Last week I posed a few questions; “How do I create an identity?”, “Where do I start?”, “If I’m not a technical person what can I do?”, “How much will it cost?” This week I will try to answer them.

How do I create an identity?

There are a few easy things you can do. To start you can register a domain name. Look for one that says something about who and what you are. You can use a domain search tool to see if “your-name.com” is available, if not try something like “lightbulbguy.org” or “coolsteve.ca”. Once you have your domain registered you can use it to create email addresses and setup a web site.

 Where do I start?

There are lots of things that can help you to create a simple but effective website. To get started decide what you want the function of the site to be.  If you like to write and share your ideas then a blog might be the answer. Maybe you need a place to store and share photos. If you are not sure but just want to get started then a simple page that says who you are will work fine.

 If I’m not a technical person what can I do?

We provide lots of tools to help you get started including application installers like WordPress, Joomla, and Gallery II. We also provide all of our hosting customers SiteBuilder an online wizard to get your website up and running without having to know the first thing about coding.

How much will it cost?

Less than you might think.

For about the price of good paperback novel you can get everything you need to get started.

So what are you waiting for?

Stephen Nichols
V.P. Sales and Marketing
SoftCom Technology Consulting Inc.

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 I had a conversation with some associates today about what we did before internet search to find things. How did we access information? How did we sort, filter and locate trusted companies? What will the internet change in the future how we interact?

Back a generation or so, identity and trust were simple things. They were based on a personal relationship; you lived and worked with a relatively small group of people. You could know people or businesses based on their reputation or your personal experiences with them. In the past decade, that has changed very rapidly. We now move, interact and transact in a far more global world.

Things have changed from a handshake and a business card, on to a brand and an identity. If you are a business your website has in a way become your business card. If you are an individual you probably have an email address and belong to some social networking site.  

As the internet becomes more and more crowded, having and maintaining an online identity becomes more important.

What do I mean by an “online identity”?

• A way for you to share who you are and what matters to you
• A tool for communication and a means of connecting, with friends, with customers, and with the world
• Your place to express your brand, your uniqueness, your piece of the internet

Not everyone will see or use a website in the same way to create an online identity. Some will blog others will share pictures and some will create elaborate websites to express who and what they are. Businesses, even those that have no need to sell or advertise online will need some sort of website some form of online identity.

The questions I get asked by lots of people are; “How do I create an identity?”, “Where do I start?”, “If I’m not a technical person what can I do?”, “How much will it cost?”

The answers are far easier and less frightening than you might think.

I will answer them in a follow up blog post next week…

Stephen Nichols
V.P. Sales and Marketing
SoftCom Technology Consulting Inc.

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