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If you\'re planning on having a website, it\'s either to make money or to create awareness with it. But as a home business you may not have the budget of a larger company. You will need to understand the medium itself  - the internet and how it works  -  so that you can feel comfortable talking with your website designer.

Become a user first! The best preparation you can do for taking your business online is to become familiar with the internet itself. As a new user you can be the best person to contribute to the design of your website!

Here are thirteen essential tips to consider - they will

help you build ideas for your website.

1. Stick at it!
At first, the internet and searching can be extremely frustrating. Remember those frustrations - write them down. Some of your customers and users will be first time users. Others will be experts. If you see websites that you particularly love or hate, write down the web addresses OR learn to use your \'favourites\' folder to store them.

2. Search for something.
Find out how many sites are out there.... try searching for \'image\' if you are an image consultant; \'flowers\' if you are a florist. There are billions, and you will be competing with them all! But don\'t get despondent - start to narrow your search using phrases like \'florists North Shore Auckland\'. This is how more experienced internet users are learning to search for the information they require.

3. Look for your competition.
What are they doing? What can you do better? What can you do differently? Can you find them in a search engine, or did you have to type in their address? What frustrates you when you go through their website?

4. Look for your suppliers.
How could you improve systems between you and save costs by going online? Can you be linked to from their website?

5. Basic business and marketing rules still apply.
Write down what you find: - what you like - what you don\'t like - your frustrations. What attracted you to particular sites - the description in the search engine list? The colour and design? The title listed in the search engine?

6. Does your market search the internet?
Does your business need a website yet? Will it in the future? Very very soon our home internet will be on the TV, using a remote to switch between TV and the internet. Order pizzas, order a video. On a rainy afternoon - it will be easy!!

Your market may not search the internet for your services just yet e.g. builders, but you may choose to have your portfolio on the internet as a cost-saving measure.

7. Buy something online.
A book, a music CD. Is it easy? Is it frustrating? Do you understand what is happening as you go through the process? Is it explained carefully? Do you feel comfortable that the goods are going to be delivered? Do you know if your credit card details are secure? What do you do if you have a complaint?

8. Download something.
Try Acrobat Reader - it\'s free. Go to www.adobe.com and find Acrobat Reader - it\'s a very useful small product to have on your PC. If you already have it, download the latest version. Do you fully understand what to do? Do you understand what is happening? How long did it take?