Almost any small business can benefit from a Web site that spreads the word about its products or services. A good site provides numerous benefits to a new business, including increasing visibility and providing a steady stream of sales leads. A Web site is one of the most cost-effective ways to announce your business opening, market your business, and reach potential customers.

The other good news is that the state of Web technology and design tools have advanced considerably in the last few years. And optional services available to QuickBooks users, such as QuickBooks Web Site Solutions, gives you everything you need to design, launch, and host your new site. QuickBooks Web Site Solutions offers quick and easy set-up and contains easy-to-use editing tools, so you can keep your content up-to-date.

If you're just getting started on the Internet, you'll need to choose and register a domain name, also called a URL or Web address. Practically speaking, your Web address is your Internet identity and your online brand. Your customers will remember this name and use it to find your Web site, your products or your services. And since no two parties can ever have the exact Web address at the same time, your Internet identity is unique.

Note that every domain name has an extension, or category. While the most common extension is .com, there are several extensions to choose from, including .net, .org, .biz, .us, and many others. You can buy the same domain with different extensions, such as flowers.com or flowers.biz. Each additional extension requires a separate registration and fee.

A short, memorable domain name can make the difference between creating a successful Web presence and getting lost among the clutter on the Internet. Because of that, you need to put as much thought into registering the right domain name and extension as you did into naming the business. While your business name is always a wise first choice as your domain name, you may decide to register a domain name that matches the concept of your business instead of your exact business name. That way, you might draw customers in search of that topic. For instance, a gardening store that registered tulips.com might get visitors looking for information about planting tulips. A short, topical domain name can also be a wise choice if your business name is lengthy or contains multiple partners' names.

Once you buy and register a domain name, you are ready to begin building your site. Here are seven steps to follow as you get started.

1. Create a master content plan
   Think about the types of information and services you want on your Web site. You should include your logo, office address, phone number and business hours. You may also want to give your customers a way to e-mail you directly from your site. And you should list your company's products and services, as well as profiles of your key owners or managers.

2. Map out your site
   Design your site the old-fashioned way, with pencil and paper or on a whiteboard. Start with your site's home page and then decide how many additional pages you need and what types of information to include on them. When you're done, your diagram should look like a pyramid, with each level of pages providing more specific information. Remember, less is usually more when you're getting started. Don't create islands or pages that don't link to your central home page.

3. Build the pages
   If you're building your own site, you should know that Web pages are created in HTML. Some people find basic HTML easy to learn, while others find it too complex to master. With QuickBooks Web site Solutions, you don't need to know HTML, and you can build pages without actually working with HTML code.

4. Create links
   Hyperlinks hold your site together, allowing visitors to move from one page to another. You can also include links to other sites. Be sure to design your links so people can navigate your site without getting lost. You should always give people an easy way to go back the way they came.

5. Add graphics
   You may want to spice up your site with images and other graphics. As a rule, a few images go a long way. With QuickBooks Web Site Solutions, you can add your own photos or choose from an extensive library of designs, colors, and images.

6. Find a host
   Once your site is created, you'll need a hosting service. Some hosts are free, but most charge a small monthly fee. Your current Internet service provider might include shared hosting space as part of its basic fees. With shared hosting, you will probably pay a flat monthly fee and be allowed a certain amount of disk storage and bandwidth utilization. Free plans will almost certainly require that you allow the hosting company to control advertising on your site. High-quality shared plans with full programming capabilities can be found for about $30 a month. Some services provide special tools to help you upload Web pages to your site; for others you'll need an FTP (file transfer protocol) application to do this. QuickBooks Web Site Solutions includes hosting services as part of its fee.

7. Maintain your site
   Once your site is published, don't forget about it. Nothing will lose customers faster than an old, outdated Web site. Be sure to update your site regularly to include recent news and announcements. Also remember to proofread your site carefully; misspelled words on your Web site make your business look unprofessional.