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Starting your own business is a dream many people have. But doing it without any online presence or media exposure can be tough!
With the ease of access to internet-connected devices, this is no longer the case. You can launch your business virtually anywhere there’s an internet connection – even if you don’t have a lot of money to invest in marketing tools.
By having a website, you give yourself a way to promote your business, connect with others, and gather feedback. Your potential clients will be able to do all three from within the web, which increases your chances of success.
While creating and editing your site's content is a pretty easy process these days, figuring out how to make your site work for you requires some additional tips and tricks. In this article, we'll go over several ways to improve your website's performance, appeal, and efficiency.
Websites with bloated graphics, large fonts, and/or excess animations are annoying to browse. They may even be detrimental to your business!
Websites with flashy or excessive style will turn off potential customers who want clean, crisp pages. If you need some fancy decorations, use CSS3 or HTML5 instead of using Photoshop or other software to do so!
There’s no reason to include unneeded features in your site unless it's part of your company logo or branding. Avoid adding any extra background images or textures as well. You should also stay away from too many shades of color, especially red.
It is very hard to find quality free web hosting these days, but there are several options out there for beginner users that don’t cost much.
After you have picked your domain name, installed WordPress, and logged into your dashboard, the next step is establishing an online business theme or skin.
This will include colors, fonts, layouts, and other design elements that you can easily change to make your site look more professional. The easiest way to do this is by going through the existing themes in the WordPress dashboard.
You can add new pages, menus, and widgets to fit your business under this theme. Some of these are paid extensions that cost money, but there are ways to get some free ones as well!
There are many free template sites where you can pick from a variety of templates to use for your own site.
A few things about planning your site's content before you start coding it is important to note. First, make sure that your audience can find what you want to say! If your message or goal does not clearly speak to them, then they will choose to go somewhere else to get their information.
Your website should tell your story, promote your products, and give helpful tips or answers related to those products. You can do this via paragraphs, lists, pictures, videos, etc.
The more content you have, the harder it becomes to navigate the site quickly. Use these tools to help direct attention where needed.
Second, know who your target market is and what they expect to receive from you. What messages and materials have worked for similar sites? Do some research and compare notes.
You want to be clear with your intentions and in touch with what people are looking for so that you don’t come across as fake or disingenuous.
Writing your own website content is not as difficult as some may make it seem! Hiring someone to do this for you can be expensive, which is why most online business owners develop their writing skills.
Writing your own website content is like creating a new piece of clothing or jewelry. You get the feel of the material and how it functions by doing it yourself.
By starting out with something simple, you will learn basic HTML (the building block of websites) and CSS (layout styles), before moving onto more advanced layouts and components.
You can also find free tutorials and courses on making your own site through sites such as Blogger, YouTube, and Google. There are many ways to pick up the basics of web design.
General tips: Use a style that works for you and your lifestyle. Do not worry about what kind of pictures or fonts other people use – create your personal style and stick to it.
If you have an idea that you’re passionate about, then chances are there is already a web presence for it. All great business ideas have been done before – and some even made lots of money due to their simplicity.
You can create your own simple website using free software or by hiring someone to do it for you. There are many ways to develop your online business concept so choosing a genre is important first!
If your site focus is on educating or helping others, consider creating a blogs or information site as your platform. Helping other people grow is an easy way to start building an audience.
For more entrepreneurial concepts, check out our list of Best Ways To Start A Blog.
With just a few minutes per day, you can make yourself available to share knowledge and resources with the world.
Now that you have done some preliminary work, it is time to link your site to all of the major social networks.
You can do this by choosing which accounts to connect with in the dashboard of each service, or through third-party apps like Google Apps or Facebook Marketplace.
Most people use free applications to test out their settings, before investing in an account from the app provider. Try out several apps until you find one that works for you and your business!
By linking your sites to these services, your visitors will be able to access and interact with your content on various platforms.
Even if you have an online business that does not require a shopping site, it is still important to promote your web-store. You can do this via social media, blogs, advertisements, and anything else that gets people to find you!
Blogging is one of the best ways to advertise your business because it costs nothing but your time. Not only that, but you get free content you can use to boost your SEO (search engine optimization).
Many people start their own personal blogging sites where they share things about life, fitness, etc. Then they add links to products or services related to those topics. By doing so, they earn money through advertising and sales.
You can do the same thing except instead of it being related to yourself, your business can be linked to. This way you will also gain more exposure as people will know who you are and what you have to offer.
One of the most powerful ways to grow your website is by getting other people to contribute content to it.
It’s not enough just to ask anyone who happens to share your passion to write an article every once in a while, you have to go beyond that. You need to put out some kind of invite or incentive for them to actually do it.
Inviting someone to write an article is hard if they don’t know anything about you and your business. What if they get paid half as much as you do? Or what if they feel like they are being manipulated into writing for money instead of inspiration?
That wouldn’t be good for you or them.
You can easily solve this problem by offering them an opportunity to promote something they own or want to sell. A product or service related to yours is a great way to do this.
By giving away free information about your field, you’re creating value for others and promoting your brand at the same time.
