As a business it is essential to have a website. People are going to try and find you through the internet, and what they see when they do is under your control. It is a very clear cut opportunity to create a certain brand image.
If you don’t have a budget to hire a freelancer, or simply want to try learning something new, you may want to build this website yourself. Using the WordPress framework we will show you step by stepĀ how to build a business website.
Overview of the process
- Buy a domain name and webhosting
- Install WordPress
- Decide on a design
- Add content
- Ensure speed and security
Step 1: get a domain name and webhosting
To have a website you need a domain name (what you type in the address bar) and webhosting (the physical infrastructure running your website). We recommend using our hosting services of Ā course, since they are very user friendly. Feel free however to choose a different solution, the instructions will work all the same.
Make sure to get both a domain and webhosting.You can imagine the domain name as a street address and the hosting as the house at that address.
Step 2: Install WordPress
The fastest way to get started building a business website is using a content management system (CMS). We prefer WordPress due to it being versatile and user friendly.
To install WordPress if you are a hosted customer:
- Log into your domain cPanel
- Go to the applications manager
- Select WordPress
- Choose a username and password
- Click the install button
For detailed instructions check out this how to.
If you are not using Hoasted as your webhost the process becomes a bit more complex. The fastest way to get it installed is to ask the customer service of your host whether they have installation scripts for WordPress.
Step 3: Decide on a design
WordPress has the advantage of working with themes (also called templates) which are available for free and commercially. You can browse the free themes by logging into your WordPress (yourdomain.com/wp-admin) and navigating to Appearance > Themes.
From here you can install and enable a theme.
The theme you install probably comes with a user manual (documentation) or a website with this information.
Step 4: Add content
There are two types of content is a WordPress website: posts and pages.
Posts areĀ date sensitive updates as seen on blogs or news pages.Ā Pages are static content like ‘about us’ or ‘contact’.
Most business websites will use mostly pages.
To edit the navigation of these pages go to appearance >menus.
Step 5: Ensure speed and security
Having your website be secure and fast is important for your visitors. Be sure to complete these checklists: