It’s a new year, and maybe building a website is one of your goals. It may seem like a daunting task, but we’re here to help! Whether you’re a blogger or a small local shop looking to move into e-commerce, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses successfully create websites. Here we’ve broken down the six major steps in setting up your first website.
- Finding a host
Hosting is like a storage unit for your website where all of your files and website data live. To figure which hosting company to use, like GoDaddy or Bluehost, ask yourself these two questions: what do you need for your website to be successful and what is your skill level? Then look at these three categories to decide.
Server location
Many of us don’t think about physical distance affecting speed time for websites, but it does. If your host has a server on the other side of the world from your audience, your website could be slow. Find a host with a server location as close as possible to your audience.
Storage space
Every post, image, video or page you add to your website uses storage space. If you have a lot of content, you’ll want to find a host that offers plenty of storage. Find out how many pages your site will need and estimate how many users may visit your site in a day to decide how much storage you’ll need.
Hosting type
The hosting type will decide how much storage your website will be allowed. Here are brief overviews of the three main types of hosting.
Dedicated hosting gives you a server that you don’t have to share with anyone. This is popular with larger websites such as online shops or corporate sites.
Shared hosting shares the server and resources with multiple customers who cannot see or edit each other’s data. Shared hosting is the cheapest option but is better for smaller sites.
Virtual Private Server (VPS) is similar to a dedicated server. This option gives you the ability to optimize your VPS server, determine what software to run and allows you to adjust the settings.
- Selecting a domain name
You’ll need to purchase a domain name from a place like GoDaddy or Namecheap. Find a domain name that’s short, catchy and easy to spell, but keep it similar if not the same to your company’s name.
- Choosing a TLD
TLD stands for top-level domain, which is the last part of a domain. There are three types of TLDs:
Generic TLDs (gTLDs) – domains with .com, .info, .net, .edu and .gov.
Country code TLDs (ccTLDs) – use a country’s code at the end, like .fj for France or .ze for Zimbabwe.
Infrastructure TLDs, like .arpa, can only be used for infrastructure purposes and can’t be registered for.
- Setting up an email
A custom email with your domain will help customers feel more comfortable about emailing and be more professional. Hosting companies offer an email service, but we don’t recommend using it because you’ll likely be sharing a server and IP address with hundreds of other people. If one person on the shared server sends out spam emails, your IP could get blocked and flagged as spam. It’s best to use an email service like Outlook or Gsuite and ensure your email addresses include your website’s domain like this: user@yourwebsite.com.
- Own your digital assets
Digital assets are anything that’s created electronically or scanned in and turned into a digital file. Each asset will take up digital storage on your website and will need to be cataloged. Some examples of digital assets include:
- Images
- Videos
- Design Files
- Documents
- PDFs
You’ll want to use a Digital Asset Management system (DAM) to help you find and catalog your content easier.
- Establish regular site updates & security checks
Outdated software is one of the most common reasons why hackers can access a website. Developers create updates because of a security breach. Here are the top four areas of your website you should update regularly.
Content Management Systems
CMSs are platforms that you use to build your site on, such as WordPress or Squarespace. Update your website ASAP if you see a message from your CMS about a potential vulnerability but be aware that CMS updates can conflict with outdated plugins, themes, and extensions.
Plugins
Some plugins have malicious malware added to them, others are made poorly and weaken your website’s security. Download plugins from developers or sites you trust.
Themes
Malware can wiggle its way through a website’s theme and cause all sorts of problems like Blackhat SEO and malvertising. Only use themes purchased from a trusted theme developer. You want one that has been around for a few years and is actively supported.
Extensions
If your computer becomes compromised by malware, then your website is at risk, too. Don’t install browser extensions from sources you don’t trust and update right away if you receive an alert.
Still confused or short on time?
Like most projects in life, a website has a dozen moving parts, but it’s doable. Find a trusted website development company to help.
Sophia Brady is an SEO & Marketing Strategist at Northwest Media Collective, a full-service digital agency helping businesses connect with customers on social media. To learn more, visit https://northwestmediacollective.com/.
