So you heard about how business owners like you make a lot of money off the internet and decided that it is time to take your business online. How do you go about it? What is a website? It can be stressful, especially as this isn’t your area of expertise. But not to worry, this is why we are here. To help you with important information so you can rest easy.

In this article, you will learn about the things you should look out for, what you should have and the steps involved in setting up your first website. Grab your pens and papers because the class is now in session.

1. Branding Your Business Website

One of the first things web developers want to know about your business will be if you have a logo and branding. What this does is set your business apart from other businesses on the internet. So if you do not have a logo, it is best you get one. A logo should be simple, elegant and classy, not complex text or some weird combination. You can also visit Canva for simple logo designs if you need inspiration. 

Branding is basically an extension of your logo design, how do you want your website to look? What colors do you want on the site?  What kind of pictures do you want on the website? This merges with the next item on our list!!

2. Website Content

Content describes EVERYTHING your customers will see when they visit your website. Now, this is where it gets dicey because a lot of people who want to build websites do not know they have to get content. Content is basically information about your brand a.k.a when customers visit your website, what do they see? What do you want them to see? Content is one of the most integral parts of building a website, no matter how amazing the web design company is, they cannot do anything to give you a responsive web design if you do not have content.

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Below is a simple list of the kind of content you should prepare for your website:

About information:

This just tells people who you are, and the history of your business. It should include information like your mission and vision.  Make it short and classy. Nobody has time to be read a thesis. 

Services:

What can you can offer your customers? This is where you state your value proposition. 

Images:

The more the merrier, pictures add authenticity to your business, especially as this is the internet and people have no way of physically confirming anything you say!

Portfolio (Proof of Work):

This is basically a short summary of projects, sales or clients you have satisfied in the past. It is not necessary but a great value to have.

Testimonials:

This is where you get short reviews from some of your best customers to co-sign your services and confirm that you can indeed deliver. Testimonials are super helpful and important, try to get them if you can!!!

Contact information:

Address (if necessary), phone number, email and social media accounts.

Do you want to sell your products online?:

If you want to make sales directly on the site like Konga or Jumia, you will need to get your product information. This includes: name of products, images product description e.g size, colors etc. and other additional information. For eCommerce product photography, we advise that you get an affordable product photographer because pictures tell a story about your brand – you want to come out ontop. 

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3. Buy Domain and Hosting

Now it is about to get a bit technical. But don’t fret, just breathe!! A domain name is basically a name used on the internet to identify your business. The main problem with domain names is that it is possible that the one you want is already taken because like it or not, you are not the only Ayomide that sells perfumes on the internet.

Therefore it might be necessary to get a little bit creative with the naming. Here are a few tips on how to choose a great domain name:

• Make it easy to type.
• Keep it short.
• Target your area.
• Avoid numbers and hyphens.
• Be memorable.

You can buy a domain name by yourself or get the web developer to do it. On the other hand, hosting is like your piece of land on the internet. Depending on how much information will be on your website, you can buy different plans which coincide with the size of your land! Your web development agency or developer will also help out here. We hope this article has been of help to you in case you’re thinking of setting up a simple webs