1. A domain name that is memorable
Your website address, also known as your domain name, is often the entry point to your site. Your domain name is important for both usability (SEO) and search engine optimization (SEO).
These suggestions can help you select the right domain name.
- It should be simple to spell. Avoid using slang, made up, or esoteric words.
- It should be as short as possible. It’s easier to remember and type correctly the shorter it is.
- Use the correct domain extension It is better to use a.com domain than.net or.co. You can also use an alternative extension like.gov,.edu or.org if it is not possible.
- Avoid numbers and hyphens. These domain names are harder to remember, more memorable and less elegant than domains that only contain words. If the domain name is spoken, it can be misunderstood.
- Make the address as broad and inclusive as possible to facilitate future growth. Amazon.com is a website address that is much wider than BooksOnline.com. Amazon can now sell any type of consumer product, not just books.
- It should be easy to remember. Your website name should be memorable as there are so many websites. This will make it easy for people to remember its location.
- Do your research about the domain name. Google the domain name in order to verify if it’s already in use. Search USPTO.gov to find trademarks.
- Verify the price. It is possible to buy the domain name you desire at a fair price. Current owners will usually take good domain names.
- Avoid using nonsensical name. Be sure that your name conveys a message to users so they know who you are. Although Google and Yahoo are well-known names, they can be difficult to brand. Small businesses might not have the same budget.
- SEO-friendly URLs are important. When appropriate, try to come up with an SEO-friendly website address that includes keywords and geo-location; for example, “www.LasVegasElectrician.com.”
2. Hosting your website securely, scalable and with great tech support
Website host is also known as website hosting provider. It is a company that provides technology and services to make websites accessible online. Your domain name is linked to your hosting provider so that users can access your website address and view the website stored on your account.
Hosting services cost anywhere from $2 to $100+ per month depending on the technology used and the support required. A yearly plan is typically more affordable than a monthly.
These guidelines will help you select a great web hosting plan.
- A shared hostinghosting plan starts at $2 per month. It is not something I recommend. Your website could slow down if you share a server. Hackers could also attempt to access your shared server, causing your website to be infected.
- A “dedicatedhost” package is the most expensive. This package can run between $100 and $2,000 per monthly, but will ensure your website runs smoothly. You can use all the server resources on your dedicated server plan. If the technology is optimized, it is more secure than shared hosting plans. However, it is more expensive than small businesses can afford. This is a good option for sites that perform well but not the best choice for startups and small businesses.
- A virtual personal server (VPS),hosting package is what I recommend. It combines the best of web hosting and web. It is between $20 and $50 per monthly. It is very reasonable considering the quality of the services that you will receive. VPS hosting can be divided to serve multiple purposes. It is affordable as shared hosting, and provides the same security and performance of dedicated server hosting plans.
- To ensure you get assistance quickly, your hosting company should offer phone support. Email support is not the best option if you have a pressing problem. It can also be slow and frustrating. Chatting is an option as well, although phone support is the best.
- Accessing your server will require an easy-to-use interface, such as cPanel. You won’t need terminal commands to view your server’s contents or make any modifications if you don’t have enough money to hire a professional server administrator.
- It is important to ensure that server security has been installed on all servers you are interested in. Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), is required in order to be able to access your server. You should make daily backups of your server content. Secure Sockets Layer certificates should be simple to install (SSL) in just one click. Hosting companies should perform regular security maintenance. It is a good idea for your hosting company to provide you with a written security protocol so you know how they protect their servers.
These are the top web hosting companies.
3. Display a succinct description of your business prominently
It is important to let people know who you are and what you do so that they don’t feel lost while visiting your small business website. Your homepage banner (also known as a “hero image”) and any subsequent banners are visual representations of your services. Make sure to include an introduction text blurb at top of page that describes your business and you.
Make sure your footer and main navigation menus have “About Us” links. This will allow people to click on them to learn more information about you.
4. The best content management system
A content management system (CMS) is a program that allows you to create and manage digital content. A CMS is easy to use, even if you don’t have technical knowledge. A CMS can help you manage your website. Select the CMS that best suits your needs. There are many CMS systems that can be used to meet different needs, such as cost, extensibility, and user-friendliness.
These are the most well-known systems. They also include descriptions of their strengths and weaknesses.
WordPress WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world. WordPress offers a strong support network and many plugins to improve the functionality of your site. You can find a WordPress developer who can make the plugin for you if you don’t know where to find it. WordPress is easy and free to install. It’s easy to find an agency or person who can help with your website. WordPress is well-known by web developers. WordPress is flexible, extensible and a great choice for small businesses.
WordPress security is however the greatest weakness. WordPress is so widely used that hackers are more likely to target it. To prevent your WordPress site from being hacked, it is important to keep it updated and protected. It is impossible to protect all third-party plugins. It is impossible to protect every third-party plugin. ).
Drupal is another popular CMS. It offers many of the same benefits as WordPress, including flexibility, ease-of use, and a large support team. It’s more secure than WordPress and can protect your website against malicious activity. There aren’t as many themes or plugins. It is therefore less extensible. Whitehouse.gov was built initially with Drupal over many years. It switched to WordPress at the end, and still uses WordPress today.
Joomla! Joomla!
squarespace You can either subscribe monthly or annually to squarespace to make it easy to set up a website or blog. This package includes website design, software maintenance, and development. With an annual purchase, it also includes domain names, metrics, software maintenance and metrics. Creatives will love this package, which includes high-quality templates. This package is perfect for people who have a tight budget but still need a stunning website.
Squarespace is easier to learn than WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla! but has more extensibility options. Squarespace is an excellent choice for people with minimal technical knowledge and who need a quick and easy way to build a website.
Wix is a web design similar to Squarespace, but more user-friendly. It is available monthly, but not annually. You will get the same features. Wix also offers drag-and-drop functionality. Drag and drop elements to any location on your Wix page. Squarespace is more structured. Wix is even easier to use than Squarespace. This is a great choice if you need to quickly create a website.
Wix has more templates than Squarespace. However, you must stick to the template you choose or you risk having to rebuild your entire website. Squarespace lets you modify your template anytime without the need to rebuild your entire site.
5. Choose a trusted e-commerce platform
If you plan to sell products or services through your website, you will need the right technology. E-commerce can be a great way to increase your profits if you don’t sell products. It is important to choose the right platform that allows users to make financial transactions online.
WooCommerce: WooCommerce is the most popular e-commerce platform worldwide. It can turn your WordPress website into an online store. WordPress can be attached with many plugins. It is very flexible. WooCommerce ships pre-built with many premium themes and free themes. Premium themes created by trusted developers will offer better support and security. If you don’t have the necessary technical skills, a WordPress developer can help you set it up and use it. WooCommerce has all the features and scalability that small businesses need.
Shopify is a cloud-based ecommerce platform that allows you to create and manage your online shop. It also offers inventory, shipping and payment options. This is not an extension for WordPress like WooCommerce. It’s a standalone platform that is hosted on Shopify. Your Shopify ecommerce website will technically remain independent if it already has a website. If your regular website is not built with Shopify integration plugins, it can link to your Shopify account.
Shopify offers many features, including unlimited products, unlimited bandwidth and fraud analytics. Shopify’s main advantages are that you don’t have to be a programmer to create a store. When you sign up, everything on the backend is already set up. Shopify, however, does not offer the same flexibility and control as WooCommerce.
Shopify PLUS Shopify Plus gives you more customizations, more staff accounts, and more international ecommerce options. Plus, you get higher-level support. This comes at a higher monthly subscription price and does not offer the same customization and flexibility as WooCommerce.
Squarespace – Squarespace provides an ecommerce subscription. This is a great option for those who choose Squarespace to build their site and have very basic ecommerce requirements. Business Squarespace charges a transaction fee. This can be avoided by upgrading your online store. A domain is free, as well as SSL security, SEO, and abandoned cart recovery. You can also get discounts and real-time shipping. However, it is not as user-friendly as Shopify. It’s also not as flexible as WooCommerce and as user-friendly as Shopify.
Wix:Wix offers a Shopify extension which is very user-friendly. You will need to upgrade Wix in order to use Shopify.
GoDaddy Online Store is a standalone subscription platform that allows you to sell e-commerce products. It’s easy to set-up. GoDaddy Online Store can be set up quickly and used easily. The templates are simple to use and can easily be modified. Templates include SEO and marketing tools as well as social media integration and appointment scheduling. They are also equipped with SSL security and fast page loading.
6. Create a unique and engaging user interface on your website
Your website for small businesses should make a good impression and lead to positive results. These are some tips that will help you achieve this.
- Use beautiful graphics and easy-to-read fonts
- Optimize your graphics to speed up loading. Slow loading websites will be penalized by search engines like Google.
- Take a look at your competitors’ websites to see how they optimized their sites. Next, create similar components for your site.
- It’s easy to find out what your target audience is looking for on your website.
- Make sure your brand is consistent across your website design.
- A user-friendly navigation system allows users to quickly find the pages they are looking for.
- Contact information should be easily accessible
- Clear calls to actions are required (e.g., the “Buy Now”) button.
- Pages that are commonly used for small business websites include:
- Home
- About us
- Descriptions and photos of products/services
- Sitemap (for SEO purposes).
- Management team
- Get in touch
- Terms of Use (the online contract that regulates how visitors use your site)
- Privacy policy
- You may also want to check out other pages related to your small business
7. Optimize your website to rank well in search engines
SEO is a term that refers to the set of practices you use to optimize your website so search engines can index it and rank it accordingly. Your website will then be visible to search engine users. Once your website is “crawled” by search engines, it will be able to compete with similar websites. If your website has quality content and a great design, it will rank higher in search engine results pages.
These are some of the SEO practices.
- Keyword research and implementation
- Optimized website code
- Rapid loading speed
- Installing an SSL certificate is easy. SSL is the most widely used security technology to protect data between web servers.
- Mobile-friendly websites must be a priority
- Existence of quality links (links that point to websites with similar content to your site)
- Positive reviews (Google, Yelp, and Facebook)
- To keep visitors reading and clicking, use internal links on your website.
- Social media can be used to link to your site (LinkedIn). Twitter. Facebook. Pinterest.
SEO is a critical and ongoing process that can make all the difference between being on page 1 (resulting in a lot of traffic to your website) or page 300 (resulting in little traffic). Getting the assistance of an expert may be beneficial.
8. Regularly creating and publishing quality content is important.
Both content quality and newness are important to search engines. It is important to plan how you will publish quality blog posts and articles on your website, as well as any other sites that link to it. To ensure that your website ranks high in search engine results, you must keep it updated. This will encourage people visit your website again and again.
Articles and static pages can be posted to your website. But testimonials are an excellent content form. Your small business can stand out by publishing testimonials from satisfied customers on your website.
People will appreciate your consistent brand tone in content.
9. Install webmaster tools
To get important information, install Google Analytics and Google Search Engine both via Google Tag Manager and Microsoft Webmaster Tool. These tools can be used to access the following types of information:
- Your site is visited daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Each page has been viewed approximately 2000 times
- The bounce rate is the percentage of people who leave your website after only viewing one page. Google algorithm gives websites with low bounce rates higher rankings. This is because users spend more time on your website and find it valuable.
- On average, visitors spend 3.5 hours on the site
- Crawl errors are errors that search engines discover on your site while crawling it’s content.
- Broken links
- Keywords that will direct users to your site
- Backlinks to your site
- Web page download time
- More information to improve your SEO
10. Plan for website maintenance
Websites should not be left to deteriorate after they are built. To maintain your website’s ranking in search engines, you must make sure it is maintained.
These are just a few ways to keep a website up for a small company.
- At least once per month, Webmaster Tools data must be checked. Any errors that are critical can be emailed directly to the user.
- Traffic data can help you better understand your audience so that you can cater to them.
- To improve or correct warnings or errors, performance data can be used.
- Make sure that your software is always up-to-date
- To ensure your website is secure from malware and not hacked, you can run security scans.
- Split testing can be used to test if certain versions improve website performance. If you sell a product there may be two versions to your landing page. Split testing allows you to determine which version converts best.
- Follow my SEO advice (see point 7) and continue publishing quality content (see number 8).
- Online marketing is a great way to market your business.
- Site visitors have the option to leave feedback.
- Check in with your competitors regularly to find out if they have any tips.
- Your website should be backed-up at least once per hour and for at most 10 days.
Conclusion
It might not be as simple as you think to set up a website for a small business. These steps will help your small business succeed on the internet.
