By Amanda C. Kooser

The hottest business accessory for 2007 and beyond is the web. It doesn’t matter if you sell shoes in a local shop, trim trees regionally or offer B2B services internationally. The internet can be your Yellow Pages, your magazine ad, your contact method, your marketing machine or your administrative assistant. Whether you’re a one-person shop or a growing 50-employee company, you need to understand the basics of the internet. Welcome to Web 101. Class is now in session. We’re going to focus on getting a web presence or updating and improving your existing site. Your business needs and goals will dictate what kind of website you should have. You might just need a simple page with basic information about what you do and how to contact you, or you might need a more complex site that integrates some of the many web tools available to provide visitors with a more interactive experience.

Naming Rights
What’s in a name? If it’s the name of your website, the answer is “a lot.” The web has gone through waves of domain name land-grabs. If your business has an unusual name, you might still be able to reserve your first choice (like www.yourbiz.com). Otherwise, you might have to look to other domains like .net or .biz, get creative with your website name or incorporate your location (www.coffeehousenameseattle.com). The goal is to get something that isn’t too long and that will be relatively easy to remember. For example, Sarah Lurie, 36, uses www.ironcorelajolla.com  for her website for Iron Core, her kettlebell fitness studio in La Jolla, California. Iron Core has 2007 sales projections of half a million dollars.

At Your Service
Once you’ve picked out a potential domain name, you’ll need a place to put it. Service providers are duking it out to earn small-business web services dollars. There are a lot of options for companies to go with, so you have plenty of opportunities to shop around and compare pricing. All-in-one service providers are popular. A few big names include Dotster (www.dotster.com), Microsoft Office Live, Web.com and Yahoo! Small Business. A package solution from one of these providers can net you a domain name, website, and e-mail and web marketing services all in one fell swoop. “Primarily, you want to look for [a provider] that can help you with every aspect of what you want to do online,” says George DeCarlo, vice president of marketing at Vancouver, Washington-based Dotster. There are several routes you can take to bring your website into existence. Three popular options are to find an independent web designer, use a custom design service through your hosting provider, or do it yourself with an online template solution. When it comes to finding a designer, be sure to ask other business owners for recommendations. That’s how Lurie found her designer, who is in Canada. They work together via e-mail and phone calls. Remember that your website doesn’t have to spring fully formed onto the net from the very start. Many businesses opt for a phase-in approach. “You don’t have to do it all at once. Initially, it was a $3,500 investment,” says Lurie, who added some interactive elements to her site after launching it. Michelle Oldham, 34, founder of marketing and design firm Mahdlo & Associates in Chicago, talks about her site from the points of view of a small-business owner as well as a web consultant. “When we first started, we had a placeholder page,” she says. “From a small-business budget standpoint, you can’t just jump in and create a Flash-based site with a huge back end that has a database.” Oldham’s in-house web designer later added animated elements, a press section and a pod-casting area to the site, and the company saw sales triple between 2005 and 2006. (You can see the site’s current incarnation at www.mahdlo.net.) It’s OK to start out with a basic “About Us” page with contact information and then build the site into something more sophisticated as your needs dictate. Template-based sites offered by your service provider can be an inexpensive option as long as you’re comfortable with taking the time to learn the web-based software. Dotster’s Sitebuilder tool, for example, is a tem-plate program that starts at $5.25 per month with hosting, whereas its most basic custom site runs $200. Which one you choose “really depends on what your skill level is and what you’re looking to do,” says DeCarlo. “We also have customers that want us to do it for them. The custom site can actually be less expensive based on time value.” The custom site is built after a phone consultation with the customer, and you can add a maintenance program that makes it affordable to tweak it regularly. Take a moment to assess your budget, your web skills and what your time is worth.

E-Commerce
Not every business actually needs an e-commerce-enabled website. If you sell services or rely mainly on local customers, there’s probably no need. Retailers who want to try selling on the web sometimes opt for eBay as a low-hassle way to get their feet wet. It can be a smart way to get rid of overstock items, deal with unique pieces like antiques or rare books, and gain access to a thriving international marketplace. For businesses that decide to sell directly from their websites, the process of setting up an online store has gotten a lot easier. Iron Core’s website features a small e-commerce section where visitors can purchase apparel and instructional DVDs. “We have a brick-and-mortar store, so we already had a merchant account,” says Lurie. “Then you just need to get a shopping cart and set up the look of the store. It’s so easy now. Everything is really just a click away.” Your web designer or web service provider can help you get started.

Updates
Updating is an often-overlooked component of having a business website. This doesn’t have to mean a major overhaul every month, but updating your events calendar, news section and blog on a regular basis is a must. As Lurie says, “I have a program that allows me to do simple editing so I can change my class schedule or update my events calendar without having to go to the expense of having the web designer do it.” Don’t think of your website as a purely static entity, but rather as a customizable communications tool that can grow and change along with your business. According to Oldham, “I don’t think you can ever consider [your web-site] complete, because as technology changes and the industry changes, it will always evolve.”

Extras Go the Extra Mile
Web users are savvier than ever before. That makes it challenging for businesses to hold the interest of internet visitors and encourage them to make repeat visits. The simplest approach was mentioned above: Make the time commitment to keep your site updated with fresh content. Consider adding elements like a blog, podcast or video. This is the age of YouTube: Site visitors are attracted to fresh content and even a little pizzazz where appropriate. Oldham has had so much success with her marketing podcasting series that she is looking to take the next step into video. “We’ve seen a 50 percent increase in traffic to our site as a result of the podcasting series,” she says. One of the easiest web tools for businesses is a blog, essentially an online log or journal that can be updated as often as you like. “Blogs and podcasts are very interesting ways to engage with your clients and build credibility within your community,” says Oldham. Consider including company news, accomplishments, news from your industry, perspectives on your market or fun asides that relate to your business. For example, if you run a cookware store, you might include favorite recipes or how-tos on using some of the products you offer.

Searching for Search Engines
Lurie sums up an important view of search engines when she says, “I think your Google ranking is more important than your credit score.” Most web users seek businesses, both local and national, through search engines. “The key thing that most [of our] customers want after they get a web-site is placement in search engines,” says DeCarlo. Local businesses want to drum up local customers by using the web, and businesses seeking a wider audience want their names to pop up early. Having a web designer who can build your site for maximum search engine impact is important. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a bit of an art form. Of course, a search engine marketing campaign can help things along considerably. “I use AdWords through Google and Yahoo! Search Marketing,” says Lurie. “You just set up an account and then add the keywords. It’s a great way for us to be at the top of the list when people search for ‘kettlebell training.’ ” You can do it yourself through individual search engines and set your own budget, or you can look to your web services provider to run your campaigns for you. For example, Dotster’s Local Site Pro-motion sets users up with pay-per-click campaigns starting at $100 per month.

Out of Site
Getting started with your site or revamping your old site that has been collecting dust on the web is the single most important step you can take to use the web as an effective tool for your business. But the possibilities don’t stop there. E-mail marketing and newsletters are convenient ways to stay connected to both current customers and potential clients. Consider adding a monthly coupon to your site as a way to help gauge the brick-and-mortar impact of your web presence. Slather your web address all over your business cards and promotional materials. It will be your 24/7 business and sales representative, even when your office or store doors are closed for the night. And remember: People will judge you by your website. It pays to invest both your time and money into having a strong web presence. “You, as a business owner, have to love your site,” says Oldham. “People can tell when you’re passionate about something. It should say something about your business and your creativity. It should stand out so people take notice.” Even a basic, clean and simple site says more than a sprawling, jumbled or out-of-date site. The tools to build a great site are avail-able and affordable for any budget.  The web can be a great leveler for small businesses looking to compete with larger companies. Says Lurie, “You have to act bigger than you are, and websites are the way you do that.”

 Amanda C. Kooser is Entrepreneur magazine’s assistant technology editor.