Steps To Owning A Website

Some years ago owning a website for your business, brand or organization seemed like a very huge project to undertake but today most businesses are finding ways to own a website either by hiring a web development agency or freelancer while some entrepreneurs take time to do it themselves using web building tools available on the internet either way, having a website for your business, brand or organization has become a necessity as most consumers expect that a trusted company should have an online presence.

If you own a business today and do not have a website for your business, you might have to rethink your business strategy as consumers are constantly validating the eligibility of your business by visiting your website. Furthermore, a website is not just a place of contact where people read about what you have to offer but it has become a place where people transact business. If you are selling a product that can be delivered to a consumer then you must consider having a website where consumers can buy your product without having to interact with you personally.

In addition owning a website has been made so easy that every business is able to afford one. To own a website, you just need to follow the steps below and you can immediately join the league of businesses or organisations with their own website.

1. domain registration

The very first step to owning a website is to register a domain name that reflect your business identity, products and services to enable customers find your business with ease using a search engine. It is advisable for your domain name to be the same with your business name and can also be used to configure your business email such as name@domainname.com giving your business a professional outlook. Some customers will question the validity of your emails if the are sent from a mail provider such as gmail, yahoo, hotmail and more.

To register your domain name, you will need to find an accredited registrar and this may come at a fee although some accredited registrar provide this service for free. Free domain registration is always tied to a hosting deal or limiting so I strongly advise that you opt for a paid domain name as it gives you more control.

2. website hosting

The second step is to find a hosting company to host your website. When you have a domain name that is also referred to as your web address, the contents of your website are stored in a server on the internet so when ever your web addressed is imputed into a browser the server hosting your content will display the contents of your website. So a hosting company stores your website contents on their server and displays it when it is requested for through a web browser.

You can also get free hosting services online but they are very limiting in terms of the services they provide. For a well secure, hosting service I recommend a paid hosting with a reputable hosting company such as bluehost, godaddy and others. Web hosting cost varies depending on the hosting company, the services offered, the size of the hosting solution and other additional services.

3. build your website

Building a website has become so easy that anyone can build a standard website. A number of websites of small scale businesses were built by the owners utilizing several tools available on the net. There are a number of drag and drop web building solutions and you can also opt for using templates and customizing them to suit your business. For a more professional look and additional functionalities, you might want to engage a web agency or a freelancer because there are certain technical feature you might need that may not be achievable through drag and drop web building solutions or templates.

If you are a business owner and you do not have a website, you should plan on having one and if you do have a website but it is not meeting your business needs, then you need to improve on it. Many startups are waiting to have a huge budget before owning a website whereas having a basic website is what they need to get the huge budget.