So it’s 2014, and you realize you absolutely need to have a website setup. Your only problem is you don’t know where to begin.
Have no fear as setting up a website can be broken down into three (3) steps.
First, you need a unique identifier
You have a name, and your business has a name too. So in that same vein, you must have a name to identify your website online. This is called a “domain name”.
The simplest way to think of a domain name is as a unique identifier that’s registered on the web as belonging to you, the owner.
To register this domain name, you first have to visit any of the many domain registration company websites, or registrars for short, that allows you to purchase your very own unique domain name.
Expect to setup up an account with that registrar and spend an average of about $10.00 to $20.00 for a .com domain name. Prices can, and do, vary; however, that’s typically what you can expect to pay for a domain name.
Your registered domain name is set for a certain time, starting at 1 year and up. So when you register your domain name, it can be for 1, 2, 3, or more years. The price averages provided above is for 1 year.
Secondly, you need a place to put your website
Every website you visit online is being hosted somewhere. By hosted, I mean that the files that you are seeing as the website is loaded before you is sitting on a hard drive, or server, somewhere in the world that’s accessible via the world wide web.
There are companies setup specifically for the purpose of hosting sites; they are typically referred to as “web hosting companies”.
Without a web hosting company, your website cannot be seen or accessed by people on the World Wide Web.
Web hosting plans are typically charged on a per month basis; however, you can often pay per year or even up to 5 years in some cases. Web hosting fees can vary from $10.00 per month on the low end to $95.00 per month and up on the high end.
Be sure to choose the right web hosting plan that’s best and most affordable for you.
Thirdly, you need to have the web files to build your site
Yes, last but not least, you need to have the actual files or elements that altogether form your website. A common definition of a website is the files, elements and/or content, including copy, images, audio, video and design of one or more pages on the World Wide Web.
In Summary
There are multiple options available to you for creating a website. Some common solutions are to hire a designer, do it yourself, or use any of the many web solution providers to build your site.
Whichever route you choose to go, I suggest going the self hosted WordPress route, with me as your website builder. To grow in the right direction this new year, you’ll ultimately need to have those crucial elements created and put on the World Wide Web so that your prospects can be able to access your website.
Contact me today to find out what’s the best solution for you!
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