So Much I have Learned Over Time

Set the Table and They Will Come…You Might also Need to Announce it, Give Directions…

There are so many avenues to building your own website-Many different website providers, hosting, domains to buy-etc. This can be overwhelming.

Your time is better spent hiring professionals for this task, there are plug-ins, premade templates, so much to learn so little time…Yes even building a presence can seem like an uphill battle.

First decide clearly and concisely what you are selling or what service you are offering and where you plan to advertise. Are you wanting many clients or just a few? Be realistic with your time and how you present yourself.

Before starting a page, create a list of keywords by going to sites like Semrush or Google Search Tools that will help you see what is getting searched and what you need to share to be competitive with other businesses selling the same product or service. There is a reason why this is a full-time job for many. Even if you hire this service, it is always a good idea to know what you are paying for and what clicks mean and how much your budget is.

Next, decide if you will stick with organic or purchase specific keywords that will put you higher on the rankings of search engines. Some familiar search engines are Google, Bing, Yahoo.com, and DuckDuckGo. I found 19 other search engines I’ve never even heard of before-check out the article. A hint on many of these decisions-do some research, decide what is right for your business and then do fewer things very well rather spreading your time, money and skills too thin.

Creating A Website

Creating a website is the next decision you make. There are so many website creators that make it so much easier- I have struggled creating a page with Stripe sourcing the particular options I was looking for with limited experience in web developing, I even worked with HubSpot and downloaded a test site. In recent years much of this is done with modules you can add to your site. Creating a store is so much easier because it’s less about programming and more about finding specific tools to use.

?Adding a stripe button is easier than it was, we can also work with several plug-ins that make it easier to navigate which previously was a lot more daunting. If you get confused, check for the forums online-everything you need to know is out there, you just need to sort through a lot of valuable and not so valuable content.

I have created websites with WIX, GoDaddy, WordPress, Adobe Page mill, Homesite, Flash and several others including using straight HTML-it was worthwhile to learn these processes but again, I would prefer leaving the work to professionals that will save you time and headache. If you’re ever interested in working with HTML-check this page out-it is an amazing source for all things web developing-W3schools. For more website builders.

There are different options to include with the website as well from your own site with a blog, a store, etc, or even a store on Shopify or Etsy which will allow you to create a place that you can direct clients to-so even the breadth of the website is a variable to consider.

You will need a domain name, a hosting source like Bluehost or GoDaddy and from there you will have security certificates, sitemaps, etc. Lots to learn, again get the idea of what a professional will do for you and you’ll be better informed to direct them to build your site. There are many hosting sites ?to choose from as well.

After you’ve created a website using your keywords in titles, body text, alt text for your photos, you will need to introduce a sitemap to Google to get your pages indexed. There is so much to learn about sitemaps, redirects, plug-ins to use and avoid, how to tag pages so they come up in search and how to do this without breaking your site. If you use a plug-in that interacts with another plug-in your site might stop working. You really need to build a relationship with your web provider or designer so you can at least speak the language and understand why you have a spike in impressions or a complete lack of impressions.

You will also need to know the difference between an impression and an engagement, a new user or returning visitor and how to maximize your site to reach the most visitors as well as the right visitors that will buy your product or service.

A suggestion for this, learn from professionals, learn from querying forums, and google what you need to learn to help you be the most informed so you will not waste time or money in finally getting your site launched.

The next post is-You've Built the Website- Now What?