It is time for your business to reach the next level – presence on the internet. Now that you are ready to develop a website for your business, where do you begin? We will take you through a few basic steps to get you going on your first website.
Step 1: Choose a Platform
This is just what the name implies; it is the base on which your website will stand. For newbies and even those with some knowledge of websites and coding, WordPress is the most popular choice for a platform. It is used by over 50 percent of all websites. It is easy to use and most of the work has been done for you by a host of developers and web designers. Other options include Joomla and Drupal. For the beginner, though, WordPress.org is the recommended choice.
Step 2: Choosing a Domain Name
What will your site be called? What is your business niche? What is your focus? Use these answers to come up with a name. Write down several and then check online to see if the one you want is available. It may take a few tries to find one you like that no one has taken. Keep it as short as possible and also easy to associate with your business. Buying a domain name may cost a few bucks, but it’s worth it to have your own business name.
Step 3: Find a Web Hosting Service
You can’t have a website without a host. The hosting service is where your data will be stored, on their servers. Depending on how much space you need now and in the future, it might be worth a few more bucks a month to ensure that your site won’t crash or get turned off. Free web hosting services usually don’t provide enough bandwidth for a major business website.
Step 4: Create a Site Map
Before you begin to put together your website in cyberspace, it needs to be put together on paper. Using a simple design, sketch out your pages: headers, content, images and positioning of these elements. Also, include which pages will link to other pages, how they will link, pulldown menu options and the like. Knowing roughly how you want it to look goes a long way to getting the focused finished product you want for your business.
Step 5: Install WordPress
WordPress.org makes it easy to install their website program on your computer. One-click installation is offered. You can then log into the content management system and look around to see how to set up pages, edit and upload content and more. There are many options with WordPress.
Step 6: Design your Website
For those who know coding, you can use HTML or CSS to change the pages to look like you want them to. HTML can be used in a simple text editor to get your content to show up the way that you want it. WordPress offers options for free themes for design templates to begin with. A variety of options are available, so take some time to peruse them. If you don’t like it, you can always change it.
Are you ready for a website? Here are six steps designed to get you up and running.
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