Tel: 07550 017717 E: moc.aidemaesthgirb@tcatnoc

How to set up a website

There is much to think about when setting up a website.

First you need to decide on your website’s target audience (age, socio-economic class, expected occupations, computer literacy etc.). Then you can decide on the aims and objectives of your website. What do you want to achieve by having a website? Is it an information resource for interested parties? Is it a showcase for your work? Do you want to educate and inform? Do you want to attract collaborators? Do you want to generate service leads? Are you selling something direct from your website? Do you want to sell tickets? Do you want to promote events? Are you simply promoting your brand/reputation?

Once your target audience and aims and objectives are clear, you can start to think about your website.

  1. Decide on a Domain Name:
    • Choose a unique name for your website (e.g., yourbusiness.com).
  2. Choose your preferred development method:
    • A web design company providing a full website design service including domain registration, hosting set up, website development and on-going support for your site after launch.
    • A freelancer who will help you design your site (often, they will design but advise on hosting and domain registration only and do not provide ongoing support) .
    • DIY – Using something like SquareSpace or Wix. You will need good technical and design skills.
  3. Decide on the pages you need – here are some typical examples:
    • For an artist – HOME, ABOUT, GALLERIES, EVENTS, BLOG CONTACT
    • For an artist – HOME, ABOUT, BOOKS, EVENTS, CONTACT
    • For a small business – HOME, ABOUT, SERVICE, PRICING, IMAGE GALLERY, BLOG, CONTACT
    • For an academic – HOME, ABOUT, BOOKS, RESEARCH, OTHER PUBLICATIONS, BLOG, CONTACT
  4. Decide if you need any special features such as a shop, blog, image gallery, contact form, statistics etc..
  5. Create the content for your website (write your blurbs and compile any images to display on your site)
  6. Create the framework for your website (see 2 above – either DIY or working with a web designer)
  7. Add Content (see 2 above – either DIY or working with a web designer):
    • Populate your site with content: text, images, videos, etc. This includes creating pages like:
      • Home page
      • About page
      • Contact page
      • Blog (if relevant)
    • Make sure your content is engaging and optimized for your audience.
  8. Optimize for SEO:
    • Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your website rank on Google and other search engines. Use relevant keywords, make sure your website loads fast, and set up proper metadata.
  9. Test Your Website:
    • Before going live, test your website on different devices and browsers to ensure it looks good and works properly. Check for broken links, loading issues, and usability.
  10. Publish Your Website:
    • Once everything is set up and looks good, you can go ahead and publish your website.
  11. Maintain and Update Regularly:
    • Once your website is live, you must keep it updated with fresh content, security patches, and backups to keep things running smoothly.
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