There are various methods to create a business website on your own. But this post contains more than that. Here you will find a step-by-step process to create a business website on your own along with tips, tutorials, and sources.
So, I hope you will like it:
1. Make a list of goals that you want to achieve by building your website.
To create a business website effectively and professionally you have to define your goals. Define to yourself why you’re creating a business website, and what business, income, social, and marketing goals you want to achieve.
When you have clear goals for your website, then it will become much easier to use the best domain name, hosting, website-building technology, and SEO strategy.
If you don’t have clear goals you will not be able to take the maximum benefits of having a website for your business. Read More: Top 7 benefits of having a website for small business
Your business website will help you to achieve the following business goals:
- A business website will build and increase your brand and business awareness locally, nationally, and internationally.
- You can get more customers to your business from search engines by providing detailed data, information, and knowledge about your business, products, services, and customer success stories.
- You can promote and sell your products/services online.
- Customer support through the website.
Any of the above or many others can be your business website goals. But whatever it is, make sure you have it along with a few business and marketing strategies.
2. Select the right technology and tools to create your business website:
Now it’s time to select the best technology and method to create a business website. There are different ways to build any type of website.
You can use HTML, CSS, Javascript or any other programming language. You can also use website builders. But if you want the easiest, most effective, most productive, and less costly method then you can use WordPress to build your business website.
There are also pros and cons of WordPress business websites. But for starters, it’s WordPress is the best and there are billions of people using it. It’s easy to learn and use. But it also has a few limitations equal to website builders. If you want to extend its feature then you can use page builders to create dynamic functionality in your business website.
And when your website starts getting customers from search engines and social media, then you can hire a WordPress developer to add a new feature to your website or you can also improve your own WordPress development skills.
Else if you don’t want to use WordPress and website builders then you can learn HTML, CSS, Javascript, and C# .Net Core and Python + Django to create a dynamic business website on your own.
Else, if both above options are not suitable or you don’t have time to build a business website on your own then obviously you can hire a freelance web designer or developer to create a website.
Following are the posts to learn about website building methods and technologies:
Pros and Cons of Wix Website Builder: Website Solutions
Top 10 things to consider when you hire someone to build a website
Uses of WordPress in Websites and How does it work
Is WordPress suitable for business websites: WordPress Pros & Cons
3. Research the keywords that your target customers are searching for:
You can use keyword research tools such as google keyword planner to find out the demands, desires and keywords of your business customers. The keyword is the search term or the use or name or importance of your products and services that your customers are searching on Google and Bing search engines.
For example, you want to sell weight-loss products on your website.
Now you have to search what your customers are typing or speaking (searching) on the search engines to find weight loss products.
There are two ways to create a business website keywords strategy for SEO:
- One you can search keywords as per the products that you’re selling.
- The other is, to sell those products that people are searching for.
If you have the details of the keywords, customers’ searches or demands details in advance, then it will help you to build a search engine optimization, search engine marketing, content marketing and social media marketing strategy.
SEO, SEM, Content and Social Media marketing strategy, skills, and tools will help you to get the right customers in quick time to your website.
4. Book your domain:
Book the domain as per the name of your business if you’re already running the business. But if not then buy the domain as per the keywords that your customers are searching.
Even if the domain is not available as per the keywords then use some part of the keyword in the domain.
And when booking the domain, also make sure that it’s easy to spell, memorable, and brandable.
Related: Importance of Keyword Research in website SEO and Digital Marketing
5. Buy Hosting with CPanel:
Now hosting is the next step to creating a business website on your own. Hosting is the most important part. Your business website hosting plan will play a big role in the success and failure of the website.
Hosting is a rented place to run a website and store its backend files. In which you have to pay a lifetime on the hosting package renewal dates. So now buy the hosting package that is important to achieve your business goals.
There are various types of hosting packages and also as per the hosting location.
But make sure that your hosting package server location is in the area of your customers. Such as you can shift the office to another best and most comfortable location.
So now buy the hosting package that is important to achieve your business goals. There are various types of hosting packages and also as per the hosting location.
But make sure that your hosting package server location is in the area of your customers. So that website loading will be smooth and hassle-free.
If you’re not sure then please read the following posts:
What is business hosting and how it benefits your business website
Essential things to consider in the WordPress Blog Hosting Plans
6. Install WordPress:
Installation of WordPress software in your hosting server is easy. Most hosting companies provide pre-installed WordPress. But you can also install it from cPanel in your hosting account.
In this installation process, you have to mention a few things such as:
Website address: https://www. ==== .com
Website Name:
Website tagline and most important importantly login id and password for your WordPress website.
7. Select the Themes:
While you will get by default WordPress theme for your website in WordPress after installation. But if it does not look professional and as per your website goals then you can also search for many free themes inside WordPress Themes Add New Theme Option.
Here I have selected some of the best free WordPress Themes to build any type of website
While many free themes provide preview features such as blocksy that you found in the list. But still, if you want a more professional, attractive WordPress theme for your business website then you can also search on Google for the theme per your business. Such as you can search for WordPress themes for photography business websites.
8. Use essential Plugins:
Plugins are add-on features for WordPress Websites. The use of a plugin is important to add new features to your website. There are millions of plugins for all types of dynamic features and website functionality.
In WordPress you don’t have to create any functionality on your own, you just have to install, and integrate plugins and you will be able to expand the feature of your website.
Here is the list of the essential WordPress plugins to use
9. Create important Business pages:
In the premium theme, you will get dummy content and pre-existing web pages. Even in many free themes, you can import dummy content and pages.
Your pages on the website matter the most. On the homepage, showcase the most important part of your business. And the most important part is your products and services. Showcase them here.
Similarly, on the about us page, you can share the details about yourself and your business, team, and mission.
The blog page, it’s a page where you will post blog posts or articles.
And in the Contact page, you will add the contact form, your business address, google map, and contact numbers.
You can also add more pages as per the requirement. But the following are the most important pages:
- Home Page/ Landing page – It’s the main web page of your business website.
- Services/Products Page – It’s the page where you have listed the products and the details of your service.
- About us Page: Where you’re sharing the story behind the business and about yourself
- Contact page – Where people can contact you.
If you’re finding it difficult then watch the other similar business websites or websites in your business competition. And implement what looks good for the customers.
Other than this, you can also create FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) for customers. Where customers will get ideas about the services, such as How customers will pay the price? What about the product development policy? What about delivery and support?
Along with that, you can also add a live chat plugin to your business website. So that customers or people can interact with you in real time or when they visit the business.
The most important thing about the pages is that they are created for the customers. All of your website pages, features, images, and text are for customers. The goal of the content and pages is to connect and communicate with customers. And help them to get the solution that they are looking for on the web and on your website.
It’s not about the quantity or number of web pages. Customers will not be impressed, with how many pages you have on the website. They are impressed when they find the solution. Even a one-page business website can work better than 10 pages of the website.
10. Add your business content:
When pages are created then add your business content. For the home page write and showcase engaging headings, subheadings, and images. For this, you can also use the slider on the home page.
Similarly, showcase your products/services in attractive methods.
And make sure everything is easy to read and understand.
Don’t over-design the website. And do not add extra features or animations when they don’t add value to the content.
Show, what you’re selling. Why they will buy from you and how they can contact you.
11. Test the website speed and content responsiveness:
Website responsiveness and speed are very important. Make sure that all the content is properly visible on mobile devices. Menus and text are not too close to each other. The readability of content, font size, and image sizes on the mobile and desktop are adaptive to the device.
And make sure that everything is loading smoothly and fast. Try to make your website loading speed between 3 seconds to 5 seconds.
Use GTMetrix and Google page speed insights to test and learn the methods to improve website speed.
Following are the important post for you to read:
What is a responsive web design and why is it important
Basics to increase your WordPress website loading speed
12. Create and add social media pages links:
Add social media pages at the bottom of the website or on the contact or about us page. Your main goal is not to get likes or followers. Your 1st goal is to showcase your products and services at the first point and then contact or buying option.
But on many websites, you will find social media page links in the header. The problem with that is they can divide the customer’s attention. So instead of looking at your products or services, they will visit your social media page first. And when they visit social media pages, then they can switch to another task or notification.
Your main goal is to get the attention of customers. To showcase those things that are most important and show them later, the ways they can keep connected with you for long-term and future updates.
13. Add your Google Map location and Google Reviews:
On the contact us page or in the footer, you can display the location of your store, business or office. Display google reviews on the home page or on the contact page.
14. Place your website address (Links) on social media pages:
People/followers and subscribers will visit your business website if you have added the website address (URL) on social media pages when they want more information about your business. But for that, you also have to attract them to your website through engaging content and useful posts.
15. Create a sitemap and submit it in Google Search Console or Bing webmaster tools:
You can use the Yoast SEO plugin to create a sitemap. Sitemap contains the most important pages that you want to display in search results. For example, in your sitemap adds home, services/products/contact/about us/ blog pages and posts.
Visit Google Search Console and Verify the ownership of your website. After that, you will submit this (sitemap.xml) file or link to google and Bing. And after that, search engine crawlers visit those pages and index them.
And when someone searches for your business and website on Google or Bing will display your website along with page links.
16. Do the basic SEO or Optimize the website with keywords:
Add your main business keywords on the title, headings, subheadings, and description. Optimize each page and post of your website with relevant keywords so that when people search for those terms on Google or Bing, then your website will be displayed.
Target each page with unique and relevant keywords. But don’t overuse the keywords.
Also, use your main page keywords in images and alt tags.
Following are the posts to learn more:
Ecommerce Website SEO Best Practices: WordPress
Learn SEO Skills: The best Search engine optimization online courses
17. Add google analytics tracking code to your website:
Google Analytics is a website traffic and reporting service application. That will display how many people visiting your website, what page they are visiting, where they are visiting, what keywords they are using, and many others.
Here you can learn more about it:
How can businesses benefit from using analytics on their website
How Google Analytics Helps Businesses Websites to Grow More
To use Google Analytics Application, you have to add a google analytics tracking code in your website footer. But first, you have to add your website to Google Analytics.
The above are the basic things that are essential for almost all types of business, eCommerce, and blog websites to do to create and run a website.
But the work of business website creation is not one time. It’s a continuous process. But after the above, you can launch your website publicly, and you can share that on social media. You can add the website address to your branding and marketing materials.
Now when it’s ready, you also have to create goals and plans to get more traffic to your website. You also have to improve your content if it’s not working or the page is getting a high bounce rate.
To increase traffic, you can publish new blog posts frequently on the website. Through chat or blog posts, try to communicate and solve the problem of visitors or customers.
Keep analyzing the website traffic once a week and keep updating the strategy.
Read this post: How to drive more traffic to your blog: More than 100000 Readers Monthly
When you create a website on your own 1st time. Then it will not be as equal to the professional business website. Nor it is optimized for SEO correctly.
But you don’t have to discourage yourself if it’s not better than the competition. It will be improved each day.
When you learn new things and when you try to get more traffic to your business website when you try to convert traffic into customers, then you will learn new things to do, and when you apply those things or implement those things then you will be able to get more customers and able to make your business successful.
Having a business website is not a guarantee that you will get customers and traffic. That’s why it’s important to create a business website with proper planning and strategies.
Even if free methods are not able to get you traffic, then don’t hesitate to use paid advertising methods such as search engine ads and social media ads.
But your aim always is to help customers. That’s it. If you keep focusing each day to help better, faster, and effectively help customers then sooner or later you will have a successful website and business.