New to web hosting? No problem! This checklist will effortlessly walk you through the process of getting your website online!
Step 1: Register Your Domain Name (If you don't already have one.)
A domain name is a meaningful, easy-to-remember "handle" for addressing computers and information on the internet. Domain names typically end with a suffix that denotes the type or location of a resource (for instance, ".com" for commercial resources or ".ca" for resources based in Canada).
Register your domain name through our subsidiary, Your Domain Registrar (YDR.biz), and save up to 87%! Check to see if the domain name you want is available:
Search for a domain that matches your company or organization name or best describes what you do. Avoid dashes if you plan on using radio ads or word of mouth to publicize your site. Use adjectives like "blue" or "speedy" to make names memorable.
Beware of those registrars advertising $1.99 domains. You need to read the fine print. Generally, you have to purchase other services in order to get this price and the price is only good for 1 year. After that, the price increases dramatically.
Step 2: Get a Professional Logo (If you don't already have one.)
Get an affordable logo for your business or organization by purchasing a logo template. Logo templates are pre-made logo designs in Adobe Photoshop and Corel Draw formats that you can customize or have customized for you.
Step 3: Get a PayPal Account if you plan on selling goods or taking donations online
In order to sell your products online, or to accept donations, you will need a Merchant Account. We recommend the PayPal Business Account because of its ease of setup and competitive pricing at 2.9% (2.2% for nonprofits) + $0.30 transaction fee. You can instantly accept VISA, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover, and PayPal with no setup fees, minimum fees, gateway fees, etc.
Step 4: Develop and Build Your Website
Define Your Goals
The most important step in building your website is determining your goals. What do you want your website to do for you? Websites can do many things: provide customer service, sell products, promote services, gather information to generate leads, recruit employees, and more.
Searching Yahoo! and Google for websites within your industry and for your competitors' sites will provide great ideas and develop a better understanding of the market and your competition within it.
Write Your Content
After defining the goals of your website, you now need to come up with a list of pages you want on your site. Pages may include a company overview, shopping cart, biographies of key personnel, industry information, blog, and submission form. Here are some example pages:
Home Page
About Us
Services
Programs
Projects
Training
News
FAQs
Blog (articles)
Contact Us
Write the content for each of your pages. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. The beauty of a website is that you can easily update and add content at any time.
The big questions are "Do you hire a web designer?", "Can you build it yourself?", "Who will maintain the website?"
With EZ-Site Wizard and Trellix® Site Builder, you can build and maintain your own website. There is no software to download or install and NO prior experience or technical skill required. You can even add ecommerce to your website. Both are EXTREMELY easy-to-use — TRY THEM FREE!
The site needs to be built so that it is search engine friendly. The search engines need to be able to follow links throughout your website and determine the prominent information.
The most important factor in search engine optimization is content — for search engines this means words and lots of them. The search engines look at the text on your pages (as well as the name of the page itself) for indexing.
It is critical that your site be designed with META tags. These tags include the title, description, and keywords that are relevant to your page.
Search Engine Submission
Once your site is optimized, it is time to submit it to DMOZ, Google, Bing, and Yahoo! You can do this yourself. Submit your website to 200+ search engines and directories — all in ONE easy step! In addition, many FREE tools are included such as Search Term Suggestion Tool, Readiness Report, Ranking Report, Link Popularity Report, Broken Link Checker, and Meta Tag Generator!
Web analytics provide online, real-time reporting on who visits your site, how they found you, how they navigate your site, if they buy or transact on your site, and how effective your advertising is. Optimize your online business with this valuable information.
Inward Links
Links to your website provide traffic and can greatly improve search engine rankings. Inward links (one-way links to your website) are valued more highly than reciprocal links (exchanging links with other sites). When creating your links, make sure the links to your website include your keywords. Start the link with your primary keyword or keyword phrase. Also, make sure the site linking to you relates in content. It is extremely important that the websites relate in either content or theme — not just to the search engines, but to the people who visit. Those you can contact for links include association websites, manufacturer's websites, companies you do business with, ask to be a featured client, and apply for online awards. STAY CLEAR of Free For All (FFA) websites. They are automated directories to which you can add a link. They bring no traffic, but will generate lots of spam (when you register you have to provide your email address).
Paid Online Advertising
Online advertising can take the form of pay-per-click campaigns and paid listings. These options should be considered carefully as they can get expensive.
Printed Material
Include your domain name on all marketing/print material such as letterhead, business cards, brochures, advertising, signage, and company vehicles.
Search for a domain that matches your company or organization name or best describes what you do. Avoid dashes if you plan on using radio ads or word of mouth to publicize your site. Use adjectives like "blue" or "speedy" to make names memorable.