(ARA) - It's no wonder that many small businesses rely on Web sites to promote their services or products. The internet is one of the fastest and easiest ways people get information on just about anything they need or want.

"Having a Web site is crucial today, even for the smallest business," says Amy Norton, Academic Director of Interactive Media Design for The Art Institute of California-Orange County.

Not only do small businesses need a Web site, they need a "well-developed, updated and user-friendly site," she adds. Before jumping into the interactive world without knowing the basic principles that can maximize the effectiveness of a Web site, Norton offers the following tips for saving money, time and stress in the long run:

Designing a Look
Getting a professionally designed Web site doesn't have to cost a fortune. Contact a local school who may offer programs in Web site design. They may be able to put you in touch with a student or instructor that can offer affordable help. Check out Web sites you like, and that are similar in function to what you need for your Web site. If you scroll to the bottom of the Web pages for these sites, you'll often find contact information for the Web site's designer, or a link to the designer's own Web site. If in doubt, give the organization a call and ask for a referral.

Organizing Information
Your main page should give the user a clear message about what your company does and what product or service you offer. It should be uncluttered and act as a gateway to the rest of your site, with clean, easy-to-use navigation.

Arguably, the most important information a business can include on its Web site, and one that a surprising number don't display prominently (or leave off entirely) is contact information, especially address and phone number. A good Web site has contact information visible on every page.

Selecting a Domain Name
When choosing a domain name, the shorter the better. You want a name that is easy to remember and hard to mistype. There are several reputable Web sites that can help you register your domain name including godaddy.com and register.com. Both sites will run searches for you to see if the name you want is already in use. They'll also tell you which entity is using that name in case you want to make them an offer for it.

E-Commerce Sites
E-Commerce sites, which are any sites where customers are able to make purchases online, come with their own particular challenges. Include an electronic shopping cart that collects items the user wants to purchase as they browse through the site. Some ready-made shopping carts are available for purchase or your designer can create a custom cart for you.

You'll also need a secure server for transactions. Credit cards and PayPal are the most common ways to accept payment online. Consider investing in a service such as Verisign, to verify credit card payments during the transaction process. Otherwise you'll need to do this manually before shipping merchandise.

Finding a Host
Your best bet for choosing a good host service for launching your Web site, out of the thousands that exist, is to ask around. Again, check with other Web site operators, as well as your designer, for recommendations.

Maintaining Your Web Site
Your job isn't over once your Web site is launched. It's important to update your site information frequently in order to keep customers coming back. In addition, many search engines won't list your Web site unless you have new content.

Web Site Optimization
Web site optimization means that when people type certain key words related to your Web site, product or service, into any of the top search engines, such as Yahoo! or Google, your Web site comes up at or near the top of the list. Make sure your designer creates your Web site with a goal to help maximize your search engine optimization, as well as train you on how to maintain and update your site.

The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) with 32 educational institutions located throughout North America provides an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals. To lean more about The Art Institutes visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.