Today, technology has made it possible for all businesses to have a presence online. With the various website design software that exist, all small business owners can create their own simple and attractive websites without having to master coding. Consumers rely on the internet to search for everything they need in their daily lives, businesses who can offer the products and services they want as well. A website serves as a space for small businesses to provide general information about themselves. Even just a simple designed website can help your business gain an edge in the competitive market. A business without a website does not exist and cannot compete with others. The following are steps to help you build your own website.
First you need to choose a domain name.
Your domain name identifies your website, it is also known as your website address. It is one of the most important features of your website. Since you will share it with your customers and potential ones, you have to keep it simple to type, easy to remember and void of any abbreviations and acronyms. You should avoid figures and numbers as well that might confuse your customers. Make sure the name you choose does not exist for you not to face copyright issues with anyone.
Once you have chosen your name, choose the proper domain extension. Some domain extensions include: .com, .net, .co, .gov, .biz .edu, .org. It is preferable you use .com for your business. Research the domain name on Google to see if there is a similar website address which exists already and make sure it does not contain a registered trade mark. Check the price as well to see if it is affordable. If the domain is taken, you will have to buy it from the owner at a more expensive rate. Once you are set, confirm the availability of your domain name and purchase it via a domain registrar.
Choose your web host.
A website host offers all the technology necessary for your website to be searchable and viewed on the internet. As a small business, hosting your own website will be too expensive, as such, chose an external host depending on your budget. A less expensive host will be a shared web host where you will have to share a server with other websites. This shared hosting is not advantageous for your website because it is less secured. You can still go in for dedicated hosting where you will have a private server and all the resources will be yours. It is however costly and most small business owners are not willing to pay for it. Before you go in for a host, make sure it is reliable, and they can be able to help you instantly if you are in need. As your business grows, think of upgrading your hosts as well to effectively handle traffic and operations on your website.
Present a clear description of your business
You want people who visit your website to know who you are and what you do immediately as they land on your site. Make your home page a visual representation of your products/services. On one section, provide a detailed catalogue of your products or services, on another one, provide a blog for updating information about your business. Also include your business location, your address, and an introductory text that further gives insight into your business. Other websites have that linked to “About Us”. Design your website in such a way that it has multiple pages dedicated to different aspects of your website. As for your overall website, make sure each space supports your primary goals and include a CTA.
Optimise your website for search engines.
This makes search engines give a high ranking to your website in search results. Once your website is optimized for search engines, people can find it easily in search results among other websites that have similar content. Good content and professional website designs are elements that can make your site appear on search engine result pages. SEO can lift your website that used to show up in the last pages of search engine results to the first page.
Publish content on a daily basis.
Publishing quality content on your site regularly is important both to your business website and to search engines. As such, publish quality articles as well as blog posts on your site and on external sites that link to yours. Keep updating your website with relevant content for it to continuously appear in search engines. Aside posting articles or blog posts on your website, post testimonials as well to keep your site more attractive. It is also another way to attract customers to your business who may be impressed by positive testimonials.
Choose a content management system and implement it to your website.
This is a software program which creates and manages digital content. Every small business owner can use it to maintain their business websites because it does not require much technical knowledge. There are different content management systems. As such choose one that can respond effectively to your needs. For example you can choose WordPress for your business website; it is the most popular content management system and has the latitude to extend the functionality of your website. It is free and simple to install but could be hacked easily. You have to maintain it regularly so that people cannot hack.
Implement a website maintenance plan.
It will be absurd to create a website and allow it grow stale. You have paid for it so you will want to make sure it functions well and gives you a return on your investment. To keep your website function properly and well secured, you will have to make sure all the software you use are updated, use traffic data to learn more about your customers and better carter to them, search for effective ways to advertise your website, and let visitors give feedback about your website.
From the above, can you create your own business website yourself? Not quite easy right. If you do not have a website for your business, then what are you waiting for? We build your business website in less than 6 hours. Just give us a call 818-797-7523 you will be more than satisfied.