If you run a small business, you may not have the budget to outsource certain tasks. For example, if you want to build an online presence, hiring a web designer can be expensive. However, creating a website for a small business yourself can be difficult.
Fortunately, this process is not as complicated as it might seem. Perfect for a small business, some beginner-friendly website builders will allow you to create a beautiful website without any experience. Best of all, many of these tools are incredibly budget-friendly.
Reading: How to create a home business website
This article will show you how to create a small business website in nine easy steps. Let’s dive in!
Here’s an overview of what we’ll cover:
- Choose your website building platform (WordPress / Wix / Squarespace).
- Choose your domain name.
- Find your hosting provider. (Our top pick is Bluehost!)
- Install the WordPress software.
- Choose a theme or template.
- Install any plugins or extensions .
- Add your content.
- Optimize your website for search engines.
- Publish your website.
Things to consider when starting a small business Website
There is no one size fits all solution when it comes to creating a website. You need to think about your goals before you start so you can implement design elements and tools to achieve your goals.
For example, a dental office would need a completely different website than an architecture firm. Whether you want to educate visitors about a brick-and-mortar store or make sales online also has a big impact on how your website should look.
As you start building your website for a small business, introduce yourself the following questions :
- What information do you need to provide to your website visitors?
- What actions do you want visitors to take after they visit your website (e.g. products online buy, come to your brick and mortar store, request a quote)?
- How will you showcase your product or service?
- Need an online portfolio of past work to present your Value to potential clients or customers?
You should also consider the expected traffic to your website. If you’re looking to sell products online, you might get a lot more exposure than a local business that relies on in-person sales. Your needs in this area will influence which platforms and hosting providers are right for your website.
How to create a small business website (in 9 easy steps)
Once you sign up Once you have a clear direction for your website goals, you can delve into the design and build process. Here are nine key steps to help you launch your business’ online presence:
Step 1: Choose your website building platform
Ideally, you should choose an easy-to-use one Choosing a solution that supports this will help you create a website without any coding knowledge. Here’s what we recommend for small businesses:
- WordPress. There are two versions of WordPress. We’re going to focus on WordPress.org, which gives you access to the best features and more control over your site. You need to arrange hosting separately (more on that later).
- Hosted website builders. If you like all-in-one solutions, consider a reputable provider Website builders like Squarespace or Wix. These platforms offer ready-made website designs that you can customize with a drag-and-drop tool. You don’t have to outsource the hosting to another company, but you have less design flexibility.
The costs associated with hosted website builders depend on the plan you choose. For example, if you go for the Squarespace Business plan, it will cost you $18 per month.
On the other hand, WordPress is an open-source project, which means it’s free to use can. However, you are responsible for finding a web hosting provider, which incurs additional costs.
In this tutorial, we’ll mainly focus on WordPress.org because we think it’s the best solution for most small businesses.
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Here are some of the reasons why we recommend WordPress:
- You don’t have to be a developer or techie to create a website.
- The WordPress software is free.
- It’s super flexible – you can easily change the look of your website or add new features.
Over 43% of all websites on the web Use WordPress to keep your small business website in good company.
Step 2: Choose your domain name
Your domain name should ideally match your company name. If you’re not sure what name to choose, there are several online generators that can inspire you, such as B. DomainWheel:
Here are some tips to consider when choosing your website address:
- Make sure it’s easy to write.
- Keep it as short as possible.
- Add keywords that are relevant to your business.
We also have a few posts that go into more detail on choosing a domain name:
- How to choose a domain name
- A guide for domain name extensions
- The best domain name generators
Don’t worry about buying your domain name just yet – you can register your domain name when you sign up for hosting (in the next step). If you want to use a tool like Squarespace or Wix, you can also purchase your domain name through those tools.
Step 3: Find your hosting provider
Once you’ve decided to do this If you choose an all-in-one website builder, you can skip this step. WordPress users should read on.
There are several excellent beginner-friendly hosting companies to consider. Our top choice is Bluehost, officially recommended by WordPress.org:
We recommend Bluehost for several reasons. For example, the hosting packages come with the following services:
- 24/7 customer service and support
- A free SSL certificate
- A free Domain name for the first year of your plan
- Access to an easy-to-use dashboard
- Built-in security features
- WordPress optimization features
The cheapest Basic plan starts at just $2.75 per month. This package is usually sufficient for small websites, but you can easily expand it as your business grows.
Step 4: Install the WordPress software
You can do this step again here skip if you prefer to use an all-in-one website builder like Squarespace. However, if you prefer to use WordPress and a hosting company, you will need to install the software to use the Content Management System (CMS).
Bluehost offers an intuitive dashboard and one-click WordPress installation. If you choose this hosting provider, you can install the WordPress software quickly and easily.
Go to your Bluehost dashboard and click My Sites in the left menu. Then select Add siteWe recommend opting for a plugin that can protect your website from spam, hackers, and other malicious actors. For example, Sucuri Security is an excellent all-in-one solution that has a free and a premium version.
When choosing plugins or extensions, we recommend going for tools with high ratings and regular updates. You can also read other users’ feedback to see if the plugin is right for your needs:
See also: How to Start Designing A Successful Game App for iOS & Android?
You can refer to our WordPress plugin installation guide. Alternatively, you can check out the reference material for installing extensions on Squarespace.
Step 7: Add your content
When you customize your website, you probably want to add content almost immediately. Before you do that, it’s a good idea to have a rough structure in mind.
Most corporate websites need the following:
- Homepage. This will be the first thing many visitors will see when they come to your website. It should give a brief overview of your achievements. In addition, it should provide clear navigation to other sections.
- Products, Services or Portfolio page. This is where you present your work and describe what you have to offer clients.
- About us. In this section you can tell your story or share information about your team.
- Contact page. Ideally you would like Include a contact form and encourage customers to contact you if they have any questions.
- Blog. This is a must-have for many businesses these days and an excellent content marketing tool.
WordPress and popular website builders allow you to easily create pages and add blog -posts. Therefore, you have the freedom to curate your content as needed.
Step 8: Optimize your website for search engines
Once you’ve got content available online, you still need to make sure people can find it. SEO is a strategy that can help with this.
SEO is the practice of refining your content so that it is more likely to rank high in search engine results pages (SERPs). There are a few important practices to keep in mind, such as: B.:
- Use appropriate keywords in your posts and pages
- Optimize your site for speed
- Choose a responsive design so that your content is on work on all devices
- Include internal and external links throughout your site
- Use post names in your permalinks
If you use WordPress as your website platform you can install an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO, which will scan your content and suggest improvement tips:
Some website builders offer similar tools. However, it’s always smart to follow this SEO checklist.
Step 9: Publish your website
Many website builders allow you to keep your website private while you build it and then to publish it as soon as it’s ready for visitors. With WordPress, your website is visible to the public as soon as you install the software on your hosting account.
Anyway, before you start promoting your website, there are a few last-minute checks you might need to do, which might be the following You do:
- Preview how your site will look on mobile to make sure it’s readable.
- Read through your content to make sure everything is correct.
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- Remove any filler content from your design or template.
To drive traffic to your new website, you should reaching out to existing customers to let them know you’re online now. You can also promote your website on social media or via email.
Conclusion
To recap, here’s how to build a website for a small in nine steps Create Business:
- Choose your website building platform.
- Choose your domain name.
- Find your hosting provider.
- Install the WordPress software.
- Choose a theme or template.
- Install plugins or extensions.
- Add your content.
- Optimize your website for search engines.
- Publish your website.
Have questions about launching your small business website? Let us know in the comments below!
* This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on any of the product links and then purchase the product, we will earn a commission . Don’t worry, you’ll still pay the standard amount, so you won’t be charged.
See also: How to Make a Successful Website: 11 Critical Factors
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