Your Website – Start With A Great Foundation

You are ready to create your business website.

First things first, make sure you are going to create a website with a great foundation for years of growth! A website is an extension of your business and with that thought remember it takes time to grow your site and have it ranked within the search engines.

Website Checklist

       Create a website plan

  • What is the purpose of your website?
  • What are your site’s goals?  Remember that your goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound).
  • Who is the audience that you want to attract?  This involves understanding of the demographic characteristics of your target audience.
  • How will you measure the success of your website?
  • What is the main message you want to relay to your site visitors?
  • Plan the domain name.  It is advisable to get one that you can brand.
  • Plan your website’s design. The design elements to consider are color, logo and images. The simpler and easier to navigate, the better.
  • Plan the site’s content?  Will it be for information only? Or will you be selling online? Do you have your content ready?
  • Plan your search engine optimization.
  • Plan the sections you want to have in your website?
  • What’s your timeline?
  • Create a budget for your site.

Choose a domain name and register it

  • The best domain name is one that uses the company’s name in the URL
  • Choosing a domain name that has keywords related to your business is also a wise option.
  • A good domain name is also characterized as being easy to spell, say and remember.
  • Does not exceed 20 characters
  • Make a list of your possible domain.
  • Find out if your possible domain name is available. There are many sites you can visit and verify the availability of the domain name you are considering. GoDaddy or instantdomainsearch.com/.

Earlier post on Choosing the Right Domain

Find the perfect hosting provider

  • There are a number of Web hosting providers.  Find one that meets your needs.
  • In choosing your web hosting service provider, consider the following:
    • Cost
    • Ease of use
    • Space
    • Programs and Scripts
    • Support
    • Transfer Limits or Bandwidth
  • For now we are happy with BlueHost. BlueHost offers great phone support, more than one website with your hosting package, and you receive a free domain when you purchase hosting package.

  Build your website

  • Find at least 3 websites that have the elements you want for your site.
  • You can opt to enlist the services of a web development company
  • Create and publish your site content. Keep your content unique.
  • Add keywords to your major site pages.
  • Create your social accounts
  • Have a clear call to action.  Be very clear about what you want your visitors to do when they land on one of your pages.
  • Create a sitemap for Your Website and submit to Google analytics
  • Track the progress of your website
  • Regularly monitor your analytics and make changes when needed.

After you have chosen your domain name and hosting provider, you will need to set up your WordPress site with the right theme, plugins, and content.

Join us for a class to Grow Your Business Online.

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