If you’ve just started your business or are fairly new to the entrepreneurial world, then building your online presence can be time consuming and, at times, frustrating.
But it’s also very important.
Continue reading to get started on building your business up online. And remember, taking that first step is always the hardest but soon you will be able to run really easily with it.
Step #1 Domain Name Registration
This is the address people will use to access your Web site. For example, “77thflooronline.com” is the domain name of this site you’re reading right now. What name you want to use is totally a matter of choice. Irrespective of what you pick, it’s always a good idea for you to register your own business name. This is just to make sure you own that particular piece of real estate on the web, and are in control of it. You’d also need to make sure the domain you want is available and register it. Yearly domain costs could be anywhere from $1.00 – $100. Lately, I’ve mainly been using GoDaddy.com to register my domains.
Step #2 Hosting Your Web Site on a Web Server
You will need to sign up for an account with a web host so that your website has a home and everyone will be able to connect to and view your web pages. If getting a domain name is akin to getting a business name in the brick-and-mortar world, getting a web hosting account is comparable to renting office or shop premises for your business.In order for a website to run, it must be hosted somewhere. There are many different hosting options out there like HostGator, SiteGround, Blue Host etc. Price will vary, depending on the amount of disk space you will have and the connection to the Internet.
Step #3 Design of the Web Site
Once you have settled your domain name and web host, the next step is to design the web site itself.This is where you decide how the site will look to the user and how it will feel when he or she is interacting with it. “Look” can be defined by colors, fonts, layout, overall styling etc. A few of the ways the “feel” is determined by are how the menu is laid out, the call to actions, page loading speeds etc.
While you can always try building your own website using templates provided by, for example Wix, if you are serious about establishing your online brand, we suggest working with a web design professional. When working with a web design company, take some time to clearly define your business objectives and key adjectives regarding the look and feel of your website to ensure that everyone is on the same page before web design work begins.
Step #4 Marketing Your Web Site
You should be thinking about the marketing of your Web site as it is being designed. Once your website looks good, is usable, and can keep a visitor’s attention for more than a few seconds, the next step is to increase your web traffic. To get maximum traffic, you’ll need to promote your company website on search engines such as Google. This is called Search Engine Optimization.
Want to know more about SEO? Check out our SEO 101
For effective marketing you need to have a good content strategy.. For example, if you want users to visit repeatedly, provide regular updates. To encourage visitors, you can send email alerts when the site is updated or circulate a regular newsletter.
I want to establish a strong presence on the Web, Where do I begin?
If you have decided you want a web site or have any questions, simply fill out our contact form or send us an email, or better yet, call us and we can start the process. We would love to help or to provide you with a no obligation quote.