The World Wide Web has been in existence for about 29 years old. Wow, hard to believe we have had it for this long. It seemed like just yesterday we were setting up email addresses and today there are millions of websites, blogs and counting. If the World Wide Web were a person, they would be an adult, independent, have possibly gone to college, worked for a while, become a professional, be a contributing member of the society, and probably have their own offspring.

True to form, the Web has indeed grown when you consider the abundance of resources and awesome technology it sustains. It is a very remarkable tool that everyone should know about and be able to use, especially if you own a business. Using the Web can help you start and grow our business. Imagine a world with no internet, we would not have Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Uugh I don’t even want to think about that.

As great as the internet is, trying to navigate and use it so it works for you can be daunting and a little complicated, but with a little help, you can learn how to use the internet to grow your business. For most business owners, one of the next items on the list of things to do after launching their business is getting a website. It is not difficult to get a domain name, and if you don’t know how to code, you can get some template or have someone do it for you. Ultimately, you need to have goals and know what you are doing before you move your business online.

According to the Dictionary, a Website is a location connected to the Internet that maintains one or more pages on the World Wide Web. To get your own website, you need to get a Domain Name and Web Hosting. A Domain name is an identifier that defines your control within the Internet while Hosting is a service provided by a hosting company that makes websites accessible via the web.

Think of it this way, let’s say you own a home.

Your home has an address, obviously, how else would people know where they want to go when they visit you. Your address is your Domain Name, just like addresses are written a certain way, Domain Names are written in the format www.domainname.com.

All houses are built on a piece of land and are designed to contain you and almost everything that belongs to you. Your web host is like your house. The web host holds all the files, text, images, and videos that make up our website. Generally, you can get both from a Service Provider like BlueHost or GoDaddy for a fee.

When you make up your mind that you really want a website, there are some factors you should put into consideration:

Purpose.

The WHY? Why do you need a website? What purpose would the website serve? Would it be an added revenue stream, enhance your business, or show the authenticity and legitimacy as a company. Remember a Website is an added business cost. In addition to setting it up, you must keep promoting and maintaining your website.

Timing.

When is the best time to get the website? Some businesses would need to have their website ready from the get-go. This is the case for online businesses like eBay. While offline business could run for a while before they get their website. Whatever you decide, it would be a good idea to purchase your domain name as early as possible, so it doesn’t get snatched before you are ready.

Platform.

Getting a website is not as difficult as it was back then. You can hire a Web Designer to create one for you, which of course would cost you a substantial amount or you can DIY it using a platform like WordPress or Wix and pay a fraction of the cost. Hosting can be quite expensive. You can purchase Hosting for about $80 – $100 annually, or you can have WordPress or Wix host it for you for free. Know that if you go with the free option, your domain name would be domainname.wordpress.com or www.domainname.wix.com. If you want to look professional, you should get a www.domainname.com.

Functions.

What would your website do? How would your website help grow your business? Would the website just provide information, sell your products, handle bookings or even used as a Blog. Knowing what you want your website to do from the start can help you chose the best platform to use, so you don’t switch constantly and experience downtimes.

As mentioned earlier, getting a website is a lot easier today, thanks to the availability of Content Management Systems (CMS). Wikipedia defines CMS’s as applications that support the creation and modification of digital content. Here are some of the most common options available:

WordPress

WordPress is a software anyone can use to create a website or blog. It boasts beautiful designs, powerful features and with WordPress, you can build almost any kind of site you want. About 30% of the web is created using WordPress. People create blogs, business websites, and even news websites using WordPress. To get a website on WordPress, you can download and install it on your computer, or you can install it free through your hosting company. WordPress allows you get the most functions from your website, thanks to the endless number of themes and plugins. The free version of WordPress can be found on wordpress.com. As great as WordPress is there is still some downside to using it, you don’t have the freedom to customize your website or get the features you need. If you would like to learn more about WordPress, you can take this Course.

Wix

Wix lets you create beautiful websites. Wix is well known and used by a lot of businesses. It is Template based and you can get a website by simply dragging and dropping elements you need for your website. You can get a free website hosted by weeks or get a plan. Plans are from $5 per month to $25 per month. To get a website on Wix, visit their website and sign up. Just like other CMS’s you may not be able to customize the website the way you like.

Drupal

Drupal is another CMS that helps you create your own website. Drupal is like WordPress meaning that you can create your own website using their template based system from your hosting account. You can get lots of services to enhance the functionality of your website from Drupal’s Marketplace. They also offer training so you can learn how to use their services. You may not find all the services you need, but they update their marketplace regularly.

Joomla 

If you like a Canadian made CMS, you may want to go with Joomla. Joomla has a ton of features and you can even get some training about how to build your website from them. Joomla is free to use, you can download it from their website or through your hosting account.

Hire a Web Designer.

Hiring a Designer would cost you more because you are leveraging the Designer’s knowledge and experience to design your own custom website to meet your needs. Because all the code is written from scratch, you can get the features you need, if it can be done. Some designers may also use a CMS to create your websites. Ensure you know when creating your website.

Have you learned the importance of a website for your business? Share your ideas in the comments section below.