How to build your own business website
As a content creator what always came to mind when I heard ‘website design’ was coding, and ambiguous computer terms I did not understand. You probably think the same. But surprisingly, creating your own website isn’t that complicated.
The following article will teach you what you will need to build a website and a practical example of how to do it.
But first, let’s address the elephant in the room:
Is it advisable to create your website compared to hiring a professional?
Well, the pros of hiring a professional to design your website are that they have the expertise to create a website that streamlines your brand. They have the knowledge to coordinate colours, images, etc. The biggest con is it can be expensive to hire one and way off budget to hire a GREAT web designer.
On the other hand, designing a website on your own may be cheaper but it takes a lot of work. So, are you ready to put in the work and create a professional-looking website for your business?
What you will need to build a website
We recently had an interview with Elsardt Kigen, the Chief Creative Officer from Bold. Decisive. Design. Lab (BDDL) on the components of a good website and he also provided information on what is required to build a website. They include:
- A goal
Before getting handsy with your computer, you need to clearly outline the purpose of your website. Why do you need a website? How will the website integrate with your marketing strategy? What will the business website offer to your customers? If you are offering a product-based business, your website goal is to get people to buy, and with this goal, you should include an ‘add to cart and checkout option. A goal gives a clear direction to build a website that users will love.
- Content
If websites didn’t have content, they would only be coloured empty sites. The content of a website could come in the form of website copy (headlines, testimonials, etc.) and blogs. So, you need to consider factors such as: what kind of information will your website have? Do you want to do it in a minimal or informative way where you can add some helpful articles that you think your customers may be interested in? You need to be clear on what your business website will communicate.
- Domain
A domain is the name of the website. An example of a domain name is www.ibuqacapital.com. There are platforms that sell domain names and additionally you have to pay monthly or annual fee as you are not actually buying the domain name; you are renting it from the domain name registrar. Domain names go for $2 to $20 per year. However, you can also get a domain name for free through a variety of ways such as a free domain registrar or a web hosting plan. You can get a domain name from platforms such as Namecheap, Domain.com, and Hover.
- Hosting Platform
Now that you have a domain, it needs a ‘house.’ A hosting platform provides space on a web server for websites to store their files. In simpler terms, a hosting provider is like a property owner, and they are giving you space to place your website. An example of a good web hosting provider for eCommerce sites is Hostinger.
How to build a website
Now that you have your goal, domain name, hosting provider, and content ideas, you can comfortably develop your business website. There are a couple of free website builders e.g., Wix and GoDaddy. To make it much easier for you, let me take you through a snippet of creating a website on Wix. Wix is a web development platform that has over 500 customizable and attractive templates you could use to create your website.
Building a website for free on Wix
Signing up process
To get more details on what website you want to build, Wix enquires about certain factors such as:
Personal/business information for signing up– This is where you create an account by providing your name, and email address and setting up your password
State the kind of website you want to create– blog? Online clothing store?
What is the name of your website- You can write your business name as the name of your business but you can change it later.
What do you want to add to your website? – blog? a feature that allows your customers to book or buy tickets, a forum?
CREATION PROCESS
At this step, you can choose how you want to build your website. There are three options:
- Go to the dashboard- The dashboard allows you to manage your products, business tools, and analytics. If you deal with selling products, give them a description, state their prices, select their availabilities, etc.
This is what the dashboard looks like.
You can Add your products, State the prices, availability, and descriptions. Do you have a summer collection? Or do you want to offer your clients a gift card? Here Is where you can specify that.
- Begin with a template- get to choose from several templates and optimize them to create your website.
WIX has a variety of templates you can select from depending on your website. I picked one template and customized it by changing the name, headline, sub-headline. The simple is easy as you just make the necessary changes on the template.
Wix Template
- Get a custom-built site- Wix creates a site for you according to your specifications.
It is easy making a website on Wix. However, there are components of a website you must include to make your website as user-friendly as possible. You can get more information from our previous article where we discussed key website features.
Other business websites builders include:
GoDaddy will help you design your website for free and will also allow you to buy and host your domain on the platform.
Weebly offers web hosting, domain registration, web design and some eCommerce functions. It is great for startups and small businesses.
You may know or have heard about WordPress. WordPress allows you to create great websites, blogs, and landing pages.
You do not have to break the bank to get a professional business website. All you need is to have a few basic design knowledge, a goal for your website, domain name, hosting platform, and voila! You can start designing your website.
For more useful articles to help you grow your business you can visit our website or fill out this form to get notified of new articles. For more information/inquiries on how we help small businesses grow, you can call us at +2547 43 750 000.