As one of my featured services, I thought I would share with you how I prepare my next prospect or client when they consult with me regarding web design using WordPress. It just makes perfect sense if you don’t have a website and you have little experience in using technology, I would suggest if you want your site built, hire someone that can put together a well-designed and fully functional site that can be expanded on while you expand your business in the future. There are so many self-help tutorials on how to build a website (using WordPress specifically), but if you don’t have the time to invest in training and trial and error, you will be left scratching your head and feeling frustrated. Trust me…I learned how to build my first website using WordPress several years ago and I wish I knew what I know now! 

So if you’re wondering where to begin if you want to devise a plan to build a new website or an existing website, here are my three easy steps to follow:

1 – Create your site layout

The first step to planning your website design and layout is the most challenging (and may be frustrating) if you don’t think the process through. Take your time as this is a big decision in how you want to present yourself online and offline.

Make sure you do your homework before you map out your layout. Do your research in your own industry and review some sites that you like. Be careful not to copy another person’s site and layout so not to infringe on their protected copyrighted material however.

Use pen and paper to draw out your site layout (nothing wrong with this at all…I still do this). There are online programs you can use to draw a layout, but just keep it simple to save time in the process.

Determine how many pages you want on your site. Most of your basic websites (or blogs) have a Home page, an About page, a Services page, a Contact page and a blog. Hopefully you have a blog. I’m a big fan of every site having a blog so you can always provide fresh content on your site. Your major search engines like sites that continually publish content, which improves your rankings when being searched.

So you have your layout established…don’t forget you still have to create the content to add to the pages! That’s a whole other post that I’ll publish later on.

2 – Determine what domain and hosting to use

This second step can be pose to be a challenge too, but when searching for a domain for your business, the best way to keep it simple and easy to find you online is to use your first and last name as a domain name. If you use your business name, there’s a good chance searchers won’t be able to find you that way. Regarding the domain registrar companies available, there are tons of them! I’ll share my list of suggested companies below that I’ve used and still use today.

When you are searching for the best hosting company to house your website, again, there are so many available, but keep in mind the following when choosing the best one:

• Take into consideration your specific needs in relation to hosting space and expansion
• Look for the best hosting reliability and speed
• Know your upgrade options
• Explore the security features offered
• Look for quality customer service and ratings
• Last, but not least, compare pricing for what the company offers

For registrar suggestions, I use GoDaddy or Dotster

For hosting companies, I recommend Siteground (great for WordPress sites) or Bluehost

3 – Consult with a designer to build your site

The last step in your site preparation is to find the right person to design it for you. I mentioned earlier it made the best sense to have someone else do it for you. Invest your money into a reliable and experienced web designer who knows your needs and can deliver exactly what you are looking for. If that means having several consultations to choose the right one, then you’ve done your homework. Look to invest anywhere from $500 – $1,000 (or even more) when having a designer build your site.

Where do you find designers? You can find them all over the internet! The best place to start is service sites such as Guru.com or Upwork.com (formerly elance.com)…or even do a search on LinkedIn. When I first started out in my business, I used Guru.com quite a bit and found it to be a big stepping stone to my success. Just thought I would share that!

I found this article on the 10 Best Freelance Websites if you need additional sources to research:

https://www.inc.com/drew-hendricks/10-best-freelance-websites-to-find-skilled-contractors.html 

Once you’ve chosen the right person to build your website, make sure you are clear in your vision and set a reasonable and attainable deadline for when you want to launch it and market it. Communication is super important when you are consulting with your designer, especially if they are not local to you. 

In conclusion, use the steps above and I assure you the process of building your online presence will be much easier than you think. I’m happy to have a free, no obligation consultation if you’re interested in learning more on how I can help you establish your online presence in design and marketing. You can reach me here.

Aletha McManama is a “Digital Marketing Maven” who specializes in online marketing using WordPress, social media and digital marketing to assist her clients in marketing their business. She is a WordPress pro that designs websites and blogs. Plus, she trains business owners to create and maintain their own WP site and blog.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Follow Me

Aletha McManama

Aletha is a "Digital Marketing Maven" who specializes in online marketing using WordPress, social media and email marketing to assist her clients in marketing their business. She is a WordPress pro that designs websites and blogs. Plus, she trains business owners to create and maintain their own WP site and blog.

Follow Me

Latest posts by Aletha McManama (see all)

• 5 Creative Ways to Build Your List Using Video - January 31, 2020
• AccessAlly Certification Training in the Works - January 30, 2020
• 5 Offline Marketing Strategies to Build Your Email List - January 29, 2020

If you like what you read, please share it!