A Novices Guide to Building Your Website
There are few ways to have a website built for your business, blog or pastime.
Domain Names
If you don’t already have one, firstly you can register a domain name. The domain name for this website is ‘stevetolmie.co.uk’, for instance. I recommend using an independent company (a ‘registrar’) to do this. One example of a registrar is Namecheap, whom I have found to be consistently fair on pricing over the many years I have been using them.
What happens after that depends on how you want the website built!
Online Website Builders
If you are a do it-it-yourself person with no coding experience, then an online website builder such as Squarespace, Weebly or Wix is probably your best bet. These website builders offer a click-and-drop interface and while there will be a bit of learning curve for your first time, you can get good results reasonable quickly.
If an online shop (‘eCommerce’) is your goal, Squarespace, Weebly and Wix all have that facility. Alternatively, you can use Etsy or Shopify which would give you an eCommerce website but within their website.
Independently Hosted Website
Although I’m happy to work with you using a website builder of your choice, building an independently hosted website is my main job. You could do this yourself, there is a lot of information online about how to, and if you’re a computer-savvy person you might enjoy it. Otherwise, if you’re busy running your business I am here to help.
What We Will Need to Start
Once the domain name is registered, you will need hosting. Hosting is just where the website is stored and then made available to the internet. I can provide hosting, or you can have your own hosting account. You don’t have to make that decision now, we would discuss your needs for the best solution.
So now we have a domain name and hosting. This is moving fast! Assuming you haven’t chosen one of my ‘flat file’ websites, I will install the content management system (CMS) to run the website. I use WordPress, which is by far the most-used CMS in the world. WordPress also has an eCommerce facility, if required.
While that’s happening, you can write a brief for the website. Only joking, I almost never get a full brief. Instead, I ask new customers to send me the links to a handful of websites that they like the look of, so I can get some idea of what you are looking for in the finished product. Feel free to specify colours (especially colours you don’t want) and fonts if you have a preference.
Content
Finally, if we are building a new website we will need some content. I can provide some basic content to get things started and then we update it over time. Typical starting content would be an overview of your business, the products and services you offer, relevant images, social media and contact details, opening times and a location map if your customers come to you. With an eCommerce site, it will be all about loading your products. I sometimes do this on the customer’s behalf, but I will also provide training when needed.
If you have any questions about building your website, please get in touch with no obligation.
