Want to Build Website? But Don’t Know How to Get Started? Learn In 3 Easy Steps!
The world is changing. More and more people, now, are searching the internet before deciding where and what to buy. Your online identity is fast replacing your company brochure and business card. Have you already started thinking about creating a website for your business? But, is the thought of getting started on one seems daunting? You are not alone. But the good news is you can get through it in just 3 easy steps. Here’s how:
Step 1: Register your domain name
First and foremost, register your domain name – the most important part of a website. Choose a domain name that describes your product or service. If you are a local business, consider mentioning the name of the city in your domain name. It is important to ensure that the domain extension you choose is recognized locally and globally. .com and .net are leading examples of recognized, credible domain extensions that have been global online standards for the past two decades.1 With over 130 million .com/.net domains in the world today2, there is an enormous number of businesses and consumers that trust .com & .net worldwide.
Step 2: Look for a web developer
The next step, after finalizing your domain name, is to start work on your website. This part can be outsourced to a web developer who can build website to reflect your brand messaging. Here are a few simple ways to begin your search:
- A simple Google search can list down hundreds of developers in your city.
- Alternatively, a quick search on popular online directories and listing sites may also be a good way to find numerous web developers working in your city.
- Moreover, your business partners, peers, or other professional acquaintances may give you relevant references of web developers along with some useful first-hand feedback.
There are no standard rate cards in the market for websites. A website may cost you anything from a nominal Rs. 300 per month to as much as Rs. 100,000 per year. Don’t lose heart if you hear an exorbitant rate that is beyond your budget. You will find better alternatives that suit your budget if you look hard enough.
Step 3: Assess the developer carefully
Once you have a pool of potential candidates from your search in step 2, assess each one of them thoroughly so that you can pick the developer that’s right for you. Here’s how:
- Reference Check: Look at the agency’s previous work, verify their credentials using reference checks. A quick chat with their existing or past clients may help you understand the capabilities of the vendor. Ask your potential web developer relevant questions. For example, does he/she have the experience to develop a website with responsive design, or to configure e-commerce capabilities, or has he/she developed a website for a similar business before? With a clear idea of your broad objectives in mind, look for an agency that fits the bill.
- Scalability: A small or medium business may become a mega sized business in future. As the business grows, the website may need more sections, visual effects or content. Whether it is synchronization with the hosting service provider, transferring from one host to another, or accommodating the feedback of various stakeholders, the website should be able to adapt to the evolving needs of the business. A web developer who has the capabilities to handle the growing or changing needs of your website can be an ideal long term partner for your business.
- After sales service: There is nothing worse than working with a vendor who does not respond to your calls/emails or does not have appropriate answers to your queries/concerns. Once live, the website may run into technical glitches. Check if the developer has a fully functional team for SoS response, troubleshooting, and continuous communication with the clients. If that is in order, chances are you will not be stranded in case of a breakdown.
But the first simple step before all of the above is to register a good domain name. There is a .com registered every second.3 What are you waiting for? Register yours today!
Attributed to Mr Sanjay Bhatia, FICCI CSMME, President
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You probably won’t recognise my name, but I’ve tweeted you a couple times 🙂 anyway, I just wanted to ask, what is a logo? I’ve never heard of that before. I seem to be having some issues with my domain name registering, but once its sorted, (fingers crossed it will be.) I’ll be moving on to personalising my blog. how do you pick a theme? There seems to be thousands of them! As someone who doesn’t have a clue or anyone to ask, I feel like i need to be walkeeen at this for 2 days and I’ve still not got my blog! Please help!d through by baby steps! I’ve already been derailed twice, please help! haha
Harold Burton
Thanks, for great advice. I think many content creators/writers are perfectionists or procrastinators (guilty!). Best way to overcome this is, to borrow from Nike, “just do it.” But once you get some experience under your belt, you should create a plan for your business that can at least provide guideposts for where you want to go.
Joseph Donahue
I am a Wix Pro. I started creating for my own interior design business and after submitting 3 sites for evaluation I became a Pro. This is the coolest one. You can take the shapes, cliparts and modify them with “elements”, “behaviors” and “animations”. With some practice you can make a site look like Photoshop work but fast.
Kelly Hubbard
Just caught up with your last four posts and have to say this one stood out by a fair distance.
That first point about setting up your own blog – and NOT using Blogger etc. is vital. I wish somebody had told me that when I first started out. You speak too much truth, sir. Brian Clark and Demian Farnworth preach the same message: digital sharecropping sucks balls.
Holly Hooper
Nirmal 904
Really great advice about making it work as a travel blogger, especially about finding sponsors. Writing and taking pictures come much more easily to me than marketing myself to potential sponsors! I started my blog two months ago and have been having a great time with it, as well as really working those social media accounts (I could never really understand Twitter before my blog…now I’m on it every day). Keep on blogging and helping out with advice for the rest of us.
Paul Brown