Must Know Steps to Setting up a New Website

Whether you work as a freelance designer, own a retail store or any other type of business, an impressive website is essential. These tips will help you create a website to skyrocket sales. 

Acquire a Domain Name That’s Right For You

The optimal website domain name holds significant value. It’s the first impression of your website and it’s important that it ranks highly for usability and SEO purposes. 

• Make the domain easy to spell. Slang or made up words can make it difficult for people to find you. For example, try not to use words with multiple, alternative or unique spellings.
• Use high-value keywords. High value keyword domains rank higher in SEO, making it easier for people to find your website. When appropriate, you can also use geo-location; for example, “www.BeverlyHillsArtShow.com.”
• Avoid meaningless names. Decide on a name that conveys the meaning of your business to make it easy for users to immediately know what your business is. 
• Decide on a URL that is broad to allow for future growth. Although your business may start out as one thing, you may want to expand eventually. Choosing a name that’s more broad will allow for a seamless expansion. For example, Amazon.com is a much broader website URL than BooksOnline.com.

Buy a Secure Website Hosting Provider – with Tech Support!!

When building your website, you will need to purchase a website host. A website host such as GoDaddy.com offers the technology and services required for your website to be stored and viewed online. 

Once you purchase your website host, you will connect your domain to the hosting provider. Oftentimes, website hosts will offer a bundle that comes with a domain, so be sure to look into this when purchasing your website host. 

I highly recommend comparing different hosting providers. Consider the different services offered, prices, yearly packages, server security and customer reviews. 

Most importantly, make sure your hosting company has phone and/or chat support.

There are always technical issues that appear when creating a brand new website, or managing an existing one. If a provider only has email support, a needed solution can be time consuming and slow. 

Here are some popular hosting providers: 

• GoDaddy
• SiteGround
• DreamHost
• Bluehost
• InMotion

Present a Clear Description of Your Business on the Home Page.

Your home page is the first page on your site that users will visit. It is important to convey the value your business offers and to be direct about  who you are and what you do. 

The home page should include: 

• A top banner with your logo & website menu
• Subsequent banner with visual representation of your services
• An introductory short paragraph describing your business
• Social Media Icons
• A call to action button

Choose a Content Management System to Build out Your Site.

A content management system (CMS) is a software that is used to create, manage and maintain the content on a website, without needing the knowledge of coding. There are many different CMS that are designed for different purposes, depending on a user’s needs. They vary in user-friendliness, budget, security and flexibility. 

Some well-known CMS systems include:

• WordPress 
• Squarespace
• Drupal
• Joomla!
• Wix

If You Plan on Selling Products or Services, Choose a Reputable E-commerce Platform.

Selling a product or service on your website requires the right technology to do so. 

Some well-known e-commerce platforms include: 

• WooCommerce – Transform your WordPress website into an online store using the WooCommerce plugin. It is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms around the world and there are free and premium themes to choose from. This makes building the website more user-friendly and gives you the flexibility to design it how you like it.
• Shopify – Shopify is a standalone cloud based e-commerce server, separate from the website you built. Unlike WooCommerce, it is not an extension and would be linked from your original website instead of integrated within the site. 
• Shopify Plus – Allows more customization as well as more staff accounts and international e-commerce options. Although it allows for more flexibility, there is a higher subscription cost and does not compare to the level of customization that WooCommerce offers. 
• Business Squarespace – If you choose to build your website with Squarespace, it offers an option for an e-commerce subscription plan. This is a good option for a simple store, however Squarespace charges a transaction fee. If you prefer not to pay the transaction fee, you can opt to upgrade your subscription plan to a basic online store. This will include a free domain, SSL security, SEO and more. Although this is a good option, it is not as user-friendly as Shopify and not as customizable as WooCommerce. 
• Wix – If you have built your website with Wix, there is a Shopify extension that makes building your online store user-friendly. You may have to upgrade your Wix account and subscribe to Shopify to use the extension. 
• GoDaddy Online Store – GoDaddy’s Online Store is more limiting compared to the competition, but if you are a GoDaddy customer, it’s a great option to quickly and easily create your online store. The features are more limiting but it’s easy to build and a great place to get started. 

I’m happy to help with any further assistance or website creation!

With persistence and determination, you will be able to successfully build your own website. Don’t let issues that come up along the way discourage you. The more you make websites, the easier it will become and you will soon realize that you can Google just about any issue that you run into. There are also many helpful Youtube tutorials that can walk you through step-by-step. As long as you keep learning and working at it, you are taking a step in the right direction! Be patient, use Google and Youtube and keep learning! If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me at belindacohenmarketing.com/contact and I’d be happy to help you through it!