Tired of the nine-to-five? Want to start exploring the possibilities of that side hustle you have been dreaming of? It’s easier than ever to take a business idea online. There aren’t any overnight success strategies when it comes to launching a new venture, but having a strong presence online will most certainly give it a massive boost in the right direction.
Whether you are starting a new website or changing the look of your current site, there are several ways to successfully get online. Possibly the easiest and most affordable way is to do it yourself with a website builder. A website builder is a digital tool that makes it easy for anyone to create a website – even without any knowledge of coding!
The idea of building your own website may seem overwhelming at first, but with the right guidance you’ll show off your new business site in no time. Simply follow these easy steps to help you do it hassle-free.
It starts with a domain
The first step in getting your business online is choosing and securing a domain name. You may think that a domain name is just an address for a website, but your domain is your website’s first opportunity to make a good impression online and should, be considered carefully.
So, how do you choose a domain name?
It’s always a good idea to get the .COM version of your business name, but there are many other domain name variations. Follow these quick tips to make it easy for you to choose a domain.
Keep it short
It’s better to keep your domain short and simple. Shorter domain names are easier to remember, have a better chance of being “catchy”, and are easier to include on printed material.
A short URL is also great for use on social media. It allows you to use the domain name as is without having to use a URL shortener, so you’ll have enough characters left to get your message across.
Tip: When choosing a domain name, try to avoid slang and alternative spelling at all costs. This increases the chances of spelling errors!
Consider keywords
Including keywords in your domain name can help improve your rank on search engines. Using keywords will also help people to better understand what your business is about. For example, if you are the owner of a bakery, you can use the keyword ‘bakery’ in your URL.
Target your area
It is important to target your area with your domain name. Have the .COM? Invest in a .CO.ZA if you operate in South Africa or even a .AFRICA if are planning to branch out to the rest of the continent. Having region-specific domain names shows that you are serious about doing business in that area.
More domains = increase the chances of getting found
The more domain names you have pointing to your website, the more likely people are to find you online. Having more than one domain also helps to prevent competitors from registering domains relevant to your brand.
With our website builder package, you can get a FREE .co.za domain and save R99!
Choose a website builder package
Choosing a website builder package is the next step in taking your business online. First, you have to decide whether you are going to sell products online or not. If you are going to sell online, go for a package that suits your requirements:
If you decide not to sell online, go for a package that will simply represent your business in a professional way.
It is incredibly easy to build your own professional website from scratch. Simply choose your package and start building.
Benefits of using a website builder
More affordable
Website designers can ask thousands of rands to design a simple website. When you are just starting out or simply need a space online to sell your products or services, you don’t need to spend a fortune.
Starting from just R119 per month, 1-grid’s website builder packages are perfect for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and side hustlers.
Web design flexibility
Using a website builder, you are free to design the site exactly how you imagined. You will be able to choose your own color options, fonts, formatting, placement of different elements on pages and what elements to include on each page, images, text, buttons, maps, videos, etc.
Make changes and updates from anywhere at any time
Another convenient feature of a website builder is that they are live online, 24/7. That means that anytime you have access to the internet and your login information, you can make updates to your website. This way, you can update content regularly.
The benefits of signing up for 1-grid’s website builder
Free setup
With our website builder, you can do so much more for less! Our website builder and online store builders have no setup fees. Simply sign up for the service and pay the monthly subscription.
Free web hosting and email accounts
Our website builder comes with numerous benefits, including a free hosting solution. No need for a separate hosting plan, your website builder includes world-class hosting.
We also offer free email accounts for your business with our packages. Want your domain and email accounts to match? This is the perfect solution to do just that.
No red-tape
We believe in keeping things simple. That’s why we offer easy payment solutions and we give you the option to pay upfront for your website builder to receive extra discounts.
How to build your website
Building a website with 1-grid’s DIY website builder is incredibly easy. In fact, it can be done in just a few minutes. Let’s look at a few steps in the process:
Create content that sells!
Content is the most important aspect of your business website. Content refers to everything you publish on your site, including videos, images, text, etc. Content is what persuades visitors to buy your product or sign up for your service. When adding content, keep your target audience in mind and make it easy for them to understand what you are offering.
Remember SEO! It is key to getting familiar with SEO. SEO stands for search engine optimisation and this is the process of increasing the visibility of your website on search engines, such as Google and Bing. SEO involves optimising your content by including keywords and metadata, updating your website regularly, adding an SSL certificate to your site, etc.
Create bold headings
It is important to introduce your products and services to your visitors on the homepage and make it easy for them to realise what you are selling immediately. You can do this with compelling headings. Add keywords in your headings and keep it simple, but effective.
Add persuasive call to actions
Use clever call-to-action buttons to entice people to take action. Instead of just adding “click here” to your buttons, use powerful text that will persuade visitors, for example, “Sign up now!”.
Get matching email addresses
Are you ready to get serious about your business? Make sure that all the email addresses you use to do business with match your URL. A free email address can take away from the trust you want to build. Even worse: Your free email address can look like spam and end up in the spam folder, never to be seen by its intended recipients!
Add web security
Website security is an essential component to protect your website from malware and hackers. Invest in effective, always-on cybersecurity, such as cWatch, as well as an SSL certificate to secure your website and your personal information.
Promote your new website
Once you have published your shiny new website, you are ready to show it off to the world. If you’re just starting out with your new business, you may not have a lot of money to put toward promoting your new website. The best way to advertise a new business on a shoestring budget is by using online platforms. Social media is a great way of spreading the word and everything you post to your social media profiles is another opportunity to bring new visitors to your site. With just a small budget, you can also target the right audience by boosting your pages and posts. Use the below list as a guide to starting with. Open business pages/accounts and promote your new website for a small amount.
Another great way of promoting your new website is by adding it to free local directories. This includes Yellowpages, Cylex, Brabys, etc. On these platforms, you can list your website and business details for free and get found online.
The easiest way to see if a business venture will be successful is to try it out. With 1-grid’s website builder, it is easier than ever to get online in a flash and outshine competitors.
With 1-grid’s website builder, you can design a mobile-friendly, Google-ready website in minutes – try it now.
