A website is the single most important tool you are going to have as a business. No matter what your business is, whether you are a vintage clothing store, a copywriting service or a self-employed carpenter; a website is a huge part of getting found and getting business. However, there is an incredible amount to think about when it comes to setting up your first website. As such, we are here to help you through the process and answer any of those confusing questions you may have.
Your Domain.
Getting your domain right is a crucial step in securing success, and this is true all the way down to which dot you go with. Do you want ‘dot com’ or ‘dot co dot uk’ or ‘dot net’. And these are just the ones that scratch the surface, there are plenty more out there that you can buy at an additional cost. We recommend you go with one of these – one of the main ones – and possibly consider parking some of the other ones. This will protect you from those that buy up domain names and sell them on at an inflated price, and protect you from those who type in the wrong domain name.
Your Name.
When it comes to your actual name, you need to consider how your chosen name will affect your SEO standing (which is basically how high up Google you will appear). The higher you are, the more traffic you get, the more successful you are likely to become. For example, if you are a copywriter that lives in Norwich in Norfolk, then you will want to use terms in your website that people may search for. This will be some variation of “Copywriter Norwich”. This means you should go down the route of geniuscopywriter.com and mention your location in the description.
DIY or Professional
This is a question that everyone ponders for a bit. Sure, there are companies out there like Wix, which offer great templates and affordable rates, but there are Pay Monthly Websites out there that will offer web design, hosting, SEO strategies and updates for not a lot more. It could be that you are absolutely strapped for cash and can only spare £10 a month. But if you can stretch to £20-£30 a month, then you will be able to land the help of experts; people who not only know how to design and develop a website bespoke your needs, but assist with getting your website in front of potential customers. Now that is worth the extra tenner a month, right.
Learning The Ropes
It is a great idea to familiarise yourself with the different marketing strategies out there. Start utilising social media to boost your rankings, bring in an email campaign, start a blog and post regularly. All of these will ensure Google helps you get found and could even make your website a profit centre and not a monthly outgoing. Sounds great right? What’s better, it is in your hands.