business or your business is a web business, I have two fantastic options for you to consider in order to launch your site. Both of the following platforms are free, open source, and require either no or little technical knowledge to implement.
For most entrepreneurs, creating a great looking website that does what you need it to do without spending any money is key. This article will tell you how to create a great web site to supplement your startup or even create the web site that perhaps your web-based business is centered around.
Joomla!
Joomla! is a great platform for content management. With Joomla!, you can literally launch a basic web site in a matter of minutes with just a few clicks of the mouse. You can select from already made templates to find the best look that you want for the site. Then, you can login to the back end of the system and create content that is automatically displayed on the site in the appropriate way. You can edit your web pages just like you are in Microsoft Word.
If you are creating a Corporate website where you add content regularly but not every day, I would recommend Joomla!
Wordpress
Wordpress is another very popular content management platform primarily used for blogs. Many people use Wordpress for Corporate sites as well since many companies blend their corporate site with some blog-like content. Similarly with Joomla! you can launch the site very quickly then login and create content.
If you are creating a website where you change or add content very frequently, Wordpress might be the best option for you.
Launching The Site
I recommend using Dreamhost as a host for your site. You can do a one-click install of either Joomla! or Wordpress by logging into your Dreamhost account. This prevents you from having to manually install either platform on the server (very important for non-technical people). Once installed, Dreamhost shoots you an email with the next steps you have to take in order to get your first version of the site running. They make it very simple which is why I use Dreamhost for all of my sites.
These Tools Are Perfect For:
- Entrepreneurs with no experience creating web sites
- Entrepreneurs who need a well established platform on which to run a web site
- Entrepreneurs who are launching a web-based business
For More Information
There are millions of tutorials out there on both Joomla! and Wordpress. Pick one platform, and master it before switching to another. Another decent option is to buy either Joomla! For Dummies or Wordpress for Dummies to learn the basics if you'd rather learn from an actual book in front of you. Also, there are plenty of youTube tutorials as well.
You will be suprised how much you can do with either platform. Because they are open source, people are able to build extensions and plugins to create additional functionality. If you need your site to perform a specific task, there's a great chance someone has already thought about it and built the necessary plugin/extension!