My first piece of advice when it comes to creating your own website, is that \u2018you get what you pay for\u2019. I genuinely believe that. I have little expertise in creating websites, but I have managed to put a few together, using templates and simply adding images and copy, using the website builder, WordPress. I think they look good, but if you want lots of functionality or something more complex, then I would highly recommend speaking to and investing in the expertise of a good web designer. At the very least, go and have a chat with someone and find out about how your needs match with their services…and how much it will cost!<\/p>\n
If you decide to use someone to build your website, ask about the available \u2018content management system\u2019. This essentially is the software that is used for adding content to your website. Ask if it is a \u2018WYSIWYG\u2019 system \u2013 this stands for \u2018what you see, is what you get\u2019 \u2013 and essentially means that if you type some words in a textbox or add an image to an image box then it appears on your webpage as expected and you don\u2019t need to be some whizz in HTML coding! This is important because part of a good content strategy includes regularly adding and updating content on your website, whether this is with regular blog posts, changes to your pages and updates to reflect the time of year. Website updates and additions also helps \u2018search engine optimisation<\/a>\u2019. I think, in an ideal world, even if you have had a website designer to help you to create a site, you want to have some level of access (and training) to make simple changes and add blog posts when you wish to, without additional cost and with relative ease. Ensure you investigate the options and if this level of access is not possible, consider seriously the cost and speed at which updates can be made via your website designer.<\/p>\n There is no harm in investigating the \u2018do it yourself\u2019 option, as well, because it can be cost effective; it allows you to make your own updates and additions easily and you might learn a useful new skill. The best way to decide if the \u2018DIY\u2019 option is for you is to consider the following\u2026 (plus, you then you have something to compare when you investigate the professional website designer option too).<\/p>\n Firstly, (and unfortunately for us non-experts!) there are loads of options when it comes to DIY website builders. The ones I am most familiar with are WordPress, SquareSpace, Wix and One.com, but there is also GoDaddy, SiteBuilder and Weebly, and you can even create \u2018landing pages\u2019 via Mailchimp.<\/p>\n Personally, I have found both WordPress and SquareSpace easy to navigate. They have lots of lovely templates (see point 5) and seem relatively low cost. I slightly favour WordPress, unsurprisingly because this is who I have used for my website (!) and because you can have a completely free site to start with, which is a big advantage if you just want to have a play and see how a website will work or how it will benefit your business, you just have to accept that you will have \u2018wordpress\u2019 in your domain name (see point 2). This is exactly what I did for my first year of business. WordPress also seems to be used by many website designers I know. WordPress also seems really good for ‘information only sites’, i.e. those that offer a home page, services, about, blog and contact, for example. I believe there are e-commerce options, but I have no knowledge of these.<\/p>\n SquareSpace offers a free trial period, but it is only for 14 days (although I have heard they often offer to extend it) and the site isn\u2019t live as such. However, it seems to offer better options when it comes to e-commerce and the templates don\u2019t seem so focussed on blogging. I find the editing style more difficult, however you also have more options and more opportunities for personalisation, so it depends what you are after and how much of a ‘designer’s eye’ you have.<\/p>\n I could write a whole blog post just comparing builders \u2013 but as it is not my forte at this point, all I can recommend is doing your own research, having a play yourself and see what you thing. (See also point 4.)<\/p>\n This is where it gets a bit technical \u2013 but my basic understanding is that your domain name means your URL or web address \u2013 i.e. www.thecontentconsultancy.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n The important thing to know is that wherever you build your website (see point 1) you then have to link it with your domain name. This will be done automatically if you opt to use a free WordPress domain name, e.g. www.thecontentconsultancy.wordpress.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n You can purchase (yes they all cost money\u2026varying from 99p to \u00a31000s per year) them either via your website builder or via another registrar. You may find that on selecting your domain it is not available (because it is already being used by someone else) or costs lots of money to purchase (because someone else has purchased it already and although they are not using it (i.e. it is not linked to an actual website) they want to be paid to give it to someone else).<\/p>\n Like website builders, there are quite a few domain name registrars, including GoDaddy, 123reg, \u00a0FastHosts and 1&1.<\/p>\n Take some time to consider what you want your domain name to be and how much it will cost, either directly through your website builder or via a registrar, which you will then have to link together. Most website builders have good help guides on how to do this.<\/p>\n Remember that you are not limited to .com or .co.uk (if in the UK) anymore at the end of the address. You can get quite creative!<\/p>\n Consider if you decide on a domain name very similar to a competitor or a well-known brand how this might affect your website visits too.<\/p>\n I know it sounds technical\u2026but it is fun too! Consider what will be memorable, what it easy to spell, what will be good from an SEO point of view and what makes logical sense.<\/p>\n This is really important \u2013 all domain name purchases and website builders charge on a monthly or annual basis (most give a monthly cost but ask you to actually pay for 12 months up front). There are lots of \u2018packages\u2019, with WordPress and SquareSpace for example, so consider what you might need. You can upgrade and change in future remember, but also consider this is an ongoing (not a one-off) cost. Most website builders give you clear details of the options and costs involved, just check out their \u2018pricing\u2019 section.<\/p>\n Consider all of the extra costs too \u2013 so, for example, your domain name cost or linking, your email address if you want one (or more) with the same domain (i.e. kate@thecontentconsultancy.com<\/a>; info@thecontentconsultancy.com<\/a> etc), and also any essential plug-ins you may need. Plug-ins are ‘extras’ that will add more functionality to your website. I won\u2019t go in to more detail here but just be aware of these as many do cost (or the ability to add them may do). Come up with a realistic cost. This is really useful, particularly if you then compare with a professional website designers costs (which you will need to check to see if this includes hosting, domain names etc etc).<\/p>\n Your next step is to start thinking about what your website would actually look like and I think the best place to start is to look at competitors, and wider!<\/p>\n Take a look at your competitors’ websites and consider what you like and what you don\u2019t like. What information do they include? What sorts of images? What level of detail?<\/p>\n Consider not just direct competitors, but indirect competitors and simply websites you admire too.<\/p>\n If you have friends or family with a website of their own, ask them how they created theirs and who\/what they used.<\/p>\n For all of the website you are looking at, take a close look at the menus and their layout; consider the ease of navigation, and also the information in the headers and footers too. What remains consistent on every page?<\/p>\n You may also notice, in the footer particularly, that it tells you who the host\/website builder is, i.e. this one says ‘at WordPress.com’.<\/p>\n Now is the time for some planning of your own. Start writing out a site plan. I recommend using a simple numbered bullet system. See the example below.<\/p>\n The Arabic numerals are the \u2018main\u2019 pages, which will be included in your main navigation menu (e.g. across the top of each page) and the roman numerals are \u2018sub level\u2019 pages \u2013 which will likely show up in a drop down menu when you hover over the main menu options (or show up in another way, depending on the design of your website).<\/p>\n Writing a site plan gives you an idea of the type of website you need, the functionality and simply the number of pages you will need to write and create content for.<\/p>\n 1. Home As mentioned, website builders generally have a lots of templates to choose from. WordPress has loads! Some are free and some cost money. Now, you have a basic site plan and a sense of the type and style of websites you like, you can look through the templates and start to assess which ones might work for you.<\/p>\n Whatever you choose (via WordPress and SquareSpace at any rate) you are not tied to a template for life. You can switch to a different one. Your content will remain (i.e. the text on your pages and images) but menus and other elements may change. So do your research before doing so.<\/p>\n Also, take a look at what the different templates look like in different formats, i.e. mobile, laptop and tablet.<\/p>\nDIY Websites<\/h2>\n
1. Investigate the website builders<\/h3>\n
2. Investigate domain name registrars<\/h3>\n
3. Add up all of the costs<\/h3>\n
4. Research competitors<\/h3>\n
5. Write a site plan<\/h3>\n
Example site plan<\/h4>\n
\n2. About
\ni. Meet the Team
\n3. Services
\ni.\u00a0 \u00a0Laundry
\nii.\u00a0 Ironing
\niii. Cleaning
\n4. Contact<\/p>\n6. Search through templates<\/h3>\n
7. Source good images<\/h3>\n