Is it time to create a commercial website for your business?
Your website is your personal online home. It allows you to strengthen your brand and control your message.
Developing a business website might seem intimidating, but it’s easier than ever with the website builders and content management systems available.
Keep reading to learn the main steps in starting a website for your company.
Choose Your Platform
Picking a platform sets the stage for creating and updating your website.
Website builders offer easy templates that allow you to easily add your own images and content. The drag-and-drop format is appealing to people without website design experience. You don’t need any coding experience to create your website.
You’ll typically pay a monthly fee for website builders. That includes the tools you need to design your site as well as hosting, domain registration, and other tools.
One drawback of this method is the limited customization. If you know a little about coding, you can’t use any custom code to make changes to the site. You’re limited to the templates.
A CMS gives you more control over your site. WordPress is the most popular CMS used for building websites. You can use custom coding and add plugins to make your WordPress site unique.
Claim a Domain Name
Your domain name is the web address where everyone can find your site. Making it easy to remember helps people get to your website easily.
The domain name also helps establish your brand identity. Including your business name helps make it memorable.
Pick Commercial Website Hosting
Unless you choose a website builder with included hosting, you’ll need to select a website hosting company and packaging.
Hosting is what gets your website online. The web host you choose puts your website files on a server that makes it accessible online.
Most companies offer different levels of shared hosting with varying amounts of bandwidth and storage. The larger the plan, the more traffic and content your site can handle.
But shared hosting means you’re sharing resources with other sites, which can slow yours down.
VPS hosting is more expensive but gives you isolated resources within a server.
Dedicated hosting means you get a server just for your blog. VPS and dedicated hosting cost more, but they give you more resources for your website.
Select a Template or Theme
The template or theme you choose for your website determines its appearance. Choose a simple, professional look that fits your branding.
Consider the layout and opportunities for adding images to ensure it fits your needs. You can customize the template or theme, but the overall style should work with your branding.
Add Content
Your personalized content is what makes your website unique and attracts potential customers. Include information that describes what your business does as well as contact information.
Adding resources or a blog to your website helps build trust and establish you as an authority. It also helps people find your website when they search for topics you include.
Get Started With Your Website
Your commercial website serves as the heart of your company’s online presence. Getting it up and running lets you connect with potential customers and build your brand.
Do you need help getting your website going? Contact us for information on our web design services.
