The good news is it doesn’t take a great deal of effort to set up a simple website. If it’s a single landing page or a five page tell-them-about-your-product-or-service type website, you can have it up and running in a weekend, especially if you use ready-made templates. All you need is a computer or laptop with an internet connection, so let’s get started.
Choose hosting and a domain name
If you’ve already chosen the name of your business, hopefully you’ve snapped up the domain name as well. But if you’re still at the naming stage, then find out if the domain name is available before you go any further. Ideally, choose a .com domain name although there are lots of other options out there. In the tech sector, for instance, .io domains are often used. So, choose carefully and then lay your claim to a piece of Internet real estate.
We always buy our domain names from a separate provider to our hosting company. It just means that if anything happens with one provider we’ve not got all our eggs in one basket. You’re less likely to have trouble with the domain provider but you could find over the years you go with different hosting companies. Maybe the service doesn’t turn out to be as good as you thought, your site is slow, the server keeps going down or any number of other issues. You don’t want to have to move your websites and your domain name every time. We have our domains with TSOHost and hosting with eUKhost. We just edit our domain nameserver settings and that’s it. But we understand that it’s much easier for someone starting out if they’re just with one provider.
The best thing is to find the hosting provider that’s right for you, then check the cost of their domains. Most will offer a free domain for the first year – but check what the price will be after that. Some hike up the price up quite a bit.
When it comes to hosting, a basic package from eUKhost starts from £3.33 per month when you pay for the full year (£19.98) and all plans come with 24×7 live support and a 30 day money back guarantee. You also get a free domain in the annual payment as well. WordPress specific hosting starts from around £3.99 per month. What we like about eUKhost is that the support service is very good. You can contact them via phone, ticket desk or chat; we mainly use the latter.
For your domain name provider, it’s really about finding the cheapest option. Again, you don’t want a provider that’s not likely to be around tomorrow but all things being equal, there is usually less to go wrong on the whole. GoDaddy, Namecheap (often has deals), TSO, 123-reg.co.uk, fasthosts and uk2 are all fairly decent choices.
Which website platform?
Unless you’re a master at web development, one of the best platforms for business websites and blogs is WordPress. You could also create a simple e-commerce store using a WordPress theme or opt for Magento, Shopify or ECWID instead if it’s e-commerce heavy.
The great thing about WordPress and Magento is that they’re both free. WordPress is probably the best option to use for most non-ecommerce requirements. It’s relatively easy to pick up, there’s a huge community of developers, designers, software and tool providers out there so you can find someone to help if you do run into problems. Shopify is a good choice if you want a complete eCommerce package that covers all the necessary bases.
Business website themes
Whichever option you go for, you’ll need a website theme. This is essential as it gives a professional look and feel to your website. After all, it’s the first thing people will see – it represents your brand and is the ‘shop front’ to your business.
You could opt for a free theme; there are plenty out there. However, given that it’s a business website you’re creating, a paid theme from a reputable provider is the best option. With a paid theme you should also get support (which can be helpful if you’re just setting up). They’re hopefully, going to be around longer too! This is essential to make sure that the theme is kept up-to-date.
Choosing an email provider
Thought about creating an email list? If not, you should do. When people start visiting your site, you should capture their interest at the most convenient points. In order to do this, you’ll need an email provider. There are many options out there. We’d suggest either Mail Chimp, Mailerlite or GetResponse. They offer decent packages depending, of course, on what you’re looking for.
Take the time now to build a list of subscribers who are interested in what you’re doing and your products and services. This way you can keep in touch with them on a regular basis. It’s not about ‘selling’ to them all the time but building relationships on their terms. Offer interesting news, your latest blog post or helpful tips and advice. Find out what is useful and relevant to your customers and clients and tailor information around that.