The first steps towards building a successful small business website

This post is an example of the content I share every Friday in my Living by Experience Magazine. If you’d like your free copy, just click here.

How important is domain registration and hosting to your website? I have created many websites, both for myself or for one of my businesses, it has become crystal clear that one of the most important steps in the process of establishing your online presence is the domain registration and hosting. This might sounds trivial, but many “artrepreneurs” skip over these important steps. Without the foundation in place, your website will be marginal at best.

Good web hosting is going to cost you some money, but it is worth it. When you go with a free domain or hosting service, you end up loosing control and performance – which ultimately will negatively impact your business image. You always want to have a top-level domain, such as http://wilko.ca or https://livingbyexperience.com rather than one that is generic to a free domain registration and hosting service.

The first step is choosing a domain name, the web address that you want. The registration usually costs about ten dollars per year. Spend some time brainstorming a name and don’t be afraid to ask people for their opinion. Remember, the domain name you use for your website is what people will know you by and is one of the most important things you decide in the early stages of building your site.

Choose a domain name that is not only descriptive of your website, but also easy to remember. Try to choose a domain name that includes one or more of your most important keywords so that it will show up higher in web searches. For example, if your website is about travel, you might check to see if http://travel.com is available (it is not). Domains are like women – the good ones are usually taken, so you might have to try variations like http://travel-lover.com.

Once you secure your domain name, the next step is to find someone who can host your website. A hosting service will actually place your website on the internet for you at the address you have registered. It has been my practice for years to use two different companies: one for your hosting and one for your domain registration. That way if you part with your web hosting company, you will still have control of your domain name. You don’t want to have all your eggs in one basket when it comes to your website.

Domain registration and hosting is a crucial part of developing a presence on the internet for yourself or your company. It is tempting to go with a free service so that you can get up and running as quickly and easily as possible, but the best thing you can do to properly market and draw traffic to your website is to take the time to make your domain registration and hosting a priority so that you get the domain you want and a hosting service that will best fit your needs. If you’re looking for a place to get started with your new site, try this hosting company.

P.S. Questions, comments, compliments? Join the conversation and text me: 604-210-8668. I’d love to hear from you.

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