How to Get a Website for Your Business: 6 Steps To Follow

‍Do you have a business? Or do you plan to start one in the near future? If you answered yes to both of those questions, then you should read this article.

After all, having a business is not easy. It requires time and money – but thankfully, it doesn’t have to be expensive. In this article, we will discuss how affordable it is to get your own website for your business.

Domain name

First things first. Get your domain name. You can choose from thousands of domain names available on the internet. Domain names can be leased for a set period of time, usually on a year-by-year basis.

They’re like a “property” of your website. Your domain name is usually the address of your website, like FunkPd.com. You can have an email address on your domain name, like info@yourdomainname.com, or you can have a website address like example.com/blog.

Either way, you can point people to your website with the domain name.

A domain name is anywhere from $5 to $15 per year.

Web Hosting

Next, you need to choose a web hosting company. Web hosting is the service that keeps your website running. It’s where your website files and information reside.

There are many hosting services out there, so you’ll want to find one that is affordable, yet reliable.

A reliable hosting company is one that provides 24/7 technical support. If your hosting goes down, your website will go down with it. So the hosting company you choose must be reliable.

You’ll want to make sure the hosting company you choose has a good reputation. Look for hosting companies that have a good Google review score. There are plenty of sites you can use to find web hosting companies with good reviews, like https://hostinger.com, or https://whc.com.

Getting all your business data together

Now that you’ve chosen a budget, and you have a domain name and web hosting, it’s time to get all your business data together.

You’ll want to create a few documents with your business address, emails, logo, any important branded materials (business cards, swag, advertisements, social media, etc), product catalogs for ecom, and anything else you think your developer may need.

Seriously, just dump everything in a google drive and let us dig through it if you have to. We can’t work without the data, so the sooner it’s delivered the better!

What do you want the website to do?

Now that you understand what you’ll need, it’s time to figure out what you want the website to do. You’ll want to answer a few questions.

• What kind of content do you want on your website?
• Do you want a blog?
• Do you want to sell products online?
• Do you want a membership site?

Think about what you want your website to do and what kind of content you want to put on it. You can also try to brainstorm examples of what you want your website to do by answering the following questions.

• What type of content would you like to see on your website?
• What pages do you want on your website? What are those pages about?
• What is the purpose of your website?
• What are your website goals?
• What is the purpose of your website?
• What is your website about?

Budget

Determining the budget for your website is a crucial step in the process.

This will help you understand the resources you can allocate and the scope of your project. Keep in mind that the budget should include not only the cost of the actual website development but also the ongoing maintenance, updates, and marketing efforts.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the budget considerations:

1. Initial development costs: This includes the cost of hiring a web developer or agency, purchasing a template or theme, and customizing the design. For a simple website, you may be able to find a developer or use a website builder for as low as $500. However, for a more complex and customized website, the cost can range from $1,500 to $10,000 or more.
2. Ongoing maintenance and updates: Websites require regular updates, security checks, and content management. You may need to allocate a monthly budget for these tasks, which can range from $50 to $300 or more, depending on the complexity of your website and the frequency of updates.
3. Marketing efforts: To drive traffic to your website and increase its visibility, you’ll need to invest in marketing efforts such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media promotion, and paid advertising. The cost of these efforts can vary significantly depending on the channels you choose and the level of investment you’re willing to make.

Here’s a few examples:

1. Small business brochure website: If you’re a small business owner looking for a simple website to showcase your products or services, a basic brochure-style website could be suitable for you.
   In this case, you can expect to spend between $500 and $2,000 on initial development costs, with ongoing maintenance and updates ranging from $50 to $100 per month.
   Marketing efforts for this type of website might include basic SEO and social media promotion, which could cost you between $200 and $500 per month.
2. E-commerce website: If you plan to sell products online, an e-commerce website is necessary. These websites typically require more complex features and functionality, such as shopping carts and secure payment gateways.
   Expect to spend between $3,000 and $10,000 on initial development costs, with ongoing maintenance and updates costing around $100 to $300 per month.
   Marketing efforts for an e-commerce website can be more extensive, including SEO, social media, and paid advertising campaigns, which could cost you between $500 and $2,000 per month, depending on the scale of your marketing efforts.
3. Membership or content-driven website: If your business model relies on memberships, subscriptions, or a significant amount of content, your website will need to have advanced functionality and a robust content management system (CMS).
   The initial development costs for this type of website can range from $5,000 to $15,000 or more, with ongoing maintenance and updates costing between $200 and $500 per month.
   Marketing efforts for a membership or content-driven website may include SEO, content marketing, email marketing, and social media promotion, with costs ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 per month, depending on the depth and reach of your marketing strategies.

Overages

In addition to the budget considerations mentioned above, it’s essential to plan for potential overages that may arise during the development and maintenance of your website. These overages can result from unforeseen challenges, changes in scope, or additional features required during the development process. Here are a few points to consider when planning for overages:

1. Contingency fund: Allocate a contingency fund in your budget to cover any unexpected costs. This should be around 10-20% of your total budget. Having this buffer will help you avoid financial stress if your project encounters unexpected hurdles or if you decide to add new features that weren’t initially planned.
2. Clear communication: Ensure that you have clear communication with your web developer or agency regarding your expectations, project scope, and budget limitations. This will help to minimize potential overages and keep your project on track.
3. Regular progress updates: Request regular progress updates from your developer, and make sure that the project is aligned with the initial plan and budget. Regular check-ins can help you identify potential overages early on and allow you to address them before they become a significant issue.
4. Avoid scope creep: Scope creep occurs when additional features or tasks are added to a project beyond the original plan, causing delays and increased costs. To avoid scope creep, be sure to:

By taking these precautions and budgeting effectively, you can minimize the likelihood of overages and ensure that your website development process goes smoothly.

Investing in a well-designed and functional website can bring significant returns to your business in the long run. So, while it’s essential to budget wisely, don’t compromise on quality to save a few dollars.

A professional, user-friendly website is a crucial component of your online presence and can greatly contribute to the success of your business.

Find a website developer

Finally, you’ll want to find a website developer. You want to find a website developer who is affordable, yet reliable.

Make sure that the developer you choose can meet your timeline and has a good reputation for providing quality work.

You’ll also want to find a developer who can help you with your web design needs. You may have a specific design that you like, or you may want the developer to find a designer who can work with your budget and budget limitations.

tl;dr:

Getting your own website is a great way to build your online presence and increase revenue. With a website, people can find out more about your business, find and contact you, and easily purchase your products. If you follow these steps, you’ll be on your way to getting your own website. Before you know it, you’ll have a website that helps you build your business and increase revenue. So sit back, relax, and get ready to start building your online presence with this article.