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When you hang out around geeks, it seems like everyone’s on Twitter, has a Facebook page, or an iPhone app, or is working on some other sort of really cool and bleeding edge technology, but then you realize – these people are not the norm.
For every Twitter DM or Facebook Wall post I receive, I get at least two or three “aww, look at these cute animals/babies/baby animals, and here’s an inspirational poem/prayer for you in multi-colored comic sans font” email messages. And, for every slick website I see for a hot startup, I run across a neighborhood restaurant or community center with an abysmal site (or no site at all). I might not be able to kill the baby animal chain mail, but maybe I can help those folks with the awful (or non-existent) websites.
Here’s how you can build a dynamic site for your business in three simple steps:
1. Register a domain name.
I use 1&1, but GoDaddy is also an economical choice. When selecting a name, remember that a .com domain that matches your actual business name is best. Although many techies argue that a .com extension isn’t that important anymore (because people will just Google your business to find the domain), they’re talking about a much more sophisticated audience than the typical user. Unless you have a tech-savvy primary audience, stick with a name you can pronounce and spell, that’s not too long, and that ends in .com
2. Create an email address with that domain name.
…and forward it to an email account that you actually use.* This is an easy way to instantly add some credibility to your business. Who would you rather buy from: craftyguy45@hotmail.com or Adam@CabinetsbyAdam.com? If you can’t take 5 minutes to get a professional email address, I’m not sure I want to trust you with my business.
*Gmail makes this really easy. Check out this Lifehacker article for more info.
3. Send an email (from your new email account) to post@posterous.com
I know, I know… I wrote a few months ago about how I preferred Tumblr to Posterous, but here I am recommending Posterous. Why? Well, because if you can use email, you can use Posterous. Audio, video, text, links – just email them into your Posterous account and now you have a dynamic site for your business. Change your menu? Send an email. Running a special? Send an email. Have photos from your latest event? Send an email.
So for those of you out there with the website from hell, no more excuses. Take 15 minutes and change your world. What are you waiting for?
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