A friend recently asked for a few resources to help get his new website up and running. Cost and simplicity are key factors.

Below is the short list I shared with him.

Site resources: (Easy to use & very cost-effective)

• Squarespace.com – site platform (Built-in blog, social site integrations, hosting, domain, email/newsletter services…basically a one-stop shop)
• WordPress.com – free blogging platform (Add’l off-page resource for linking)

Social sites: (Will help build awareness, create more interaction & even drive traffic)

• Twitter
• Facebook Pages
• Linkedin.com
• Linkedin Companies

Linking resources: (Free resources to help you get familiar with social bookmarking/linking activities)

• Delicious
• Digg

Helpful tips when organizing your site, pages/sections and content.

1. Primary goal(s)/purpose of the site(s): Ex. Leads, appointments, request info, etc…
2. Site sections: Ex. Home, About, Services/Offerings, Image Galleries, Contact Us, etc…
3. Page content: Page copy for each section within the page, images, links, etc…anything that you want on the page, should be included.
4. Additional images & links (employees/staff head shots, logos, extra images, etc)
5. Add’l helpful info: Competitors & other sites that you like
6. A list of keywords people may use to find you on Google

The cost is simply your own time, your website name (URL) and hosting. Total for these resources is approximately $15-$25/mo. depending on the plan chosen.

DIY risk is the possibility poor usability and missing effective social media strategies; nothing that can’t be learned over time or from additional help from a friend:)

Have any favorite “starter” tools/tips you recommend? There are so many good tools out there…