There are many reasons why you want to create your own website. Perhaps you have just started your own company. And you want possible leads to take you seriously, then you should definitely have a website. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to look you up and you wouldn’t seem legit nor professional. So it’s really important to have a solid website. In order to build a website you need to follow the following 6 steps, good luck!
Start with a plan If you want to build your own website, you need to make a plan. Write down why you want to create a website, what the goal is, what visitors of your website need to see and read and what you want your website to look like. Also decide when you want your website to go live. If you experience troubles during the process of creating your website, you can always go back to the basics and remind yourself why and how you’re doing this.
Select a domain name You need to decide what the name of your website is going to be. The domain name (or internet address/url), needs to show what business your company is in. The domain name (or internet address/url), needs to show what business your company is in. Let’s take a website that sells carnival clothes (Dutch: carnavalskleding). But not only do they sell clothes, but also party decorations (Dutch: feestversiering) such as balloons (Dutch: ballonnen). So, this domain name shows exactly what kind of products you can buy.
Register your domain name If you’ve found a good domain name, you should check if it’s still available. Is that the case? Then you should register it. A registrar can do this for you; they also arrange a hosting package for you.
Select a content management system (CMS) Selecting the right CMS is important for your website. With the CMS (content management system), a smart software application for your website, you can manage and adapt your website even if you don’t have a lot of technical skills. You can pick a content management system like Magento, WordPress or Joomla.
Create a nice design and fill the website with content Once you’ve selected a CMS, you can start designing your website and fill it with content. It’s important to keep SEO (search engine optimization) in mind when you’re creating your website. You want your website to look good and to be informative for potential customers, but you also want it to rank good in the search engines.
Arrange hosting for your website The last step to go live with your website is arranging the hosting. With a hosting package, you get a spot on the server. You have to pay for hosting, but don’t worry, it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. The exact price depends on the size of hosting you need for your website. If you have a simple website, the prices start at a few euros a month. You can purchase a hosting package at the same company that has registered your domain name.