Creating a website
Most customers will expect to be able to find your business on the internet.
Whether you are selling your products online, or simply want to provide some information
about your business and your contact details, having a website is almost essential.
It's a good idea to think about what you hope to achieve with your website before you start creating one.
Researching your competitors' websites can help you get a clear idea of what may work best for you.
To create a website, you need to follow 3 basic steps.
1. Register your domain name
Your domain name should reflect your products or services so that your customers can easily
find your business through a search engine. Your customers may also expect your domain name to be
similar to your business name.
Your domain name will also be used for your email address.
While you can use a free email address such as hotmail, sending emails
from a business address looks more professional.
To register your domain name, you will need to find an accredited registrar and pay a fee.
Accredited registrars are organisations who are authorised by auDA, the Australian domain
name administrator, to provide services to people who want to register a new domain name, renew
their existing domain name, or make changes to their domain name record.
Read more about registering your domain name.
Remember to note when your domain name will need renewing so it doesn't expire.
Letting your domain name expire could leave your business vulnerable to cybercriminals.
Read more about the risks of abandoned domain names from the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
2. Find a web hosting company
You will need to find a web hosting company to get your domain name on the internet.
Most of the major internet service providers offer web hosting services.
They can also provide you with multiple email addresses.
Monthly fees for web hosting vary depending on how large your website is and how many visits you get.
3. Prepare your content
Think about what you want your customers to be able to do via your website.
This will help you work out what sections or pages you want to include.
Consider what information or transactions your customers will want and make sure the site
is structured to make it easy for them to find and do the things they need.
Just as you might hire a professional to design your site, you might also want to consider hiring
a professional to write and structure your content.
A website that is well designed and easy for customers to use will help your business stand out.
Having relevant and appropriate content and images will help customers understand your
products and services and will make them feel comfortable with buying from your business.