5 Things you Need To Start a Basic Website

Now that we are in the year 2020, I don’t think it’s necessary to write about if or why your business should have a website. Unless you’re living under a rock, you know having a website is an absolute must. So, what is stopping business owners from getting a website? Why doesn’t every business have one by now?

In many cases, business owners avoid taking steps to develop their website because of the uncertainty about what exactly is needed to start the process of owning a website.  In this post, we’ll provide a list of 5 things you must have to start a basic website. When I say, “basic website,” I mean a website that does not accept payments, manage paid memberships, book appointments, etc. A basic website as in a good, functional online profile for your business to get you started.

  1. Domain Name
  2. Website Hosting
  3. Website Build & Development
  4. Content
  5. SSL Certificate*

#1 – Domain Name

A domain name is the “easy to remember nickname” for the Internet server where you will be able to upload the contents of your website. It is also part of the website address that people will use to get to your website. An example of a domain name would be www.bayouwebdesignplus.com. A domain name runs an average cost of $15/year. If you want to see if your domain is available for purchase, please visit our shop.

#2 – Website Hosting

You must secure space on a server where the files of your website will be accessible on the Internet. This server is referred to as a web host. There are two options for hosting: you can either host your own website or you can buy space from an online web hosting service. I recommend cPanel Deluxe Hosting if you will be having us build your site. This services usually runs approx. $150/year. You can purchase a hosting package by visiting our online store.

#3 – Web Design & Build

During your website design and build, we will secure software to design your site based off of what best fits your needs. Your site will be carefully planned, a structure will be set in place, and a theme will be created that will represent the look and feel of your entire website. Your content will be added and if you have chosen a site beyond a “basic build,” any of those add-ons or scripts will be implemented. Our web design prices cover a large range depending on each client’s specific needs. The basis of our pricing is directly based off of the time involved in creating the final product.

#4 – Content

The content is what people visit your website for. It is the most important aspect of web design, so it is important that you spend a significant amount of time thinking about what information to include. Content management is an ongoing process and you should update your website frequently. You should gather a possible list of topics and make those into separate pages.

#5 –  SSL CERTIFICATE

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a website and encrypts information sent to the server using SSL technology. Encryption is the process of scrambling data into an undecipherable format that can only be returned to a readable format with the proper decryption key. (Source: GoDaddy)

When a website is secured with an SSL certificate, it will display a lock symbol in the URL bar, and your site that began with Http:// will be changed to Https:// to show that your site is secure. The SSL certificate will cost you about $75/year.

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*The SSL certificate is optional. You can have a fully functional website without an SSL certificate. However, I’ve added this to the list of “must-haves” for 2 reasons:

  1. Without an SSL certificate, many browsers (i.e. Google Chrome) will display a warning that says “continue at your own risk” when a user tries to visit your site. Most people do not proceed when they see this warning.
  2. Google will push your website all of the ways to the bottom (more likely to page 3 or 4) if you don’t have an SSL. Since the majority of Internet users don’t look past the first page of Google, I would say it is in your best interest to have one.

Shop for your SSL Certificate.

With the Domain Name, Website Hosting, and SSL Certificate, you are looking at a cost of approx. $250/year. That is not a bad investment! Your website build will have a huge range of costs depending on what exactly you need your website to do and how much time is involved with building your site. Just remember, you get what you pay for with a web design. Take a look at our web design portfolio for examples of our work.

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