To start your online business you might need to develop some new skills. One skill that can be useful is the ability to create your own website. Your website can consist of one page or as many pages as you want. Creating a website can be done in very little time once you have the necessary knowledge and tools. I have listed a few steps to get you started in creating your own website.
Get a Domain Name – A domain name can be purchased from a domain registration company (registrar). Two companies that I see recommended the most often are GoDaddy and Namecheap. Ideally your domain name should be short and easy to remember and tell something about your website. Unless your website is area specific, it is best to use .com for the ending. A domain name will only cost a few dollars.
Choose a Web Host Once you have a domain name you will need to choose a hosting company. Most hosting companies charge around $ 10 per month for hosting (sometimes less). You can do a search for hosting companies to do some comparison shopping. One company that many people recommend is Hostgator.
Nameserver A nameserver links together your host with your registrar. You only need to change your nameserver if your host and your registrar are different companies. You will get the nameserver information from your hosting company and change the nameserver at your registrar so that people will be sent to your hosting company when they enter your URL.
Get a Web Editor A web editor is software that is used to create web pages. There are many web editors from which you can choose, some cost, some are free. You can search for web editors and find the one that best suits you. One that is free and very good is Kompozer.
Create Your Website You will need to download the web editor that you have chosen. After you have downloaded your web editor, you can begin creating your web page(s). The details of actually creating web pages are beyond the scope of this article. I have given you a link at the end of this article to get a free eBook that gives you a step-by-step guide on how to create a website from scratch.
Publish Your Web Page When you have finished creating your web page(s), you will need to upload to your hosting company (publish). You can use your web editor to publish your web page(s). You will need to fill in a publishing page with your website name, publishing address, and username and password from your hosting account. Once you have published your website you are online and ready to go.
Starting an online business will take some time, effort, and possibly learning some new skills. It may not be as quick and easy as some people tell you, but with patience, perseverance, and the right system you can be successful.
Get your FREE eBook on how to create your own website. Go to: www.startyourwebbusinessnow.com
To appear in that search engine results for your product and service keywords, great content on your website is essential.
How it works
The search engines rank website content according to:
1) Relevance – How relevant is the content to the keywords entered into a search?
2) Popularity – How popular is the content? Popularity is measured by links to the content from other websites. If you have great content on your website, it is likely other websites will link to it. For example, a blogger may read your content and post a link to it.
Great content on your website, content that others link to, is essential to your rankings!
The challenge of online content
For bricks and mortar businesses, creating engaging online content is usually a new and unfamiliar challenge. In this article we examine the easiest ways for established businesses to develop engaging online content and how to integrate content creation into the day-to-day business.
Content types include:
Text Content – Articles, Blogs, ebooks
Multimedia Content – videos, audio
Software – software applications, downloads, web applications, games, mobile apps.
We recommend most businesses start with creating article and video content.
Article Content Creation
Brainstorm ideas for articles around your business. Content that will educate and entertain your website visitors. Examples include:
* Tutorials on the best practice use of your products.
* Basic guides on how to get the most out of your products and services.
* How to select products and services.
* Industry relevant information, analysis and opinion.
* Expert advice and tips.
The goal of all articles should be to simplify concepts and generalise to principles that will be of relevance to the widest possible audience in your niche. Article content should also be as close to non-commercial and objective as possible. Provide this information for free in order to build trust and a loyal audience. Articles should be at least 500 words, so that articles can be syndicated to free article directories, in exchange for links back to your website.
Video Creation
Just like article creation, in video it is important to hit on interesting topics, those that educate and entertain. One approach is to purchase a digital video camera, and take every opportunity to film content of your products and services in action. You can now easily edit and cut up videos using low-cost video editing software. Arrange for a professional to create a 10 second flashy introduction for use at the start of each video.
You can then set about creating your videos. As well as your digital video camera, you may also like to setup a web-cam in a corner of your office with a nice back-ground. You can then mix video camera content with speaking segments from the web-cam.
Once you complete a video, it is a straight-forward task to upload it to a video sharing site such as youtube. Most video sharing sites provide you an embedded link, which allows you to embed your video on a page of your website. You now on your way to creating fantastic videos for your website!
Keep videos short, usually no more than 5 minutes. This makes it easier to get a quality result in your editing, and keeps your viewers from getting bored. If videos are short, users are more likely to browse to and watch your other videos.
Integrating Content Creation into the Business
Creating great content is a time-consuming task, and not likely one you signed up for as a business owner. The process of content creation needs to be systemised into your business process. Here are some ideas for achieving this:
* Inform your staff about article and video creation and to be on the look-out for opportunities to create this content. Provide them with the necessary tools and training.
* All print and video content in your business should be repurposed for use on the web. This may include training manuals, training video footage, brochures, case-studies, power-point presentations, recording of training sessions given to clients and staff, recording and documenting of product demonstrations. Once you start brainstorming, many opportunities in your business for content creation will present.
* Identify your star content producers and provide them with time and targets for content creation.
* Repeat the process. Content creation needs to be ongoing so you develop a content base on your website that the search engines will love.
Nick Jerrat is the founder and Managing Director of IdeaBank, provider of innovative web design and web marketing services. He has worked with several businesses and clients across Australia including Tony Gattari of Achievers Group and Peter Irvine.
The post How To Create A Website Start Your Online Business With Your Own Website appeared first on TECH Blog.