A Web Hosting Solution
Time was when local trades people hardly needed to advertise at all. Villages were small, there often was just one of each trade in a village, and word of mouth got the job done. Even if there were two butchers or blacksmiths, everyone knew who they were, where they were located, what they charged, and who was willing to barter for their services instead of insisting on cash payments. There was no WorldWide Web then, of course, and no need for web a hosting solution.
Villages grew into towns, town grew into cities, the number of seamstresses and shoemakers and carpenters increased, and it was harder to keep track of who was who or where they were located or what they charged or what services they offered. So trades people started handing out flyers and putting ads in the daily paper.
The phone was invented, and some time thereafter, the Yellow Pages. For a long time, people “let their fingers do the walking.”
That isn’t enough anymore. The answer?Web Hosting solution to your advertising needs.
You see, getting your name out there in front of people is only half the battle. You also need to trumpet your basic (yet enticing) information. Your phone number. Your location.
What credit cards you accept. Your hours of operation. Any special education or other qualifications you have. Quotes and recommendations from satisfied customers or clients. Any awards you may have won. Any affiliations (from the BBB to a craftspersons’ association). Your picture, so people feel they’re dealing with a person and not just a faceless company. And anything else that will either inform the public as to your qualifications and the services you render, or persuade people that you’re the best choice.
Web a Hosting company can be your best ally… and advertisement.
Churches: Reach Higher Than Your Spire (a web hosting solution)
The term “outreach” is certainly a familiar one to churches, which engage in community outreach often. But how about reaching out to the community to put forth your message and a whole lot more? With a web hosting, it’s a cinch to get your name, your information, your message, and a whole lot more in front of anyone with a computer.
What can a church do with a website? First, on the home page or “landing page,” you’ll probably want to put the essentials: the church’s name, address, phone, and email address to begin with. You also want to list the church’s denomination, or “non-denominational” if such is the case. Then, naturally, you’ll want to display the times at which you offer worship services. Is it Sundays at 11 AM? Do you have Wednesday evening services too? Any other times? And then you’ll want to display, at minimum, the pastor’s name. For a small church, the pastor may be the only name to list. For a larger church, you may have a pastor, an assistant pastor, a pastor emeritus, a youth pastor, a youth leader, a choir director, an organist, a head of Sunday school, and perhaps others include office support staff. You may want to list the board members as well.
Does your church have a motto and/or a mission statement? List those on the home page too.
Now, what about posting a monthly calendar of events? If your church offers special activities, whether of a religious nature, fund-raising, communal, or otherwise, list those potluck lunches, field days, rummage sales, guest speakers, and other events on a calendar page.
How about pictures? If you have pictures taken at past events, candid shots showing people involved and enjoying themselves, or even pictures taken during your worship service, showing people raising their voices in song or praising God, why not display those, too? Visitors to the site may soon turn into visitors to the church itself!
How about posting a list of forthcoming sermons? If you know, a month in advance, the topic of the sermon for each Sunday of the coming month, list those on a page on your site as well. You’ll find that easy web hosting makes access and page revision a simple matter.
You might want a page devoted to the Sunday school, too. You can list the teacher or teachers, perhaps tell a little about what the kids are taught, and maybe even show pictures of the kids involved in some fun learning activity.
Another page can feature prayers or scripture quotations, or a list of suggested readings for the month or for specific occasions or needs.
Then how about a monthly letter from the pastor, and perhaps one from the president of the board of directors as well?
If you’ve got special fund-raising needs, such as a fund to procure a new organ, list that and show how close you are to reaching your goal.
Now, what about community outreach? If you have a food pantry or clothes closet for those in need, a ministry to the homeless or ill, a soup kitchen, a lending library or bookstore, or any other activities that reach out to the community at large or any segment of it, you’ll want to make sure to get the word out by way of your website. With a web hosting, you can change your message as often as you want to — even daily, if you so desire. Get your message out to the community and watch your congregation grow!
Authors: Your Website Is Your “Face” to the Public
So you’ve written a book… and now you’re seeking all the publicity you can get for it. A web hosting company that will reliably host your website is an absolute “must” for your publicity efforts.
I’ve heard authors say, “But I’m not selling the book directly. That’s my publisher’s job. I’m not self-published. What do I need a website for?” The answer is that in today’s world, you still need to promote yourself as aggressively as possible. It’s not enough just to write a book, or even to write a good book. You need to get behind it and push it. And your website is your “public face.”
A web hosting company can give you prices that will enable you to decide whether you want:
• A website for yourself in your name, on which you can list your book or books, any related work you do (for example, public speaking, consulting, article- or column-writing, teaching) on the topic or topics of your book or books, and any other work you do for which you would like your availability to be known (for example, ghostwriting books for others).
• A website for your book, in the name of the book itself, again not just promoting the book but also listing the adjunct work you do in the field that the book’s topic covers.
• A website for all your books on a given topic, again promoting any adjunct work you do on the topic your books cover.
It is a matter of cross-promoting, and you need your website to get the message out. Cross-promoting? Yes… letting your readers know you’re also writing columns or articles or doing public speaking or…. And letting your column readers, talk attendees, etc. know about your book or books. Now that you’ve got what’s called “a platform,” make the most of it. Get the word out!
A web hosting solution is the answer to your promotional efforts, so don’t wait another day to reserve your website, design it, and build it. Your career depends on it. Be a smart promoter and get that publicity machine going!
