In this day and age a business can’t succeed without a website – but for the non-tech minded of us out there, it can be a tricky process.Luckily we’re here to share our knowledge and guide you through some simple steps to get you on your way to website mastery!
What type of websitedo you want to make?
Start again
Hosted or self-hosted?
What set-up do you want for your blog?
Does your blog have a subject?
Pick a topic that you’re passionate about, interested in, or want to share with the world, and get writing!
What's a domain?
Have you got a domain?
Domains are always in demand, so if you’ve got a name in mind or catchy idea, snap it up as soon as possible!
Do you have hosting that supports PHP and MySQL?
What's PHP and MySQL?
Most blogging platforms require PHP and MySQL to function properly. Some providers even offer one click installs for some of the most popular platforms.
Have you chosen your CMS platform?
What's a CMS?
There’s a wide range to choose from, and the best way to start blogging. And they're free! We love Wordpress.
Have you installed your CMS platform?
Better get going! Installing your CMS platform is simple – especially if you follow these useful guides.
Is your blog secure?
A strong security strategy is essential: if you don’t have one, anyone could access your data!
Hosted or self-hosted?
Have you chosen a blogging provider?
There are a wide range of fantastic blogging providers, all varying in price, usability, and popularity. Here are some of our favourites!
Do you have a design for your blog?
It’s your blog, so make sure it looks that way. There are loads of different options to personalise your site, so start exploring!
Have you thought about your blog's structure?
A clear structure will help readers to easily find their way around: people should be able to find what they’re looking for, whether that’s old posts or your contact details.
Have you explored potential plugins for your blog?
Plugins are an easy way to improve your blog, and there is a huge variety to choose from.
Have you installed Google Analytics on your blog?
As a blogger, it's important to know how people are finding your blog and what your most popular posts are.
Have you considered optimising your blog for search engines?
Ranking for your subject in search engine results will not only help you expand your readership, but also portray you as an expert in your field!
Do you have a posting schedule?
A regular schedule gives your readers a better idea of when to check back for new posts. Choose a realistic timeframe for writing, editing, and posting.
Are you backing up your blog?
Losing all that precious work could be soul-destroying, so give yourself peace of mind by downloading a plugin to take copies for you.
Do you have social network accounts?
Social networks are an essential part of blogging, not only for expanding your readership and promoting posts, but for connecting with fellow bloggers and joining in with your online community.
Do you know your online community?
Start networking with your fellow bloggers through social media. It’s a great way to find new opportunities and meet people with similar interests to yours.
Does your blog have comments enabled?
Enable them! Comments are a great way of adding interactivity to your blog and encouraging your readers to engage.
Can people share your blog posts on social networks?
Find a social sharing plugin or add sharing buttons onto your blog posts. This is a great way to encourage people to share your great posts.
You should now have a great blog
- keep up the good
work.
Start again
Own site or marketplace?
Do you want to have your own site, or host it on an online marketplace?
Have you chosen your marketplace?
As a website can be a big investment for a startup business, in terms of both time and money, having a store on an online marketplace is an easier and more efficient option.
What's a domain?
Have you got a domain?
Domains are always in demand. It's best to get your perfect domain as quick as possible, so snap one up now!
Do you have hosting that supports PHP and MySQL?
What's PHP and MySQL?
Most ecommerce platforms require PHP and MySQL to function properly. Some hosts allow you to install some of the most popular platforms with one click.
Have you chosen your CMS platform?
What's a CMS?
Here you can make your site building process as simple or unique as you like: either go for a Wordpress install with a shopping cart plugin, choose a CMS specifically built as a shopping cart, or build your own ecommerce site.
Have you installed your CMS platform?
Better get going! Installing your CMS platform is simple – especially if you follow these useful guides.
Is your site secure?
A strong security strategy is essential: if you don’t have one, anyone could access your data – and that of your customers! People want to know they’re dealing with a genuine and trustworthy site when parting with money, so ensure you’ve looked into this section thoroughly.
Have you thought about your site's structure?
Your customers need to be able to find their way around your online shop as easily as they would around a real shop: a sensible structure will ensure they can find all the information they need, and browse your products with ease.
Have you considered optimising your shop for search engines?
Ranking for your retail field in search engine results will help you reach new customers, as well as improving your web presence.
Have you installed Google Analytics on your site?
As a webmaster, it's important to know how people are finding your blog and what your most popular posts are.
Do you have a design for your ecommerce store?
Treat your online store like a real shop-front: personalise it, keep it in line with you brand and business, and make it look great!
Do your products look as good as they can?
First impressions are key! Great photography from a variety of angles is vital for showing your products off properly.
Do all your products have a clear and detailed description?
Your potential customers can’t pick up and feel the products they like, so ensure you’re as descriptive as possible. How big is it? What is it made from? What colours is it available in?
Are shipping rates and your return policy displayed clearly on your site?
Potential customers may be put off buying if they aren’t sure whether they can return it! Shipping rates are also a big decision-maker or breaker, especially for overseas customers, so ensure all of this information is displayed somewhere obvious.
Are your contact details and FAQs easy to locate on your site?
As customers can’t talk to sales assistants, you need to have these details on display: they may be the difference between a customer trusting you enough to buy – and leaving your site!
Do you have a custom confirmation email and notifications for dispatch?
After an order is placed, your customers will expect to hear from you: verify that you’ve received their order, give them an order number, and an expected delivery date.
Do you have social network accounts?
Social networking is a great way to promote your business, engage with your customers and your community, as well as communicating with bloggers in your industry.
Do you know your online community?
Your online community comprises everyone from your customers, to your followers, and favourite bloggers. Get to know these people: they could very well become your biggest fans and most loyal customers!
Are people talking about your business?
Create a buzz in your community! Send samples of your products to bloggers and help solve peoples problems. Aim to become the expert in your field. Don't forget to use your local community too.
Would a blog benefit your site?
Blogging is a great way to grow your online community, share your expertise, and engage with existing and potential customers.
You should now have a great online store.
Time to start selling!
Start again
What's a domain?
Have you got a domain?
Domains are always in demand, so if you’ve got a name in mind or catchy idea, snap it up as soon as possible!
Do you have hosting that supports PHP and MySQL?
What's PHP and MySQL?
We recommend finding a prebuilt platform for your website. Most platforms require PHP and MySQL to function properly. Some hosting providers even offer the most popular platforms with one click installations.
Have you chosen a CMS platform?
What's a CMS?
There’s a wide range of content management systems to choose from, and the best way to start your site. We love Wordpress.
Have you installed your CMS platform?
Better get going! Installing your CMS platform is simple – especially if you follow these useful guides.
Is your site secure?
A strong security strategy is essential: if you don’t have one, anyone could access your data!
Do you have a design for your site?
It’s your site, so make sure it represents you and your business! There are loads of ways to personalise your site, so start exploring.
Have you thought about your site's structure?
The content on your website should easily guide visitors through, and help them find what they’re looking for. It should show off your business in the best light, and act as your ‘voice’!
Have you explored potential plugins for your site?
Plugins are an easy way to improve your site, and there is a huge variety to choose from.
Have you installed Google Analytics on your site?
As a webmaster, it's important to know how people are finding you and what your most popular content is.
Have you considered optimising your site for search engines?
Ranking for your subject in search engine results will not only help you expand your readership, but also portray you as an expert in your field!
Does every page have well-written and useful information?
The content on your page should help guide customers through your website, as well as being easy and informative to read, and bringing your business to life.
Do you have social network accounts?
Social networking is a great way to connect with bloggers and potential visitors.
Can people share your site on social networks?
Find a social sharing plugin or add sharing buttons onto your posts. This is a great way to encourage people to share your work!
Do you know your online community?
Start networking with bloggers through social networks. It's a great way to expand your community.
Would a blog benefit your site?
Blogging is a great way to grow your online community, share your expertise, and engage with existing and potential customers.
You should now have a great site- keep up the good work!
There are two types of blogging services on the web. Some are hosted blogs and some are self-hosted blogs.
A hosted blog is provided for you through a blogging service such as Wordpress.com or Blogger. Simply sign up for an account with your email address, choose a blog name and you'll be blogging instantly, without handling any confusing code. You'll have your own subdomain on their site (e.g. myblog.tumblr.com or myblog.blogspot.com). These free services are great if you want to start blogging quickly and easily, but more experienced users may find some of the functionality very limited. The appearance of your blog can be changed with themes or skins, with many different themes available to download and customise, depending on the service. Some blogging services such as Typepad and Squarespace offer even wider customisation for a reasonable subscription fee, but you'll still be dependent on your blog's provider.
Self-hosted blogs are blogs that are installed on your own web host and have their own domain address. You'll be in control of everything involved with your blog and can even add as much or as little as you like to it. There are many themes that you can download and install, with simpler themes available for free and more complex ones available for a reasonable price. When you first begin a self-hosted blog, it can be a little intimidating at first but with plenty of free software available to download and install, you can get a powerful blog that can develop and grow. This is a great solution if you want to make a serious commitment to blogging, but without prior planning and budgeting, this can become an expensive investment.
A domain is an easy way to refer to network addresses while on the internet. Take our website address for example: moo.com.
The top level part of the domain or '.com' refers to its purpose or geographical location.
The second level part of the domain or 'moo' is its identifier and marks it as unique from all other areas on the internet.
CMS stands for 'content management system'. It's a platform that handles massive amounts of information and makes it easy to understand and modify through a simple user-friendly interface.
PHP is a script language used by web developers to support basic web pages. It's often used to collect, process and utilise information to solve problems.
MySQL is a database system that stores information, from images to basic text. The information within these databases can be accessed from anywhere in the world by a computer and an internet connection.
PHP and MySQL are often coupled together since they work together very well.
There are many factors that will influence this decision, ranging from your budget, the time you have to put into it, your product, and how tech-minded you are! Hosting an online shop on a marketplace like ebay or etsy will dramatically reduce the amount of time you need to put into maintaining it, and will be cheaper, but you’ll have less flexibility with personalisation, and you’ll need to consider how well your product will sell on a pre-existing marketplace.
If you have a product that won’t work on a marketplace, don’t worry: building your own site isn’t as hard as it sounds! You can make it as simple as you like, from choosing a Wordpress site with a shopping cart function, to doing the extreme and building your own from scratch!