Looking for input on website design.

hey guys and gals, I know theres alot of computer knowledge here and would greatly appreciate some help and guidence. I own a small bizness and need to start a website. First question is money. As in build myself vs. Verizon. As Im renewing my yellow pg. ad w/ verizon they ofcoarse offer their package, 5 pgs, unlimited changes and support, placed in mega search engines and so on. approx. $116 a month. As I was searching for a domain name on register.com I looked at their options. Seems to be somewhat similar, but somewhere around $10-40 per month depending on what you want. So I guess Im looking for whatever insight you guys might have for me. Thanks alot.

$116 seems steep but of course if their service generates money for you then the cost of the service is a mute point. Whatever you do though don't sign a long term contract. I mean, you don't want to pay that kind of money for a site that doesn't help you attract customers.

In the past have used small business I found via search engine (Google) who used yellow pages. I would suggest your start with the cheaper route and if you are not satisfied then try Verizon. You'll need to be patient. Customer will come eventually but it might take some time.

Also, make sure you can keep your domain with any service you decide to use.

i'd suggest dreamhost.com if you want to save money. i'm not sure what exactly you're getting for $116 a month from verizon, but 5 pages with unlimited changes is worth about $0.50, and i don't think they offer online shops... dreamhost i think is 7-10 a month and includes a free domain registration.

as for advertising, google adsense tends to get you the best results, as well as advertising personally on niche sites. if they like what you've got, they'll be more likely to come back.

when you get something up, let me now.

I asked Verizon if I could keep my domain incase I wasnt happy with their service and yes it would belong to me. I am going to talk to them today to get more info about their service and what exactly their fee gives me. I wont be selling anything from the site, it would be for info on my services and exposure. Ill keep you posted. Thanks a bunch guys.

If you have the time and patience to do it yourself then it's a great way to save $100 or more amonth (based on what you posted) but that can be really trying.

Take a look at this site, which is where I go when I'm in need of more info.

WebmasterWorld News and Discussion for the Web Professional (http://www.webmasterworld.com)

PM me for my email if you want to discuss it further.

If you have the time and patience to do it yourself then it's a great way to save $100 or more amonth (based on what you posted) but that can be really trying.

Take a look at this site, which is where I go when I'm in need of more info.

WebmasterWorld News and Discussion for the Web Professional (http://www.webmasterworld.com)

PM me for my email if you want to discuss it further.

Here's two other sites that have good tutorials on web design:

W3Schools Online Web Tutorials (http://www.w3schools.com/)

Webmonkey: The Web Developer's Resource (http://www.webmonkey.com/)

If That Guy is right about no online shops then don't go with the Verizon solution. Research has shown online presence primarily drives business when it reduces the barriers bewteen customers and business. Just having a website with no way of delivering your product via it wont bring you too much business most likely. I guess we ought to know what type of business it is before making too many suggestions though.

I think going witha private company who will work with you to develop a site for a fixed fee and then simply paying your hosting costs per month will be more beneficial. Remember, you always get what you pay for...except when you don't. Not that spending more money will definitely get you better results but I can gurantee you that not spending some dough willhurt you.

Well, as I said earlier I was going to talk to my rep at verizon to get more info for myself and to share w/ you guys, but she went home early.Oh well, try again on monday. As far as what kind of business I have, um I guess you could say Im a hired killer, a hitman, a cold blooded murderer. Yes I kill things, as in I own a pest control biz. Been doing pest control for about 17-18 yrs. and started A Pest Control company the same year Gibbs returned. By the way my company colors are B&G. Although Im having a little more success than Gibbs & co. at the moment, Im still not making thier kind of $$. If I get a decent website for a good price, I can kill more bugs, and make more $$! Anyway, again thanks for all your input and thoughts. I will continue to research all of your info and suggestions as well as what ever else I can find.