Having a website in the world of today is crucial. It allows you to promote your small business and helps you reach more customers than you ever thought possible. Besides, drag and drop website builders have made it extremely easy for small businesses to create their own website without having to worry about high costs. You can now create a website for your business in the same amount of time as it would take you to cook up a decent Thanksgiving dinner. This ultimate guide to website development and cheap website hosting is just what you need to take your business to the next level.
Small businesses might find creating a website to be daunting task. However, it does not always have to be this way as you can easily decide how to create your website and choose the right website hosting partner. If you are new to website development and hosting, there is nothing to worry about as this post will help you throughout the process. Although there is no one-size-fits-all option, when you choose the right website builder for small businesses, you can expect to have an excellent website in no time.
When creating a website, there are six vital things that you need to focus on. These include the cost of website development and hosting, customer support service, design flexibility, feature quality, and ease of use. Keep in mind that customer support plays a huge role and should be given great thought besides the cost. The following tips will ensure that all your website development and small business website hosting needs are taken care of.
Choose A Good Domain Name
The first thing that you need to do in order to have the best website for your small business is choose a good domain name. The success of your website depends on the domain name you choose. It is what your website will be known by. Thus, you need to be extra careful when determining the domain name. The domain name is also called the website address, it is the entry point to the website. Hence, the domain name needs to make a good impression on visitors and the search engine. Choose a domain name that can be leveraged through search engine optimization. The following tips will help you determine the best domain name for your small business.
- Easy to spell: The website should be easy to spell. This is why you need to avoid using esoteric, made up, or slang words.
- Make it short: The shorter the domain name, the easier it would be for visitors to remember it and type it into their browser.
- Choose the right domain extension: Each website has a domain extension and if you want your website to generate the right traffic, then, you need to choose the right domain extension. Generally, it is a good idea to opt for a .com domain extension as compared to .co, .net, etc. However, only use another extension where appropriate.
- Avoid using hyphens and numbers: Never make the mistake of incorporating numbers and hyphens into the domain name as they are difficult to remember and make the domain name appear less elegant. Word-only domain names on the other hand are memorable and will not get misunderstood when vocalized.
- Choose a broad domain name: There are many benefits of choosing a broad and unique domain name. For starters, it can be used as an extension for new products or services in the future. A broad domain name enables you to diversify your business in the future.
- Pick a memorable name: Since there are plenty of websites, you need to make yours stand out and the easiest way to do this is by picking a memorable domain name which makes it easy for others to remember.
- Research the domain name: Before you decide to use a domain name, it is important that you do some research on it. Find out if it is already in use or not. Moreover, it should contain a registered trademark.
- SEO-friendly URL: Finally, you should make sure that your domain name is SEO-friendly. It should include crucial keywords as well as the geo-location you cater to.
Choose A Reputable Website Host
A website host plays a crucial role in the success of your website. This is why you need to purchase a scalable and secure website hosting service that guarantees good tech support. The website host provides you with the service and technology necessary for your website to be viewed over the internet. Your domain name will be connected to the hosting provider meaning that visitors will see the website as how it has been stored on the hosting account. Normally, hosting services will cost you anywhere fromĀ $3 to over $100 a month depending on the type of services and technology you need. Moreover, if you purchase a yearly plan, you will get to benefit from a discount. The following tips will come in handy when searching for a decent website hosting plan.
- Do not get a shared server as it would lead to the performance of your website suffering. Furthermore, if the shared server gets hacked, your website would also be affected.
- Choose a dedicated server if necessary. Although a dedicated service is an expensive option that could cost your hundreds of dollars every month, it would result in your website performing at its most optimal. However, small businesses do not need to invest in an expensive dedicated server and can find some reasonable plans.
- Get a virtual private server for the best of both worlds. In order to avoid having to spend a lot of money on the hosting plan, you can choose a virtual private server as it would only cost you about $20 to $60 a month.
With the above tips in mind, it might be a great idea to opt for a fully managed website hosting service provider such as Ever Green Tech. The company provides users with amazing phone/ chat support. Hence, if you ever have problem, you can have it resolved in the shorted amount of time possible. Besides, Ever Green Tech offers an easy to use server interface which allows you to access the server without having to worry about knowing how to use terminal commands for viewing the server contents or making any changes. Moreover, it also provides great server security. Regular backups and security maintenance are done to the server contents.
Have A Clear Description Of The Website
If you want to develop a website that people notice, you need to make sure that the homepage has a clear description of what you have to offer. Subsequent banners can be placed to provide a visual representation of your services. An introductory text will go a long way in getting your page to rank well and attract potential customers. Describe the business in the best way possible. It might be a good idea to hire a freelance content writer to ensure that optimized content is included. Moreover, you should also make sure the website has an “About Us” page to provide in-depth information about your business.
Choose The Best Content Management System
Every website needs to utilize a content management system (CMS). It allows you to create and manage content. This is why you should choose the best content management system which will keep your website well-maintained. Moreover, the CMS should not require you to have much technical knowledge on how to use it. Choose a CMS which meets your needs such as budget, extensibility, and user interface. WordPress is one of the most popular CMS in the world. It has an active online community that is quick to help out a newbie. Other options include Square Space, Joomla, Drupal, and Wix.
Consider Using A Reputable E-Commerce Platform
If you planning on offering services or goods on your website, it might be a good idea to choose the right technology. E-commerce has great potential and this is why you should consider using an e-commerce platform to take your small business to the next level. Choose a platform that allows your users to make a financial transaction with your business online. Some of the most popular small business e-commerce platforms include Woo Commerce, Shopify, Shopify Plus, Business Square Space, and Wix.
Focus On Creating An Engaging User Interface
User experience influences how visitors react to your website. Hence, you need to focus on creating an engaging user interface for users. It will help leave a positive impression on them. This can be done by using stunning and optimized graphics, easy to read fonts, researching the target audience and competition, staying consistent with the brand, having an intuitive navigation system, posting vital contact details, and the like.
Optimize The Website For Search Engines
The key to generating traffic to your small business website is search engine optimization. This is why you should opt for a company that offers SEO services to small business. SEO plays a vital role in how websites are ranked and appear when someone searches for a keyword. Every website is crawled by the search engine. Thus, your website would compete with other websites which have the same content. In order for your website to rank at the top, you need to ensure that the website has better content and design. Some of the main practices included in SEO include mobile-friendly interface, SSL certification, fast loading speed, optimal website code, keyword implementation, high-quality back links, positive reviews, internal links, and social media profiles that link to the website.
Publish Content Regularly
If you want people to take your website seriously, then, you need to publish content regularly. Keep in mind that only quality content should be published. Search engines look for freshness. Hence, it is important to have a plan to ensure that content is posted on a regular basis. The content also needs to be relevant to what people search for. Thus, you will need to include the right keywords and phrases to generate traffic to the website.
Social Media Presence
The world has moved to social media and businesses have managed to catch up with this move. If you want to keep up with the latest changes, you will need to consider having a social media presence. By regularly using social media and maintaining your online presence, users will know that you are active.
Why Choose Ever Green Tech?
There is a reason why more and more small businesses are shifting to Ever Green Tech for all their website development and website hosting needs. The company handles the migration for free and if you have any issues, you can have your money back as it offers a seven-day money back guarantee to all its newest users. The company protects your website and all the data using cloud-grade security.
If you are looking for the best fully managed server, then, you can expect to find it at Ever Green Tech. It also offers blazing fast speed which is powered by super quick SSDs, premium caching and customized server architecture. The company maintains the title of being the highest-rated fully managed hosting provider out there for small businesses and blogs.
Take advantage of superior support when you use their services. Each server has enterprise-grade security. You have nothing to worry about as free weekly backups are also performed for all tiers. Moreover, the entire restoration process is conduced free of charge. With proactive threat monitoring, Ever Green Tech works to ensure that your data and website are protected at all times. Automatic alerts are sent before a situation escalates. The DDOS protection standard is included in every plan. Ever Green Tech employs the best web developers to help create the website of your dreams. There is no better website development and website hosting company out there. You can even read the online reviews to see what others have to say about Ever Green Tech.