Making A Web Presence – Part 1

We all know that in order to reach a new generation for Christ, we have to be where they are.  The Internet is where they are and that is why it is so important that you make a proper web presence.  The first step in creating a web presence is to setup a website. 

Getting Started

The first step in creating a website for your ministry is to find a good domain name.  Domain names are the easy to use names that allow people to find you, for example this site’s domain is processthis.net.  There are several keys to pickign a good domain name. 

1. Your domain should reflect you ministry, church name, etc, but you want to be careful that it is not to long.  A good domain name is between 3 and 12 characters.  Having a domain like  www.FirstbaptistofPittsburgh.org is simply to long and the chances that someone will mistype it are great.  Often times when someone mistypes a domain name they will end up at a site that is not yours, these are often times called domain squatters, they pick sites similar to yours and then setup fraudulent sites attempting to pray on people who were looking for your site.
2. Make it catchy and easy to remember.
3. Most ministries will seek a .org domain name, this originally meant that the site was a non-profit organization, this is not the case today, as anyone can register a .org,.net, .com address  for their sites.  Search all of these for the name you want.

After you pick a domain name it is important to move quickly, by searching for a domain name on sites such as GoDaddy.com it shows domain squatters that someone maybe interested in that site and they will move to buy it before you do. 

Buying a domain name is a good first step, they are not that expensive, usually less than $10 a year, and give you a more professional look than hosting your website off of someone else’s domain, such as your ISP or other free sources.

Getting Hosted

After you have chosen a domain you will need to get hosted.  There are a lot of companies out there that offer cheap hosting and include the domain name in the yearly cost.  Many of these companies will require a one year payment which usually equals out to less than $10 a month.  Some hosting companies you may wish to try are www.bluehost.com , www.1and1.com, www.godaddy.com, and www.dreamhost.com.  These companies are good choices for starting your website with, they will provide easy to use tools to get you started, allow you to manage you email, and will manage your domain name for you.

What’s next?

We will look into setting up your website in the next installment of Making a Web Presence.