How to start a website: 5-step guide
This article is for all of you that have a business running or have an idea and plan for their business. It will focus on the main decisions and steps of the process of how to start a new website.
1. Define your website budget
Creating a website is a process like any other project in your organization. The first step of starting a website is planning. Think about the purpose of your site and all the features it needs. Define how much money you are willing to spend on it. There are plenty of options, and many could be overkill for your needs. Think well and define your budget that involves money for software (CMS, themes, plugins, etc.) for freelancers or agency (design, programming, content, etc.), services (hosting, DNS, domain name, etc.), marketing (advertising, off-site SEO, promotions, etc.).
2. Choose your platform
Currently, if you want to start a website, your best choice is to use a Content Management System (CMS). It is software that includes almost everything that you need to start a website. It will be the framework for it, and you can expand its features with plugins and addons. The most popular one is WordPress, but there are many more like Joomla, Magento, WooCommerce, Wix, Shopify, and more. The decision will be taken based on your needs (what kind of site it will be), budget (some are free, others cost), and how popular it is in your country (you need specialists to work on it and with it). Migrating from one platform to another is possible but not easy so better choose wisely.
3. Get services
Another step in starting a website is paying services like:
Domain name.
It is a must-have. It is the name of your business online. You should search for a domain name that is easy to remember and, if possible, to match your existing brand. Another thing to consider is the price per year and price for renewal of the domain that might differ for the various top-level domains (TLDs).
Hosting.
The hosting should preferably be located near your target audience. Think about from where the people will visit you and choose there. Based on your budget, needs, and the type of site you need, you can choose a basic shared hosting, a more advanced virtual private server (VPS), or even a dedicated server. Choosing a company that has more plans and options could help you in the future.
Additional services.
You could get additional services like DNS plan, DDoS protection, Content Delivery Network (CDN), Backup services, and more. Most of them add value to your company, but please be careful because the bill can get larger quickly.
4. Create the content
Having an empty canvas does not mean having a website. Now you need to fill it with original content, attractive images, and videos. If your company has the resource, you could do it alone, but you can also choose to hire a marketing agency or freelancers for the task. What you need is original content that you have the right to use, and it is well-written. Having excellent content written according to the latest SEO trends will help you rank better on the search engines.
5. Advertise it.
Now that you have everything up and running, your last step in starting a website is to show it to the world. Think about an SEO strategy that will put your site on the “organic” results of the search engines and an SEM strategy for the paid section. You need to think about each section of the marketing funnel and create specific actions for them. Bring not only more people but the right people too!