Creating company awareness is paramount for a startup. Make sure you are represented on these 5 simple must-have platforms.

Ever hear the phrase “all dressed up with no place to go”? I think about that phrase every time I see a new startup begin to spread its wings as it emerges from the birds’ nest. Up to this point, you have spent countless hours creating product, possibly securing funding from friends and family, even developing your initial customer base. Now you need to make sure the world knows about you.

It takes a little time, but you must establish your company’s presence on these five platforms in order to be viewed as a real player:

A Website. Seems like a no-brainer but I am still amazed at how many startups don’t have a web presence. Worried about cost? For $9.95 you can buy a web domain, and for another $9.95 a month you can utilize a hosting provider who also includes free web tools like WordPress. With just a few hours of work you can have a site up and running. Remember, your future customers, partners, investors and employees will immediately look for you on the web. Don’t miss out on that opportunity to tell people who you are.

Company Email Address. I hate it when someone gives me an email address with a gmail extension. I hate it even more when they try and game the system with yourcompanyname@gmail.com. It signals to me that you don’t think your business is worth the $9.95 per month for the website AND free email addresses that come with it. The email addresses are included with the cost of the website. Or set up a Google Apps account for $5 per month per email address. Either way–tell me that you are serious.

There are 2 but there are 3 others that you can find here.