It is easier than you think to make a website. All you need is a little time, access to the Internet and a willingness to try.

Most small and startup businesses do not have the funds to pay for large, complex web design projects. Even finding budget for very reasonably priced web services can be a challenge so it makes sense for you to learn how to make a website.

Now, there are many routes you can follow. For the purpose of this article I intend to explore the easiest option that I believe will give you the best results.

Step 1 – Begin With the End in Mind

Before diving in decide what you want a website to do for you and your business.

Do you want it to be nothing more than an online brochure? Do you want it to generate sales? Do you want to be able to sell things over the Internet? What exactly are you trying to achieve? Once you know this you’ll know how much you need to learn and you won’t be side tracked. If you don’t need to set up a shopping cart you know you don’t have to waste time learning about the vagaries of ecommerce!

Step 2 – Keywords

These are the words and phrases that web visitors will use to find you. What are web users likely to type into the Google search box? If you are a small or startup business this is almost certainly not your trading or company name. It will be a phrase describing what you offer or identifying a problem you can solve.

The best keywords are those that have a decent volume of traffic but few competing pages. Applying these criteria you will find it easier to get your own web page well ranked by the search engines.

Keyword research can be undertaken using a free tool provided by Google you can also use this tool to see what keywords your competitors are ranked for in Google.

If you are going to make a website you may just as well make one which is going to be found by those searching on the web. Spending time on keyword research is the way to do this.

Step 3 – Hosting

Free hosting, the sort where nobody is paying anything, has to be funded somehow. Free hosting is funded by advertisements. You will have adverts plastered over your site and you will have no control over whether they are appropriate for your market or not. In short, I really do advise you to stay away from free hosting.

It’s true that some of my web packages offer free hosting BUT I am paying for that service. Your site will not be used as an advertising platform.

For reliable hosting I recommend Hostgator. Yes, there are lots of reliable hosts out there. I recommend Hostagtor because I can recommend them through personal experience. My own sites are hosted with Hostgator and I have always found them to be fantastic in both pricing and service quality.

Wherever you go for hosting be sure they offer cpanel access and fantastico. (I know that means nothing to you right now but it will save you a lot of heartache later).

You’ll need a domain name (see next step)  to set up a hosting account.

Step 4 – Domain Name

You should not be paying more than $10 for your domain name.

A .com domain name can be purchased from Namecheap for less than $9 (one year registration) using their current coupon code (Contact us using the contact form on the site to find out what the current coupon code is – it changes every month).

A .co.uk domain name is registered for two years and should cost less than £7 including VAT. For .co.uk domain names I recommend 123-Reg.

When choosing your domain name think carefully before you register your business name as your www address. A domain name based on the best keywords you have identified (step 1 above) will give you a boost in the search engine rankings for that search phrase. It’s worth considering…..

Once you have your domain name registered you can set up your hosting account and set up the DNS information on your domain registrar account to point to your hosting. (Any problems with this you can view this tutorial. You did use Namecheap, didn’t you?)

Step 5 – Make a Website

You have your hosting set up and your domain name pointing to your hosting. You are now ready to make a website!

In cpanel look for the Fantastico link. Click it and then look for the link to install WordPress (Usually near the top of the left hand column).

Follow the steps for a new installation filling in the details when requested. WordPress installs itself and makes building a website very easy.

NB NB NB IF you purchased your hosting using our Hostgator link we will do this wordpress set up for you – free of charge

That’s 5 simple steps to make a website. Yes, there’s some form filling to be done at the various stages and it will take some of your time but when time is the resource you have plenty of it is better spent than the cash that is in short supply.

Over at Internet Business Education you’ll find all manner of training materials designed to show you, in depth and step by step, how to make a website. This is a low cost service designed to support those who want to build their own web sites and is well worth checking out.

I have no idea who measured this or came up with the conclusion but the general consensus is that web visitors will land on a site as many as 7 times before they buy (or register or whatever the most wanted response is).

It is rare for a transaction to be completed on the first visit.

For this reason, it’s important that every business website offers something of value to encourage repeat visits and site loyalty.

I am not suggesting you give away the crown jewels – simply to put yourself in the place of your web visitor, look at your site with a critical eye and ask yourself

• Would I come back here?

• Would I bookmark this site?

• Would I link to this post on Twitter?

• Would I email a link to my friends

If your answer is ‘no’ perhaps you are not providing value.

People search the Internet for all manner of reasons and you need to have something for them.

I have a problem…..

Perhaps your web visitor has a problem they need to solve. What information can you give away for free to help them? Of course, this information can link to a product or service recommendation but think about what you can give them for nothing first. You want to use the opportunity to help them as a way of building trust and rapport. If you struggle to write decent articles for your site pay a competent copywriter to help you. Always be thinking of ways you can solve problems for your web visitors – that’s how you get repeat visits, bookmarks and referrals, by building trust.

Help me first and then I will listen to you

Think laterally. How can you capture web traffic looking for something other than your offering but for which you have a solution. A searcher may be seeking information about how to remove black mould from walls – you sell air conditioning systems and dehumidifiers. Provide the information to answer the searcher’s question. Tell them the best way to clean the mould off the walls – earn the right to then tell them about how they can prevent it coming back.

Thank you for not making me think

People judge books by their covers. They also make snap decisions about websites based on their look and feel, their load times and their accessibility. Make it an easy and pleasant experience to be on your website. Don’t make people struggle to find what they want. Help them to do business with you.

My friends would enjoy this

There’s no doubt that some people surf the web because they have nothing better to do. The dedicated web surfer is quite likely to make good use of the social media sites to bookmark websites he or she finds interesting. Don’t underestimate the value of what these people can do for you. They may well not be in buying mode BUT if you entertain them and provide value they will tell others and growth in traffic can be exponential from a simple thumbs up on Stumbleupon.

OK, I’m ready to buy

Of course, in an ideal world, everyone who comes to your website is ready to buy. They are sitting at their keyboard with credit card in hand – but let’s not mess it up. Is the online sales process straightforward? Is there an offline alternative for those nervous about handing over card details on the web? Is the shopping basket and checkout process intuitive to use? Is it robust and reliable? If you are providing online services or products, are the deliverables set up properly? This is all continuing to provide value. The sale is just the beginning. For that sale to generate further sales for you the process of selling and the after sales service has to provide value. Don’t turn your back on your customer once they have paid.

Make your website valuable to web visitors to see an increase in traffic, an increase in enquiries and an increase in sales.

I am often asked why we now use WordPress exclusively for client website builds.

The answer could be glib and easy but I think I would be doing us both a dis-service to go down that route, so the longer answer follows.

To begin, let’s consider a business website per se.

Building a website is relatively easy

You may have a teenager who could put something together for you, you may have built something yourself. Building a great website is more challenging and complex – building a great website that does well in the search engine rankings is even more difficult.

Making a website pay for itself

There is, in my humble opinion, not a great deal of point in having a website if it isn’t going to bring additional business in for you. Every website should pay for itself in the increased business volume it produces for the business owner. This is a return on investment that can be reasonably expected. I understand that the cost of a website can represent a significant chunk of change for small and startup businesses – but, when built properly, a website will earn its keep.

Saving money with a business website

Having a good, effective online presence can save money in addition to bringing in extra sales. Encouraging clients and prospects to register to receive communications electronically can save a small fortune in paper based mailings. Setting up drop ship facilities for products sold can reduce the cost of storage. Setting up an ecommerce facility can mean your business is open for trading 24/7 without extending the cost of staff cover.

When lack of planning constitutes an emergency!

A lot of small businesses and startups come to us for help when they face a deadline. They may have paid a LOT of  money for a full page ad in a trade magazine, they may have been talked into taking a last minute deal on a stand at a trade show, they may be attending a conference or networking event. Whatever the reason we are often faced with the task of getting to know a client, understanding their business and providing a first class website – sometimes within days.

Having set the scene, let’s talk about WordPress.

It is not unusual for a web site project to run into months and thousands of dollars. Talk to many businesses and you will hear a similar tale. Projects over-running on time and budget. It’s rare to get both sides of the story. Web designers tell stories of clients changing specifications umpteen times. Business owners tell stories of web designers never producing what they want. It is a minefield.

The beauty of working with WordPress….

…. and a premium theme such as Thesis is that a first iteration of a website can be produced in days (other projects permitting of course). WordPress grows in a modular fashion. It is possible to put together the ‘rush site’ which can then be expanded and developed over time, once the panic is over. Old content rolls over seamlessly making way for the new up-to-date stuff.

Best of all

The strongest point in favour of WordPress is the fact that clients can manage and maintain their business websites themselves, with a level of support that suits their technical expertise and time availability. The fact that content is kept separate from code means even the most technically challenged business owner can make web page updates – and this is how a small or startup business has to work. Until it is established with a steady revenue stream, the business owner needs to be able to do a little bit of everything. I know modern management gurus preach outsourcing but this is not feasible for the bootstrapping start up.

WordPress and the Search Engines

WordPress and Thesis are already optimised for good search engine rankings so a lot of the basic seo work is done for you. Now this does not mean your business website will bounce straight into Google at number 1 – there is still work to be done, but at least you are not starting from scratch.

And, finally

Using WordPress is one of those oft talked about but rarely seen win-win situations. I can provide quick, scalable, reasonably priced web solutions and the client gets the web site they want, that they can maintain, at a price they can afford.

A day spent business planning for the next 12 months combined with reflection on the last 12 months has been enlightening and sobering at the same time.

Some of the biggest problems of the last 12 months have been caused by the making of assumptions. It’s an embarrassing admission but one worth sharing.

In one case I assumed the client did not want to spend any more than the absolute minimum on their site. All they seemed to do was query costs so I assumed money was tight – I did everything I could to reduce costs. After 6 months we parted company, still friends (just) and the client went to another designer and spent a significant sum to get what they wanted. We could have done the same for half the price but my assumption got in the way and everyone lost out (except the new designer).

A bid for another job failed because of another assumption, this time on the part of the prospective client. The stated reason: ‘You are too cheap, we’re not convinced you can do it’!

On the other hand there have been some wonderful cases where the client under-estimated and under-assumed where we were concerned, which meant we over-delivered and everyone was thrilled (don’t you just love it when that happens?)

There is no point in dwelling on the past

BUT I think we ignore it at our peril. Taking time out to reflect on what has gone, review client files and communications, pinpoint what has gone well and what has gone not so well, has been time I didn’t want to spend (hey, I’m busy!), but has it been worthwhile? I’ll say so.

My mantra for this year is to not assume, but to check. I want to make sure I fully understand where a client is at and where they want to go. Because the focus of this site has always been about the provision of low cost solutions I had allowed myself to slip into a mindset which has without doubt had cost in the last 12 months. I am resolved it will not happen again.

So, as you plan the next 12 months for your business what have you learned from the last 12 months? What are you determined will not happen again? What went well and what did not go quite so well? Capture it all and learn!

Who or what is your target market? ?

When you set up a new business you tend to be clear about what it is you intend to provide – be that in the way of products or services – but a surprising number of entrepreneurs are unclear about who they plan to do business with.

No startup business can be all things to all men and for that reason it’s essential that the new business owner is absolutely clear about his or her market segment.

What is a target market?

These are the people or businesses who want and need what you provide. These are the potential customers who have an itch that your goods or services will scratch. Your target market should consist entirely of your ideal clients – the clients you know you can help.

Failing to identify the key traits of your target market will mean that you have no idea where to find these prospects nor will you know how to approach them – your positioning. In short, you’ll be giving yourself a real uphill struggle to get your business off the ground.

By taking the time to get absolutely clear about your business market you’ll reduce that crucial time lag between starting your business and closing the first sales, which will produce much needed early revenues.

In short, doing this groundwork will make the difference between success and failure.

The Planning Process

When you decide to do anything in life the chance of a successful outcome increases in direct proportion to the amount of planning and preparation you do.

You would not expect to run a marathon without training and preparation.

Most people do not just pitch up at the airport when they want to go on holiday – they consider possible destinations and make a preferred choice.

It’s a mystery why so many small business owners set up new businesses without any clear plan or preparation.

It is far, far easier to provide a market with the goods and services they want and need than to create a market for the things you want to sell.

And, whilst we are on that subject, the beauty of getting really clear about your target market and their very specific needs is that you will never have to sell! Your potential customers will come to you to buy.

As part of your business planning process think about the following:

• Who needs your goods or services?

• Are they male, female?

• Is it a business to business market? In which case what type of businesses need you?

• In a business to consumer market in what age range does your target market fall?

• What is their income level?

• What are the benefits of your products and services?

By spending some time on this now you are offering yourself the best chance of enjoying early business success.

Keep these five basic principles of website design in mind when planning your site:

1. Avoid the use of splash pages

A splash page is usually a work of art containing the words ‘Enter’ or ‘Welcome’ and not much else. They often have flash animations; they serve no useful purpose, can take an age to load and give visitors to your site an excellent reason to hit the back button and go elsewhere.

People do not have time to sit through the load of a splash page. They simply want access to the information they thought would be shown when they clicked the link to your site. If you disappoint them you will lose them.

2. Avoid the use of excessive banner advertisements

In much the same way as those who live next to the railway line no longer hear the trains passing by, even the least savvy visitor to your web site will have trained themselves to ignore banner advertisements. Unfortunately, such has been the abuse of banner ads that people simply don’t see them.

You of course want to use your web site to promote your goods and services but do this in a less obvious way. Provide your web visitors with real information. Make your web content valuable and interesting and weave your advertising links into the text as anchor links rather than in your face advertisements.

Help your web visitors come to the decision to buy without pushing them to buy, which will push them away.

3. Make the navigation on your site simple and obvious

If your web visitors can not find what they want within seconds they will go elsewhere. Don’t allow your web designer to go mad with creative menu bars and hidden links. All you will do is confuse your visitors and drive them away.

Navigation needs to be simple, obvious and easy to use. Your visitors will not thank you for bells and whistles.

4. Make use of breadcrumb trails for easy navigation

To encourage your visitors to follow links into the depths of your site make use of a breadcrumb trail menu to give them a way back to the place they started. It’s part of making the navigation on your site easy and simple but it also encourages the visitor to be brave and explore off the beaten path, as they have the comfort of knowing they can get back.

If visitors explore deep into your site and find themselves lost, the quickest way to solve the problem is to click away and do a fresh search. You don’t want them to do that. You want them to stay with you. A breadcrumb trail menu will help.

5. Avoid using autoplay on the audio and video on your site

If you are going to include audio or video on your web pages do not make it run on autoplay. You want your visitors to explore the site and focus on the content. They won’t do that if they are distracted by unwanted audio or video – especially if it’s designed to loop round and replay every time it comes to the end.

Remember that not every one of your web site visitors is using a computer in the comfort and privacy of their own home. Some are using machines in their workplace or a cyber cafe – they will not thank you for offering them an unwanted sound byte.

By all means make use of multi media formats but do be sure that your web visitors have controls to start, stop and mute as is appropriate for them.

There you have 5 simple basic principles which, if applied, will turn your mediocre website design into a great website design.

In addition to attracting new web visitors, many websites depend on returning visitors to account for a major part of their traffic.

Returning visitors are easier to convert into paying customers because the more often they return to a site, the more trust they have in that site. The credibility issue diminishes over time. Following are 5 suggested ways to encourage visitors to come back to your site:

Start a forum or chatroom – build a community

When you start a forum or chatroom you provide your visitors with a place to voice their opinions and interact with their peers. As conversations occur a sense of community is built and your visitors will come back to your site on a daily basis simply to participate and belong.

Start a web log (blog)

Keep an online journal, more commonly known as a blog, on your site and update it with the latest news about you and your business. Human beings are curious creatures and they will welcome the opportunity to peek behind the public facade to get to know you better. There is no better way of building your own credibility and proving you are ‘real.’

Carry out polls or surveys

Polls and surveys are other forms of interaction with your web visitors that you should definitely consider adding to your site. They provide a quick way for visitors to voice their opinions and to get involved in your website. Be sure to publish polls or surveys that are strongly relevant to the target market of your website as this will ensure they return to view the results.

Offer puzzles, quizzes and games

OK, perhaps we shouldn’t be encouraging this, but just imagine how many office workers sit and procrastinate at work every day. Imagine if your site offered something more entertaining than the report that needs writing or the figures that need analysing. Puzzles, quizzes and games are addictive and entertaining. You can also hold competitions rewarding the highest score.

Update frequently with fresh content

Update your site frequently with fresh content so that every time your visitors come back, they will have something new and different to read on your site. This is probably the most effective method of encouraging visitors to return – nobody wants to read old news. It is also the least popular with website owners as it requires work and effort!

Remember, having a website is not enough. Without web traffic your website is the equivalent of leaving your brochures in a box in a cupboard. No-one gets to see them. Websites need constant care and attention to generate traffic and encourage repeat visits.

Which one of these five suggestions could you implement today?