media dreams LLC

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To create your or migrate your online business presence with Microsofts Office Live Small Business service. This service is great for businesses that need a website they can manage without special software. Here is a jump start.
 
Start up sites are free to create. You may also purchase your domain or re direct one you already own inside the Domain Manager portion of your site.
 
You must first have or create a Hotmail, MSN or LIVE email account. Go to www.msn.com to create one. Pick a name that reflects your business if you can.
 
If you plan to purchase a domain name ( dot com etc) you may want to search for available domain names first and then create the new email account with a matching name or spelling. (not a requirement) Domain names are about 15.00 a year and must be renewed each year.
 
What do you expect your web site to do?
  • Show your business brand on the web
  • Provide contact information and a contact form to your email
  • Describe products or services
  • Create opt in email lists from contacts for marketing
  • Provide you client feedback
  • Sell products online (Ecommerce & Shopping Carts)
  • Deliver video on demand
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Something else?
 
Storyboard your site!
  • How many pages will it be and what will the name of each page? This is what users will see in the navigation bar.
    • Home, Contact, About, Products, Services, Customer Feedback are some sample names.
  • What will be on each page?
    • Text: Short descriptive sentences to capture reader interest at a glance.
    • Pictures: Where will they be placed on a page. Do you understand visual picture size vs its file size? Why?
    • Inventory and purchase links like PayPal Buy Now buttons?

Now that your thinking about content for you site you can set up your first Microsoft Small Business site and choose from the preselected templates to get started.

 

  1. Browse to the Small Business login.
  2.  
    Enter your new email address and password.
  3. Fill in the forms as required and accept the terms of service. Reading them is a good habit.
  4. Your site template will be created with the default color scheme and page text.
  5. Note the name of your new site in the upper right hand corner. It will look something like Youremailname..Web.officelive.com.
  6. Upload any images you wish to use to the Image Gallery.
  7. Click the Design Site link to view the page list in the default web site.
  8. Click the Edit link next to the page you wish to change.
  9. In the Internet Explorer browser the page editor allows the author - YOU - to either change the content on the Page..

or click the upper left tab marked Site Designer and change the site colors, header or footer for all pages on the site.

  1. Insert an image by either selecting one to replace or putting your cursor where the image will be. Click the Image button to see the Image Gallery. Select your image and click Insert. You may need to re size the image by clicking it and dragging one of the corners to the proper size.
  2. Use the Zone Format button to add or remove rows or columns to the page. These are not the same as tables.
  3. Use the Module button to insert advanced functions such as blogs, weather, PayPal, HTML code etc.
  4. Change the overall look with the Theme button for all pages on the web site.

  5. Themes

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Color

As you can see you are already well on your way to a nice web site. You can add or remove pages, add SEO text, put your navigation bar across the top or the left side - all in one spot. The more advanced webmasters can extend this web site even furthur with embedded code, custom web page parts etc.

 

Happy building..