By eric on 05/26/2016
So you’ve decided to build your first website. Great! Before you get started, though, you’ll want to take a few preliminary measures to ensure you’ll have the optimal website that is easy to find and use.
Web Hosting
Securing a web host should be your first order of business. Doing that will secure your place online. Web hosting is essentially buying space on a server so your website can be accessed by anyone. GoDaddy is the most popular web hosting service thanks to its compatibility with a wide variety of website formats and low hosting costs. HostGator is another great option for affordable hosting. Both include 24/7 support, so if you need help setting anything up, they’ll be sure to walk you through what you need to do.
Domain Name
If you’re building a website for your business, having a domain name can make all the difference. It will show both customers and advertisers that your business is credible and worth taking a look at. GoDaddy and other online tools can be used to check for availability of the name you want. It’s important to note that while domain name extensions like .net, .org, and .biz will most likely be available for you to purchase, .com is the most recognized and popular. Securing that extension is can be costly, but will make your website appear more professional overall.
Choosing a Program
There are no shortage of programs to use for building your website. Free sources like Wordpress are definitely alluring, but if you have the technical know-how and are okay with paying for more advanced tools, Adobe Dreamweaver and SquareSpace are available, as well. Wordpress is by far the most popular option thanks to its ease of use and free tools, not to mention over half of the websites on the internet are built with it. If you’re just starting out with no experience at all, go with something easy to understand and work with. You won’t have as many options as the other programs, but if decide that your site needs a facelift in later on down the line, you might want to familiarize yourself with a program that’s a bit more technical.
Promotion
Getting the word out about your website is just as important as creating it. If no one sees it, then what was the point of making it? If you’re promoting a business site, one smart option is to use Google AdWords so your website will appear during searches when potential customers are searching for services or products that you offer. Your ad will show above the rest of their results, making you more likely to be clicked on than the competition. If you want a personal website to gain more exposure, try using a more casual approach. Telling your friends in person or through social media will spread the word and hopefully generate interest in your website.
You’re finally ready to show off your labor of love on the world wide web. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get the results you want right away; the internet is huge and gaining exposure isn’t always easy.
