Years ago, the internet was used primarily for big businesses. Today the world wide web is used in many homes and by all walks of life around the world. I liken having a webpage to having a business card. These days it is a must. In this post I'll help you navigate getting started with a website.
What if you don't have a website?
If you do not yet a have a website and are not ready to pay the fees to hire a professional web designer, it can seem like a giant leap to take. There are many options for someone just starting out. Yet, I encourage you you to proceed with caution. Here's Why.
Here, I'll lay out some of the basics that can help you get on your way to making the decisions toward getting stared with a website and setting it up.
There are several options to chose from when deciding to create a website. A current popular chose are website platforms that generally offer ‘free' solutions. Companies such as Wiz, Weebly, and Homestead are a few examples. Remember, though, the free free hook is usually just a nibble.
The downside to using programs like these is that they can be somewhat limiting in what you can create. The templates are often standard and not easily customizable. What I have seen happen and have heard from clients time and time again is that once you get in there, after you have invested time and all that valuable energy one of the two following things inevitably happen. (you get the sharp end of the hook):
(1)Does this sound familiar to you? You almost done. You just want this one more thing. If it would just do that. But, THAT is an additional fee.
(2) You now have things the way you like them, and bam, you are paying monthly fees for years. Because, you don't actually own your back-end files and you can't simply pick up and move to a new location if you wish.
A very popular solution an my platform of choice is WordPress. WordPress is an open source application that is free to use. If you're brand new to building a website, you'll find the many pages of documents and forums helpful.
WordPress offers a great solution allowing a blog and a webpage in one location. Blogs are known for having better results with the search engines which in turn can increase traffic. But, that's a lesson for an other day. Here's a video I did explaining WordPress.
Here is a list of the things you may want to consider when you begin looking at possible options:
The monthly fees involved:
Are there any hidden fees?
The amount of technical knowledge necessary:
The best route to go is to be mindful or your current level, how much time you have to invest in learning and how soon you need to have your website up and functioning.
The limitations of the program:
It is very common for “newbies” to have thoughts of grander when dreaming of the site they want to have. I know, I did it too! But, those super highly functioning site are built by the developers and big budgets. It's best to simply take one step at a time, and start with a basic site.
If you are brand new to this – get ready to have some fun! Learning technology, how to use it to enhance your business, and to share your art and passion can be an exciting process. For more advice on running your business both on and off the web, check out my other posts.
You can follow my step by step outline to get your website up today by filling in the box on this page.
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To Your Inspired Success!
Patty Rose
