Does my business need a website, and if so, should I do it myself or hire an agency? Find out all you need to know about website creation.
Everyone is online these days, but before you jump in with them, you need to understand why your brand needs to exist on the internet. Whether it’s launching an e-commerce shop, a blog to tell your story or a sales brochure, knowing the objective for your website is the first step. You then have decisions to make: whether to work with a design agency or do it yourself; what information to include and where; selecting a content management system and hosting service; and not least, finding an incredible URL to hang it all from. The website creation resources below will help you find the answers.
Key: paid for service registration required official
Website building
Lloyds Bank
Assess your options and needs in a guide on how to build a website from Lloyds Bank.
WHEN: You have no website or you have one with basic functionality and you want to add some new features.
WHY: Understanding the basics on website creation is crucial whether you plan to build it yourself or hire someone else.
WHAT: A text-based article with a good set of links to third-party website builders, shopping cart software, online payment software and other resources to consider.
Design agencies
Tech Donut
Identify when to use a design agency to build your website from Tech Donut.
WHEN: You need to analyse whether to build your website yourself or outsource it.
WHY: Investing wisely now will pay off. Your digital solution is largely a one-off outlay that scales with the business, meaning its cost is recouped many times over as a quality user interface/user experience drives a big increase in sales.
WHAT: An article that explains what it is like to use a design agency and how much it costs.
OTHER: Further set of articles on working with a webdesign agency from Tech Donut.
Publishing a website
Tech Donut
Enrol on a free five-day course on building your brand, where a good chunk is all about publishing a website, from Smart Passive Income.
WHEN: You know you want to build your own website and not hire a design agency, but don’t have the technical skills. Especially useful content if you are a blogger/ would like to build a mailing list.
WHY: Gets you online within five days.
WHAT: Energising free online course by Pat Flynn, resulting in a website. We also plugged this on our Brand Identity section, as the Day 1 relates to brand guidelines, but days 2-5 are all structured around publishing a website.
Content management system
WordPress.org
WHEN: You are building your own website for the first time and don’t want to learn code.
WHY: One of the best content management systems (CMS) out there, but intuitive enough that you can create powerful, polished sites with plug-ins and themes to create the look, feel and content you want.
WHAT: This is a CMS with extensive functionality. (A CMS manages the creation and modification of digital content. Most CMSs include web-based publishing, format management, history editing and version control, indexing, search and retrieval.)
OTHER: Flowchart and detailed article on when to use WordPress from WP Shout.
OTHER: WordPress how to guides from WordPress.
OTHER: Bluehost – for website hosting, domain purchase and one-click WordPress install.
OTHER: Pressable – for website hosting, domain purchase and WordPress installation.
Turnkey website solution
WordPress.com
WHEN: You want a WordPress CMS for the reasons listed above, but don’t want to do anything technical. Instead of installing it yourself on your own site, you just sign up at WordPress.com and start blogging.
WHY: Main functionality of WordPress without any technical skills required.
WHAT: This is a commercial entity that provides you with the WordPress CMS and website hosting combined. There are different plans available depending on what you need – and there is a free option, too.
OTHER: Flowchart and detailed article on when to use WordPress from WP Shout.
Blogging platform
Blogger.com
WHEN: You want a personal blog. This is not suitable for a professional website.
WHY: It is free, easy to use and has plenty of features such as designs, free domains and inbuilt analytics.
WHAT: A CMS for blogs. Part of the Google suite. Option to have a “yourname.blogspot.com” URL for free or to host it on your own URL.
OTHER: How to write a blog on Blogger by WikiHow.
Landing pages
LeadPages
WHEN: You want to create high-quality landing pages that convert into sales quickly and easily.
WHY: LeadPages helps you convert viewers into subscribers or buyers. It works both with WordPress and non-WordPress sites. You can also test different landing pages (for example, with different copy) to see which resonates more with your audience.
WHAT: Landing pages work systematically to transform cold traffic into leads, leads into customers, and customers into raving fans. How? By inviting visitors to make a decision: click (and convert) or hit the road.
OTHER: LeadPages tutorials on when and how to use landing pages from LeadPages.
OTHER: Intro to landing pages from Virgin Start Up.
OTHER: 19 inspiring landing pages to inspire you from HubSpot.