It’s the 21st century, meaning if you haven’t already got a website for your business or personal hobby you could be losing out on a mass audience of customers and followers. Some people simply think creating a website is far too complicated, and requires loads of coding. However, there are many ways to create a website without learning a single piece of code.

SmartHosting offers you a FREE domain with there annual plan, unlimited emails, and multiple options for only £2.99 – with excellent 24/7 support!

Follow the simple 5 steps below and get your business or hobby site online in no time:

Step 1: Choose your website address

The first step to creating any website is coming up with a name for your business. You may find loads of your original ideas are already taken – for example, Google.com (seriously.. it’s taken!).

Sign up for a SmartHosting account and start jotting ideas down for your business name. Perhaps you want to start up a Bitcoin blog. A great place to start is a website called LeanDomainSearch. You can use this tool to come up with a name, then head back over to SmartHosting to register it.

It is advisable to keep to the .COM version of your name, however, there are other suffixes like .NET or .INFO. Around 80% of customers will try .COM before using another suffix before maybe giving up and going to a competitor.

Think wisely. Make sure your domain name is easy to pronounce and is easily rememberable.

Step 2: Buy Hosting

Once you’ve chosen your domain, the next step is to buy your hosting plan.

A host is a service which stores all your website information and transmits this data to your visitors. We highly recommend using SmartHosting however other hosting providers do exist such as NameCheap. SmartHosting offers you a FREE domain with there annual plan, unlimited emails, and multiple options for only £2.99 – with excellent 24/7 support!

Step 3: Installing WordPress

Installing WordPress gives you almost unlimited options when it comes to creating your website. It is open source and is 100% free to download and install. Luckily SmartHosting makes it really easy to install! – if you are struggling contact there 24/7 support via email or support ticket.

Step 4: Designing and Creating content

Now you’ve got WordPress installed its time to decide what kind of theme you are going to use – no coding needed. With WordPress being open source there are many free simple themes to download from the WordPress Depositary.

We recommend keeping your website minimal. And one single option on every page – i.e a submission form or contact us button.

Make sure your WordPress site has the following:

HomePage: This is where your visitors will most likely fall. You should include your business name, where you are located. This page should also be well designed! First impressions are key to keeping people on your website (or keeping your bounce rate low – read this article for more).

Products and Services: A page with details about your business. On this page type out a short outline of your products/services you offer.

About us: Make sure your customers know a little bit about the background of your company. Don’t leave them in the dark. Why did you start your business or website? This is a great place to include and customer testimonials.

Contact us: Your address and email should be very visible on this page. If you are comfortable with doing so you can also embed a Google Map of your location.

Step 5: Decide on a logo

Much like your web address you need a logo which stands out and looks appealing. There are many ways to create a logo. You may simply have your logo displayed in text – which is the default WordPress way. Or if you want to stand out hire a freelance graphic designer such as Lewis Edgar or someone on Fiverr. It’s important your website blends in with your logo.

Step 6: Create Social Media Pages

Right, your website is ready to show to the world. Now we recommend you set up Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube accounts. These will all help with the promotion of your site. You can buy booster packs from PrettyTraffic to get you started!

Step 7: Get traffic!

So you’ve finished creating your website and social media pages but nobody is coming to your site. This could be due to many reasons. However, PrettyTraffic is experts at delivering traffic. Boost your website and SEO (search engine optimization) with our traffic and SEO packages.

Alternatively, you can rely on your social media pages to gather traffic. Engagement is key here. A great way to increase engagement is to run a giveaway.

Conclusion

Creating a website for a small business or hobby is really not expensive! SmartHosting have you covered and we think it is the most versatile option for you and your website – for just only £2.99!

We have additional articles of which can help you gain an expert knowledge of websites, Google Rankings and how to improve your SEO. See below!