Guide to Set-up a Business Website

With the evolution of the digital era, owning a website for your business has become a key marketing tool.  A website provides online presence and accessibility to your business. It helps you get discovered over the internet and therefore grab more clients. A business seems legit and authentic when it owns a website. These days, branding plays a huge role in the success of any venture. Branding builds customer trust and loyalty and a good website is surely helpful in creating just that. And you know what? Hiring a developer to create a website is not mandatory anymore. Thanks to a lot of help available on the web, and methods developed over time to make the task easier. With just a few clicks, it is possible to take the reins and create your own website.

As I began my research on how to create a website for a business, hundreds of results poured in. All of them emphasizing on the importance of a website and ways to create one for your ventures. The purpose of a website can vary. If you are planning to sell your products online, then building an e-commerce website is the way to go. On the other hand, a website can also be designed for informative purposes only. These provide an insight into and information about the business.

So how should one get started? What things need to be kept in mind? What path to choose from the many available options out there? And most importantly, what is the cost involved? I am sure there are several questions. Let’s take a deep dive, then and explore website modeling and its aspects.

Choose your platform wisely – Traditionally,websites were developed by an expert or developer. This procedure involved working with a Web framework such as HTML, ASP.NET or PHP and building a website from scratch. Needless to say, this is a tedious task, requires knowledge of coding and therefore performed by developers or agencies you could hire.

As technology has progressed, now it is possible for an amateur to create a website with the help of a number of pre-designed platforms that require little or no knowledge of coding. The most popular ones being WordPress, Wix or Squarespace.All you need to do is set your priorities & choices in place and begin with creating your website. We would discuss about this method in detail. So let’s get started with the process:

Step 1 – Shortlisting a Content Management System:

A Content Management System refers to a software used to manage the creation and modification of digital content. Fortunately, there are some very basic and effective CMS available. There are options like WordPress, Wix, SquareSpace, Joomla, Drupal etc. to choose from. WordPress has become extremely popular in the last few years.

Which platform would be best for you, it totally depends on the requirements of your business. For instance: how much time do you have to set up your website, if you are technically inclined and understand the aspects of coding, what are the custom requirements of your website, the budget etc. Here is an analysis of some CMS’s for better understanding:

• WordPress : This has grown as the world’s leading CMS. WordPress is preferred by people who are technically sound. That means they have some knowledge about coding and most likely have some experience in web designing. WordPress is also preferred if your website consists of multiple elements.
• All in one site builders: We are referring to site builders such as Squarespace. This is considered the World’s easiest CMS. Businesses who are looking for an easy way to create a professional website find this site builder to be their best option. They usually work on the drag & drop concept. Which means all you have to do is choose from the already available templates to customize your own.

So, you must figure out what works best for your business and then proceed on to the next steps.

Step 2 –(For WordPress Users) Web Hosting:

Web hosting is the service that makes your website publicly available. WordPress itself is a free platform to use, however, users need to purchase the web hosting for a custom domain. Many web hosting providers offer affordable plans and additional services like free SSL certification, one click WordPress installation & a free domain name. There are some renowned web hosting providers as mentioned below along with their unique features:

• • GoDaddy – Users can create a website using drag & drop editing technique very easily. This happens to be one of the most popular web hosts
  • Bluehost – It is considered good for beginners due to its low cost and plans with good features
  • DreamHost –DreamHost introduces monthly plans that are priced competitively, therefore becoming a priority for many small businesses
  • InMotion – The web hosting company that provides best support and also has fast site speed

Generally, it is wise to choose low-cost web hosting plans in the initial phase of a business. This way you can save both time and money. For instance,plans for Bluehost start from as less as $3.95 per month. However, ensure that they provide effective technical support.

 

Step 3 – Obtain your domain:

Simply put,a domain is the address of your website. For example, In the websitecoursera.com – The domain name is “Coursera”. You can create your own customized website address this way. The average cost of a domain name in India is anywhere between Rs.200 to Rs.1000 per year, which is approximately up to $15.00/year. These can be obtained from domain registrars like GoDaddy, Google Domains or BlueHost. However, it is also possible to obtain a domain free of cost if you avail web hosting plans from any of these providers. So, it can be a good idea to choose a web hosting plan that provides a free domain name too.While choosing a domain name, make sure it’s easy to remember and try to keep it as short as possible.

Here are some of the ways to obtain a domain name:

• All-in-one website builders: Using a website builder is the easiest way to create your website. Squarespace happens to be the most popular of all. Interestingly, it offers a free domain with its annual plans so that would be an added advantage
• Domain name registrars: If a domain name is all you need, it can be purchased directly from domain registrars like GoDaddy or Google Domains
• Web Hosting providers: This option is best suited if you are using WordPress to create your website. Since you would require a web hosting plan, which can be bought from BlueHost or DreamHost, there are often plans that provide a free domain too.

Before you invest your time in finalizing a domain name, do check its availability in advance. This can easily be checked through any of the domain registrars. Domain names are unique. If a domain name that you want is already taken, you most likely need to shortlist another one for yourself.

 

Step 4 –Finalize a theme or template:

It is always a good idea to choose your theme or template before you begin creating the website’s pages. There are a number of pre-designed templates available. In fact, popular site building platforms have an entire library of pre-designed themes. These pre-built templates make your website look professional since they are created keeping this thought in mind. And of course, it saves you a lot of time and hassle. You do not require a web designing experience to do this – Isn’t it great!

Interestingly, websites that are developed using WordPress have the maximum number of themes available. And they make for a perfect fit with any kind of business. They have templates appropriate for a health & nutrition, digital marketing or music website. You name it and they have got it covered.

 

Step 5 –Clarity of objective and intent:

Websites are an extension of your brand’s beliefs. They are a key marketing tool – thanks to the popularity of digital age. Therefore, the right designs, fonts and overall outlook of your website are important. It communicates your vision to potential customers; helps generate more business & retain the existing clients. A website acts as an informative tool & a communication medium as well. So, adding features that would please your potential customers and site visitors is a sure shot way to grab attention. Here are some of these tools that can help you achieve this:

• Introduce free demo, offers, coupons etc. within the website. They surely attract customer attention
• Live customer support over chats is a great idea to create customer trust. It give people a secure feeling when they realize help is instantly available
• Embed links to your social media pages for easy accessibility of users. This also contributes to an increase in number of followers
• In order to boost sales, use trustworthy & business specific integrations such as Zomato for food delivery services. Or MindBody for fitness related websites.
• Include testimonials and reviews from recognized third party platforms. This helps to attain social proof and increases credibility
• Study the analysis of your website traffic to understand how users interact with your website. It gives you an insight on consumer expectations too
• Create custom landing pages for paid digital advertisements such as Google Ads

Application of these ideas along with an in-depth analysis on expectations from your website helps you optimize your site. Eventually, it becomes a magnet that attracts the right set of people. Clarity about your intentions and objective is crucial when it comes to building your website. This goes on to prove as an asset and one of the most effective marketing tools.

Step 6 –Choose the right e-commerce platform:

This would be applicable if you plan to sell your products through your website. Online shopping has seen a steep increase of about 20% post Covid-19. It proves that online transactions are the future. Here are a few E-Commerce platforms to choose from:

• • Shopify – This is a cloud based platform that allows you to create & customize your online store. This happens to be a standalone platform. Your shopify account can be linked with your main website through a shopify integration plugin. Shopify provides features like unlimited bandwidth and product listings, fraud analysis, reports etc. One disappointing fact for Shopify is that it doesn’t allow much flexibility as compared to its counterparts
  • Shopify Plus – This is an advanced version. It allows international e-commerce, higher level of customization & support among other benefits. The subscription cost is of course higher
  • Business Squarespace –This can be opted if you have very simple e-comemrce requirements.An upgraded subscription also provides features like SSL security, abandoned cart recovery, discounts, real time shipping and much more
  • GoDaddy online store – This is relatively easy to use and set-up. It does not even require a lot of technical knowledge to set-up an online store with GoDaddy. Easy and simple templates, social media integration, quick page loading etc. are some of its key features. Despite being a relatively new platform, it is well liked among users
  • WooCommerce – This is one of the World’s most common and liked platforms. It can convert your WordPress website to an online store. It also vouches to be one of the most flexible tools. It has a huge collection of free and premium themes. You might need a little technological help in setting it up.

Step 7 – Building web pages & customization:

Based on the CMS you choose, there are a number of ways you can customize your website. There comes the designing aspect which requires a little in depth knowledge of how every change that you make will impact your consumers. It is important to focus on the primary elements like home page, navigation, product listings, services & contact pages etc. These are the foundation of your business. Getting this right must be your primary task. Other designs or additions are just add-ons. A home page creates your first impression; the navigation proves how user friendly your website is. Basically, the purpose is to ensure that users have the best possible experience while using your website.

Step 8 – Review and Launch:

Performa test runs on all your website features. This ensures that users would not face any issues while accessing your website. Any errors or changes can be found and executed at this stage. Thereafter, publish your website on the chosen platform and enjoy the benefits of online visibility.

Conclusion – A website is an important component of marketing. Thanks to the many available tools and platforms, these can now be made easily in an affordable manner. I hope this article will help you build a foundation of knowledge with respect to website building before you take the plunge and explore the nitty-gritty of the entire procedure. So go ahead and take your business to the next level.