So you're ready to get your business or organization online. Great, but where do you start? At Liquidstudio.com of course! Within this page, you will find the steps you need to take to make an internet presence and benefit from it.

Plan Ahead!
Like anything in life, the more you plan ahead, the smoother things will run. Just like how one wouldn't build a house without blue-prints, you shouldn't jump into a web site without planning it out first. The best way to start planning is to grab a pencil and a pad of paper. Even hop on the web to see if anything inspires you. Of course, don't be afraid to ask us either!

Pick Out Your Content.
Since your ideas are more than just words, why not share MORE than words on the Internet. We've all heard that pictures are worth a thousand words, and nowhere is that more true than the web. If you are an artist, show your work in images. If you are a musician, share your music. This combined with text content will create an atmosphere for your audience that everyone can enjoy. Of course, its our job to make it look great or get it there in the first place. We can scan your pictures or take some them for you. We can digitize your audio into almost any format you desire.

Get Hosting.
So now you are ready to put it all together, and once you do, how does everyone see it? There are companies out there for that service, and most likely you're heard about them. A "web provider" is someone who rents 'virtual' space where you can store your homepage files where your audience can see them, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have an ISP, they will most likely have hosting services for an additional fee. We can even host your web site at Liquidstudio.com, but we are still happy to work with any host you select as well as give a few suggestions. For basic web hosting, the price should range from $15 to $25 a month. For more advanced servers the price can vary.

Make Your Vision a Reality.
This is how Liquid Design Studio got started and it is still our forte. We take what you have, or create what you want, and put it all together into a fully functional (and great looking) web site. We link your pages, incorporate graphics, add your multimedia, and get it all ready for the release to the public. We work close with our clients each step of the way so that we are sure that the site we design is something that you and we are both proud of, not to mention a pleasant experience to your audience.

A Domain Name.
Although not required, its really one of the most important aspects of owning a successful web site. You may not know what a domain name is, but we're sure you've seen if not even used one before! A domain name is an internet address, but more importantly, its YOUR internet address. www.liquidstudio.com is a domain name just as www.yahoo.com and www.mircosoft.com are all domain names. Assuming the name you want is available, it only costs $35 a year (first two years paid up-front) from an organization called Network Solutions (www.networksolutions.com). Liquid Design studio will be more than happy to offer any assistance in registering domain names and suggesting variations. If you choose NOT to use a domain name, more than likely, you will have to use your web provider's domain name in a special directory. For example, instead of www.yoursite.com, you would be "www.webhoster.com/members/~yoursite/" which is obviously not as easy to remember or get to.

Let your Presence be Known.
You have your domain, we've created a spectacular site for you, you have a web provider and you are ready to get out there. But what do you do and how do you let your potential audience know about it? Well, we'll take care of setting up your site so its ready, but the only way to get people there is to advertise. The best, and least expensive way is to register with search engines such as Yahoo!, eXcite, Lycos and Alta Vista. There are literally hundreds of search engines out there, and most categorize their listings quite well. What's more is that MOST of the larger search engines are free! Of course it does involve a bit of work submitting your site to each search engine, but for the impatient, there are for-hire services that will register your site for you with many search engines. Another way of getting people to your site is banner trading. This means you 'trade' a bit of space on YOUR site with a site that you think your potential audience is attracted to. This is beneficial to both web sites as you share viewers between the sites. Conventional advertising such as print ads, television ads, and buying ad space on other web sites, is also an option.

Give it Time.
Especially if you are starting a business online, don't expect to be slammed with business the first week. Even the finest web sites didn't become over-night sensations, but took time to refine, advertise and make perfect. This also gives you some time to work out any problems, track errors and think about how your web site can be improved.