Many individuals want to sell vitamins online but find the whole process intimidating. “I don’t know how to program, so how can I possibly set up a site?” they ask. Well, it’s a lot simpler than many people think. In fact, if you have a Facebook or Myspace account, then setting up a web page will be second nature. And if you don’t, no worries, there’s tons of free support software out there to show you how step-by-step.
The first thing you need to do when you are creating a website is register a “domain name.”A domain name is that thingy that you type in to go to a website (e.g. www.google.com ). You can register a domain name at many different sites, but some of the most popular are “GoDaddy” (www.godaddy.com), “Yahoo Business” http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/domains), “Domain.com” (www.domain.com), and “directNIC” (www.directNIC.com). Prices for domain registration are pretty cheap, and usually range between $3-$20. Of course, if you don’t mind your website domain including the name of the site you purchased it from, you can often get free domains (i.e. www.directNIC.discountvitamins.com).
When you are choosing a domain name, think carefully. You want the name to be easy to remember and reflect the type of business you are running. Avoid the classic mistake of many newbies to e-commerce and stay away from naming your site some long name that is difficult for customers to remember (i.e. www.thebestdealsonvitaminsthataregreat.com) and opt for something that’s simple and reflects your business (i.e. www.discountvitamins.com).
Once you’ve settled on a domain name and steered clear of naming it after your pet or favorite Guns ‘N Roses song, it’s time to actually create your site. “What?” you ask, “Didn’t I just register my domain, and isn’t that my site?” Nope. All that you’ve done at this point is reserve the location of your site. (more…)