When you are ready to make a website for your business, you’ll be creating your own unique space on the internet to share your content and build your brand. To do this, you need to understand how to get the site up and running, and the first step is to choose a platform to build it on.
Today it is much cheaper, faster, and easier to get your website up and running than it was years ago. Despite what you might have heard, you do not need to have any fears or reservations about starting your website, in fact, it may be one of the smartest moves you make. These are 3 simple steps to follow to get your site up and running.
Less time to read? Here's a brief overview:
- Find (and purchase) a Domain & Hosting Provider (BlueHost / CloudWays).
- Decide what CMS (content management software such as WordPress) will be the best fit for you.
- Design, Build, and Launch your site.
1. Choose Your Website's Hosting Provider and Your Domain Name
Choosing a hosting provider is one that will ‘host’ your website. Starting a website for your business requires having a series of images, files, and HTML code that will make up your website. All of these files are going to take space and need somewhere to live. If they do not have an online home, they will remain on your computer, and no one will ever see them.
- A hosting provider gives you a place on the web server to store your files, and delivers your files whenever a viewer requests them by typing in your domain name. You pay a hosting provider for basically renting storage space on the internet, just as you would for a physical store. One of our favorite hosting providers at Afterscript is CloudWays. CloudWays excels in all areas, and if you’re looking for a comparison between our top choices, be sure to check out our other blog, BlueHost VS SiteGround VS CloudWays.
- A domain name is much like having a street address for a physical store (i.e. Afterscript.io). This name is how your customers will find you when you rent space on the internet. To get a little more techie, when a customer types in your domain name, it gets turned into an IP address. Your hosting provider then finds all your files connected to your IP address and sends all videos, pictures, and words from your website to the customer. Just as a street address is unique, so is your domain name. Some Hosting Providers offer domain name purchasing as well (such as SiteGround and BlueHost), others offer only individual services.
If you have questions on how to complete step 1 or need any help in getting your website up and running, you can talk to the experts at Afterscript .
2. Select the Right Website Building Platform
WordPress powers up approximately sixty percent of the websites today, so it’s a no brainer that this would be the first option on the list. Although WordPress may not be the simplest one to learn (it’s not that complex)- it does provide you with a significant range of customization abilities, far beyond any other CMS (content management system). Many small business owners, bloggers, and publishers prefer this platform to get their websites up and running. There are other website builders available, such as Wix which we recommend to those who want the simplest and easiest interface to dive right in, or Shopify for those that are geared towards opening an online store. In fact, if you do a Google search, you will soon be overwhelmed by the amount of CMS options available today. Talk to the experts at Afterscript for the best professional advice on which website building platform will work best for your needs.
3. Design Your Website and Launch
The design of your website is very important as it is how readers will judge your brand. If it is not up-to-date, untrustworthy, and doesn’t live up to expectations, potential customers will quickly click out of it and you will lose sales. A well-designed site will build trust with your readers or customers. It will also show everyone who visits that you care enough about your product, service, or message to make a site that looks nice. If you plan on going the WordPress route, you can look into Divi, Elementor, or WP Bakery. All of them offer very solid options for simple UI to create nice web pages, without the need to learn how to code.
Shopify and Wix don’t offer page builders, rather they have their own “built-in” page building that works across the board. They do offer different theme styles, which let you choose the overall look and feel of the site before building.
Once you have your website design looking nice, publishing it on any CMS is as easy as 1, 2, 3. The majority already come “pre-published”, and you don’t even have to do anything! Shopify for example, will start you off under construction, and as soon as you’re ready all you need to do is click a button, and you’re live.
4. Where to Learn More About Getting a Website Up and Running
Afterscript will help you ignite your online presence. We commit to making your online portfolio awe readers or customers and invite you to join us in using the latest in technology to get your website up and running. Check out the services we offer and discover which tailor-made solution we provide that can help make launching your site a breeze.