Small Business Website Starter Kit – Website Planning Basics
Before passing onto the blog’s core part, just give this a read.
Jerry, a small business owner worries like this – “Ouch! I’m just starting my small business. I wanted to build a website but don’t know how to get all the domain registration and web hosting done”. That’s when he saw a domain registrar + web host service provider’s ad something like below.
Want to register your domain name? Want to host your small business website? No worries…We’re here with you!!!
World’s best domain names in just a matter of seconds — Drive in more visitors and revenue – #1 Domain positions in SERP
Hurry Up! Limited offer!
Pity Jerry fell for their words of fantasy and went out-of-pocket. Likewise, many people fall out for fake promises.
Even before you choose a domain registrar & web host for your small business, trading through some beginner guides is greatly welcomed.
In this starter kit, we’ve explained to you – how to set up your website, domain registration, and website hosting. Without any delay, let’s dig deeper into the post.
1. How are You Going to Build Your Website?
Once you’ve decided to build a website for your small business, it’s your stand to
- Choose an intuitive website builder (Or)
- Write your own code manually (Or)
- Hire a versatile developer/agency
If you’re familiar with these and have already made a decision, then it’s fine. You can skip this section.
Else, we can elaborate and help you make a wise decision. When we ponder over website development, there are actually three ways.
Website Builder vs Your Own Coding vs Outsource to a Website Developer/Agency – Which One to Choose?
When to Choose?
Website Builder
- Website builders are tools that facilitate constructing a website with their pre-made templates without manual coding.
- If you’ve just kickstarted your business and looking to build a simple website on a very minimal budget, then you can pick any from the list
- We’ve written a detailed blog on the best website builders for small businesses, do checkout
Do it on Your Own
- If you’re well-versed in any of the programming languages, then you can definitely start with the coding
Outsource to a Website Developer/Agency
- You’ll have an idea of how your website must look, what are the functionalities it should have, and many more. However, you might not be experienced in coding and stuff.
- In that case, you can take assistance from a developer or agency who/that will breathe in life to your website idea that struck on your head
Consider the Limitations – When Not to Choose?
Website Builder
- Only limited features. Cannot enhance your site with more features
- In certain cases, you cannot be the owner of your site. You’ve to be reliant on your website builder
- Usage of extensions and less coding slowdown the site
Do it on Your Own
- Handling all your business core operations along with upgrading your site as per the random UX and web development trends can be daunting
Outsource to a Website Developer/Agency
- If you’re looking to build a minimalistic site just as a digital business card without any major interactions and animations
We hope now you’ve got an idea of these three, as well as when to choose and when not to choose.
Moving on, let’s see what all is needed to build your small business website. How to build a small business website Under $1000? Would you like to explore this topic? Click the link.
2. Select a Domain Name
All these websites are stored in a server with a unique IP address, which is a string of numbers, like, xx.xxx.xxx.xx.xxx. Quite hard to remember, right?
This is where the Domain Name System (DNS) comes into the scene. Approximately, 900,000+ domain names are registered in a single week.
A domain name is like the phone number of your website which you allow people to use in the place of the IP address, for calling your website. The domain name is the unique URL address of your website which can be accessed through the browser.
Domain names – examples – Google.com, YouTube.com, Smallbusinessweb.co
Where can You Buy Your Domain Name?
There are numerous domain registrar sites from where you can purchase a domain name for your small business website. Here, we’ve rounded off a few popular ones.
Tips to Choose an Appropriate Domain Name
- Use the right domain extensions – .org, .com, .in, .net
- Go for keyword-specific domain names over generic ones
- Keep it short, easy to spell, pronounce, and remember
- Avoid hyphens, numbers, & special characters
- Make sure it’s not already in use
- Try to blend your domain name with the type of business you do
3. Look for a Web Hosting Service Provider
Source: WebHostingSecretRevealed
After choosing a domain name for your website, you’ll have to host your website on the internet. If you’re technically sound, then you can certainly host the site on your own.
In self-hosting, you’ll have to configure a web server, equipment, infrastructure, hardware, software from scratch and take care of the maintenance as well.
In contrast, if you’re not that sound, no worries, you’re not alone, you’ve numerous hosting service providers who will assist you in the process. Moreover, there are various web host plans supporting e-commerce, if you’re looking to earn from your site, then these plans would be a great help.
Up in this starter kit blog series, we’ve written a detailed blog on – How to Add E-commerce Functionality to Your Small Business Website? – Starter Kit. Check it out on our website.
Infact, there are over 330,000+ website hosting companies in and around the world. With that being said, the market value is expected to reach from $32.12 billion in 2017 to $76.2 billion by 2023. That’s a wow thing!
Before exploring the top-performing hosting companies, first, let’s understand why it is important to host your small business website. Whenever a new website is launched, it needs a dedicated space on the web server, a physical computer, to store all of its data and files. Only then, your users will be able to access your site through the browser.
What does a Hosting Provider do for You?
A hosting provider takes care of the entire hosting activity – right from software installation to technical support. It ensures that your website performs optimally on the internet with better security protocols.
Choosing a hosting provider shouldn’t be done in a haste! Based on your requirements and budget, you’ve to invest in a web host that is high performing, scalable, and secure.
Wrapping Up Our Small Business Website Development – Starter Kit
So yes, we’ve covered the initial steps for setting up your small business website. We hope it was an eye-opener! Your game doesn’t end once after registering your domain name and hosting your website.
Moving forward, you’ll have to select a theme for your site, build content, add functionalities, and proceed with SEO activities. Up in this series will be – “How to Develop Your Small Business Website? – Starter Kit.”
Continue with our blog series to gain some useful insights on configuring your small business website hassle-free.
Before you leave, we’ve a question for you. Build a website on your own or hire a full-service development agency – which one do you prefer? Do tell your thoughts in the comments below.
About the Author - Pavithra Samuel
I'm a passionate copywriter at Small Business Web sharing a special bond with digital marketing. I aim at delivering masterpiece content for which my research helps a lot. I always search for unique inspirations and write them all down to use in my blogs & content. I make the best use of the upgraded tools & technologies that greatly assist in content writing. Other than reading & writing, my other two friends are food & music. On and often, I do write blog posts, to get regular updates, stay tuned with us.
