Hi folks Dave Waring again from FitsmallBusiness.com and today's lesson of the day.
In our last lesson we continued our series on how to start a successful business with
a look at how to raise money for your new business.
In today's video we are going to continue that series with a look at how to put together
your small business website.
So let's get started!
Everyone knows you need a website, but many small businesses still do not have one because
they find it too complicated or expensive.
Building a small business website does not need to be extremely complicated or costly.
Here is a guide on how to create a basic website that will allow customers to locate your business,
find your contact details, and learn about the products or services that your company
offers.
If you set up a good basic website from the start, then you can add on additional features
in the future.
Step 1: Choose and Register Your Small Business Website's Domain Name
Here are the 4 primary things to keep in mind when choosing a domain name for your website:
Whenever possible your domain should contain your company name.
For more on choosing a great name for your company, see our guide on the topic which
I have included a link to in the resources link below this video.
Domain names are important for search engines, like Google.
When possible they should include words that people are likely to use when searching for
your business and/or the products and services you sell.
Domain names should be easy to pronounce and remember.
Keep your name as short as possible and avoid punctuation, like dashes.
Domain names should be unique.
You want to minimize the chance of someone trying to reach your business ending up at
a different site.
You always want to choose the .COM version of a domain.
Use Godaddy's domain name tool which I have included in the resources link below this
video to search for available domain names.
Start with the name of your business.
If someone has the ".com" version of your name, try the name of your business in combination
with the geographic location of your business or what you do (if its not obvious from your
name).
For example, if your company is called Smith Plumbers and based in Albany, NY, you would
first try www.smithplumbers.com.
If that wasn't available, you might try www.smithplumbersalbany.com or www.salvatoreplumbersny.com.
Once you have found the domain name you want you can register the name at Godaddy for around
$13 a year.
Rand Fishken over at Moz.com has some more great tips on choosing a domain name which
I have included a link to in the resources link below this video.
Step 2: Outline the content and pages that you want on your site.
You should have your content outlined before you start designing your small business website.
Design is secondary to content and should facilitate client's easily finding the information
they are looking for.
Every website should have 4 pages to start: Homepage: On the homepage, you should include
the name of your business, where you're located or the area you serve, plus give one or 2
reasons to do business with your company.
Products and Services: a page with details about the products you sell or services your
provide.
On the page which you detail products or services, spend one to five sentences describing each
type you offer and give the pricing.
About Us: Provide your background, include testimonials, and list organization memberships
like being part of the Better Business Bureau.
Contact Us: Your address, email, phone number, the hours you are open for business, and links
to any social media accounts such as Twitter and Facebook.
You should also Embed a google map of your location and include different ways of getting
there (ie subway, train, car etc) if applicable.
In addition to a contact page your phone and address (if applicable) information along
with any social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter, should be prominently featured
on every page of your site.
For search engine purposes make sure that your phone number and address are text and
not part of an image.
Step 3: Decide on a Logo The colors and type of logo that you have
will determine the colors and other design elements of your entire site, so start the
design process with your logo.
If you already have a logo that you are using in the offline world, then you want to be
consistent and use a digital copy of this for your small business website as well.
If you do not already have a logo then there are 3 different ways you can create one:
Do it yourself: There are a number of logo wizards out there that will allow you to create
your own logo.
However, many of those advertised as being "free" are really not free because you have
to pay to download the logo you created with the "free tool."
One that does not charge you for most of the logos they allow you to create is Graphic
Springs which I have included in the resources link below this video.
Use Fiverr.com: Fiverr.com is a site that matches you with all kinds of service providers
who are willing to do projects, including logos, for just $5.
If you use the $5 option you will have to wait a couple of weeks to get your logo.
If you are willing to pay around $20 you can generally get it that same week.
Make sure you only choose designers who have a portfolio you like and lots of positive
reviews.
Use 99Designs: 99Designs runs contests where multiple designers compete for your logo and
other design business.
This is a great option because you get to see many different designs but only pay for
the one that you choose.
The price ranges from $299 to $799 depending on how many designers you want competing and
the quality of those designers.
I have included a link to 99Designs in the resources link below this video as well as
a great guide on how to use 99Designs from Steve Hopkins over at The Squiggly Line.
Work with 1 Designer: If you decide to work with a designer on your website which we talk
about in the next step then most will create your logo as part of the site design.
Step 4: Design Your Site There are a variety of ways to have your site
designed.
Regardless of which option you choose you want to make sure that you keep the following
in mind: Use WordPress.org Wordpress is a contact management
system which basically means you can use it for the backend of your website.
There are many, many reasons why you should use WordPress, not the least of which is that
it makes it so you can update your site yourself instead of having to contact a designer every
time you want to change some text.
If you need more convincing read Marty Dickinson's article on the 35 reasons you should use WordPress
which I have included a link to in the resources link below this video.
Avoid Flash: Flash is what allows you to have an opening page with movement, you can see
an example here.
In addition to being bad from a user experience standpoint, search engines cannot read flash
so this will make it much less likely that your site will show up in Google.
Mobile Site: Having a mobile site is a must in today's smartphone world.
If you host your site with Godaddy, they will not only walk you through the entire process
but they also give you a free mobile version of your site when you choose their deluxe
hosting plan.
That plan costs around $8 a month.
Here are your options for designing your website: 1.
Do it Yourself: The great thing about the technology available today is that even the
layperson can build their own website.
Godaddy has fantastic customer service agents which can get you setup with a basic hosting
plan and help you install WordPress.
There are many wordpress themes which are basically templates available, some free and
some paid, that you can install and modify with the click of a mouse.
To learn more about this option and get a wealth of other info for WordPress beginners
visit WPBeginner.com.
Use a Freelancer.com: If you don't see a theme you like or want something more custom then
you can use freelancers on elance.com or freelancer.com to help you build your site.
Two things to keep in mind 1.
make sure they use wordpress 2.
make sure they are highly rated, have a portfolio of sites that you like, and have done more
than a few thousand dollars worth of work.
If you have a theme that you like but want some modifications this is also a cost efficient
option.
99Designs: Just as you can get a logo designed by 99Designs.com you can also have your full
website designed.
The concept is the same, you submit a brief on what you are looking for and get back anywhere
from 20 to 60 designs.
Again here you only pay for the design you choose.
The price ranges from $599 to $1599 depending on which package you go with.
If you go this route keep in mind that you will still need to have the site created in
HTML which will cost you an additional $1000 or so.
Work with 1 Designer: If you want a more personal level of interaction, like perhaps sitting
down with a designer in person, then this may be the route for you.
You can expect to pay several thousand dollars for a good individual designer, and again
here you want to make sure they have a portfolio you like, have done work for a lot of clients,
and can communicate effectively.
Once you have set up your new website, there are a few things that everyone should do to
make sure you get off on the right foot, which I have outlined in the article 8 things every
new wordpress site owner should do and included in the resources link below this video.
That's our video for today, if you have any questions please leave them in the comments
section below.
Also be sure to stay tuned for the next video in our how to start a successful business
playlist where we will discuss how to setup your business email address.
To learn how to be a more successful entrepreneur be sure to visit us at fitsmallbusiness.com
today.
Thanks for watching!