How do you go about finding someone to design a professional website?

[JMS]

This is where I'm very computer illiterate. The short story is that DH is in insurance. He's an independent broker but works for a company. His company has a website but nothing that specifically references him. He's allowed to basically cut and paste from the company website and add his own info as well on his own website. Someone else in his office (they work together but are also basically competitors) did this and is getting quite a few random hits that are generating business.
So I need to help him create a website, or hire someone to do so and then find out how it is you go about getting on google.

I know I must sound like a complete novice, borderline moron

Thanks for any advice or direction.

[BillK]

How ironic. I own and insurance agency and just recently had my site "finished" by someone else (I originally did the first page but didn't have the time to add all the rest and tweak things). I felt the cost was reasonable and the results were good.

Here's my website: www.km-insurance.com

I got it "finished" by a really nice girl named Lisa at NAMIC (National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies). http://www.namicwebservices.com/

I ended up choosing NAMIC because they had designed the website of a small Mutual insurance company I represent and I was impressed with their website. I asked the manager of the company who had done their site and he told me about NAMIC and how happy they were with the outcome.

Go to http://www.google.com/webmasters/ for info on the various Google web services out there. There are also some decent "dummies" books that offer good info on optimizing your website and using Google's "Ad Words".

[JMS]

Thanks Bill for the great starting info. This job has fallen into my lap

[irie i]

If you need any web design resources PM me and I can help you. I taught myself how to build and design web pages so I know a bunch of places to go for help.

[lizajane]

i can recommend someone. my BFF from childhood is a web designer, has her own company and works with small businesses. www.charmeddesignworks.com
(don't let the artsy work throw you, she also did the site for the construction co where my DH works.)