reliable & reasonably priced hosts
There are literally thousands of companies providing web hosting, and many of them do an excellent job. These are the hosts that I've used consistantly for several years, and have always been happy with the service.
domain name registration
Again, thousands of companies, but when it comes to domain name registration, you can't beat GoDaddy. The price is right, and you won't come back in three months to find that the reseller you originally bought your name from is no longer in business, and your domain name is being held hostage by some company in Australia.
search engine optimization
What good is a website if no one can find it? The field of search engine optimization is constantly changing - subscribing to a few newsletters can help you stay abreast of the latest developments, and might give you some excellent ideas on how to promote yourself.
wordpress
This Open Source script has literally revolutionized web design! It's not as DIY as, say, Blogger, but with the help of a web design professional, so much is possible, even when you're on a tight budget. Functionalities that would have, in the past, cost thousands of dollars to implement can now be yours in a few clicks.
professional photographers
The web is a visual medium, and if you want your site to look truly professional, you can't have grainy, out of focus images that look like they belong in a family photo album. If your budget allows, a professional photographer can make your site stand out.
stock photo sources
A professional photographer, taking custom photos for your site is always going to be the best, but if that's out of your budget range, you can find a wide selection of images and illustrations at one of these sites.
