Starting a website business can be a great way to work creatively in an area you love, selling products, or offering specialized services. Of course, there are millions of websites out there. The challenge is to create a site that is easy to use and that people like. The key, of course, is to start a business that offers a service or product that sells, followed by creating a website and advertising it.
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Part 1 of 3: Creating a Business Model
Step 1. Think about what product or service you want to offer
This will be your first step in starting a website business.
- For example, you might want to create a website to sell handicrafts, cosmetic products, tools, or other products you make.
- You can also offer services such as walking the dog, mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, or legal advice.
- Your target customers will be determined by the type of business you want to start.
Step 2. Consider your target consumers
Consider the age group and gender of consumers who may be interested.
- For example, if you sell cosmetic products for women, you need to direct your business to target women and girls.
- If you offer services such as lawn mowing or house cleaning, your target customers are likely to be adults living in their own homes.
- The model of the website and the way you advertise it is largely determined by your target consumers.
- You must tailor your product and service times to your target consumers. For example, if your target customer works from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., it may be more profitable to offer services on weekends, etc.
Step 3. Make sure that you have the necessary permits to run your business
Find out in advance about this if you are not sure.
- For example, if you are starting a construction business, you will need a license as a contractor.
- If you run a house cleaning, lawn care, or other service business, you may need insurance.
- Make sure that your business does not need a permit to run in your city. While all of your advertising and communications with consumers may be online, if you offer a service, you may need local government approval.
- Look for information on the permits required to run your business at your city hall or local government office.
Step 4. Think about what type of startup funding you need
You may need a small loan, or have savings to start your business.
- Arrange the estimated costs required in the table. That way, you can estimate well how much money you will need to start your business.
- Once you know what web hosting service you are going to use, you need to calculate how much it will cost each month. This fee is usually quite affordable, besides that there are also many free web hosting services available.
- Estimate how much it will cost you to buy the materials needed to make your product, as well as how much the shipping costs will be.
- If you offer a service, calculate the transportation costs required within the coverage area of your business.
- For example, if you offer lawn mowing and gardening services, you will need to estimate the cost of your equipment (lawn mower, haul truck, shears), vehicle and equipment maintenance, transportation costs (vehicle mileage and fuel prices in your area of business)., etc.
Part 2 of 3: Creating a Business Website
Step 1. Decide on a web hosting service for your website
There are many you could consider, but each has different features and costs.
- Google Sites offers a fast and free tool to build your website. Services through Google such as Blogger are very widely used.
- Other free web hosting services like wix.com and weebly.com are also useful tools.
- Web hosting services that offer personal and business websites at low prices are Intuit, Yahoo, Bluehost and Ruxter.
- There are advantages and disadvantages to each of the above types of web hosting services. Usually, the more expensive services will offer a more professional-looking site without the display of annoying ads on your pages.
- Even after you choose a web hosting service, you still need to consider creating a business profile on social media like Facebook, Google+, Twitter or Instagram.
Step 2. Learn to use HTML code
While most web hosting services have a framework for building a website without requiring you to code it yourself, learning the basics of HTML is also an important step.
- HTML is a simple and widely used programming language for creating websites.
- HTML tutorials are available free online. Try tutorials like HTML Dog and W3schools.
- Most people can learn HTML in a day by watching and practicing using free online tutorials. HTML is a programming language that is simple and very easy to use.
- This language uses hypertext to link users to different pages.
- HTML code is written with a special syntax with a function marker of a text. For example, a marker will specify a text whether to link the user to another page, bold or italic, or show an image or title.
- You can write HTML code in a simple text editor such as Notepad or Word and then copy it into your web or site builder software. Alternatively, you can also use an HTML coding program such as HTML Kit.
Step 3. Create your website
Keep your target consumers in mind.
- If you have chosen a web service, use the provided template to build your website. That way, your website is sure to be usable, easy to navigate and professional looking.
- Using a site template provided by a web hosting service can help you build a site without having to understand how to write code.
- Use bounding boxes for text and clickable link options to make it easier for consumers to navigate to your site.
Step 4. Be sure to provide pictures of the products you are selling or services available on the site
The purpose of your website is to attract consumers to your business and provide them with information about what you do and offer.
- List your contact information clearly in a visible place on your page. Provide your email address and phone number as a contact.
- List all your products and services on the website under the "Products and Services" label. Be sure to list the price clearly on this page.
- If you ship your product to a consumer, clearly state what shipping company you use (POS, TIKI, JNE, DHL, etc.)
- For example, if you are starting a lawn mowing and gardening service, you should have a main page with photos of your work, then another section with an explanation of the services you offer and your choice of service packages and prices, and another section with contact information and service schedules. which is available.
Step 5. Make your website accessible from mobile devices
This is very important especially because nowadays more and more people are using smartphones and tablets.
- Regular website formats are difficult to navigate using phones and tablets.
- For example, setting the format on a website allows users of your site to view the rest of your site using a drop down menu list.
- Larger text size, easier to read, and easier to click on to link different parts of the site.
- Most hosting services allow you to create a website in a mobile format.
- When you're building your web hosting framework, you should see a button that you can use to check if your website is available in mobile format.
- This format will not change the content of your website. This format will only make links, images, and text easier to read and use on mobile devices.
- The appearance of your website may change so that it is easier to use on mobile devices.
Step 6. Make sure your website can be opened via web search engine search results
Google, Yahoo, and Bing will drive lots of people to your business site.
- Sites that can't be found by search engines often don't get many organic visitors.
- Remember your first goal is to direct potential customers to your website to see your products and services.
- If you can afford it, enlist the help of a professional website developer to ensure that the SEO (search engine optimization) of your website is carried out. However, most hosting services already include it automatically.
- To make your website easier for search engines to find, write down the most important aspects of your site using HTML. HTML is a programming language compatible with web search engines.
- Parts of a site written in Flash, Java applets, and other languages may not be recognized as well as HTML by search engines.
- Check the performance of your website with web search engines. You can use tools such as Google's cache SEO-browser or Mozbar. These websites allow you to check if the content on your pages is recognizable to search engines.
Part 3 of 3: Marketing Your Website
Step 1. Create a social media page for your business
Link your website address on those social media profiles.
- Social media is a great way to widely introduce your name, products and services.
- You can link your business website address through your personal profile and introduce it to your friends and relatives.
- When you create a business page on social media, users can search for that business and its related pages.
- Linking your website is the right move, as social media profiles don't always offer the variety of promotions, pages and photos that business websites do.
Step 2. Advertise your website and online business
You can place ads on search engines, advertise your business and post a link to your website on Craigslist and other online sources like LinkedIn.
- Service providers are more likely to attract consumers by placing ads on Google and Bing. When you place an ad on a search engine, your website will appear as an offered or advertised page when people search for the type of service you offer.
- Craigslist is a great way to advertise your business locally. Go to the city page where you live and enter information about your service. Be sure to write down your complete website address.
- Try LinkedIn to promote your services. Create a LinkedIn profile and describe the services or products you offer. Be sure to include the full address on your website.
Step 3. Make a business card
Give it to people at local business events or meetings.
- Make sure your website stands out on your business cards, as well as your services and/or products.
- Put your business card on the bulletin board around you.
- Give your business card to your friends, family, and relatives so they can spread the word about your business.
- Whenever you meet someone in person asking about your business, be sure to give them your business card. The business card can get them to visit your website to clearly see what you have to offer them.
