How to Create a Website for Your Small Business (Almost Free!)

Learning how to create a website for your small business is vital!

Over 400 million small businesses cater to the needs of everyday individuals, from clothing to food, computer services, and what have you.

Unfortunately, only 16 in 25 have a website, with 92% considering websites essential for digital marketing. After all, over 2.6 billion consumers shop online.

And if your business doesn’t have an online presence, you’re missing out on the opportunities that e-commerce or online commerce brings.

You might think cost is a concern, but we’ll show you ways to minimize expenditures. You can set up your e-commerce site almost free! Interested? Please read on.

5 Easy Steps for Creating a Website for Your Small Business in 2024

Although creating a website for small businesses entails deep thought, the process is more straightforward and less costly than a decade ago.

You could spend less than a hundred dollars to get your website up and running.

Never worry about the technical aspects, too. Here’s our 5-point plan to get you started.

Step 1. Brainstorm a unique domain name.

Every business name is unique (at least on the internet).

Domain names are unique identifiers, allowing the internet to index your business and make it visible on the web.

Hence, you might want to consider your business’s domain name long and hard.

Tips When Choosing a Domain Name

Keep the domain name simple and short, at least six characters but not exceeding 14.
Ensure the domain name is memorable, catchy, and directly related to your business.
Avoid using special characters, hyphens, and numbers as much as possible.
Add a keyword in your domain name to optimize search engine indexing.
Consider adding a modifier to your domain name (i.e., besthomebuys.com).

Domain names have two parts: top-level (domain name extension) and second-level domain.

We have already tackled the latter.

As for the former, most businesses use the “.com” extension or TLD (top-level domain). Alternatively, you can add “.biz” (businesses), “.shop” (eCommerce), “.org” (organization), “.co” (company), “.net” (network), “.info” (information), or “.edu” (education.

Step 2. Choose a domain name registrar and web hosting platform and register your domain name.

A unique domain name doesn’t mean anything if you don’t register it.

Doing so gives you ownership of the online business name. You can register with Network Solutions, Domain.com, or other domain name registers. These platforms can charge you up to $20 annually.

A more prudent approach is to choose a web hosting platform with all-in-one solutions. For example, WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace offer a fee for domain name registration and web hosting services.

The best part is these services also provide website-building capabilities, allowing you to create your custom website.

Tips When Choosing a Web Hosting Platform

Technical support – a 24/7 technical support system is necessary to help you address concerns and glitches during web creation.
Free domain name – most platforms give this service free for a year
Integrated security features – a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate
Storage solutions – pick a platform that offers at least 1TB of storage space
Other features – check other notable elements you can leverage in creating a website

Step 3. Build your website.

You have two choices. Build a website from the ground up, or choose a website builder. Most small businesses, especially those on limited budgets, prefer the latter. Website builders are robust platforms with drag-and-drop elements to develop and refine a working website with zero technical skills required.

On the other hand, building your website from scratch requires technical skills. In most cases, you must hire a web developer and designers, which can bump website creation costs.

Six Elements to Add to Your Website

Homepage: Your homepage must captivate website visitors. Include eye-catching elements, including graphics, background music (if any), and readable text. Make the descriptions short yet clear, and add a call to action.

About Us: Give audiences a background of your business, including its history, vision, mission, and core philosophy. You can also highlight your company’s achievements, including the organization’s key individuals.

Products/Services: Categorize your offerings and dedicate a page for each group. For instance, fashion can include men’s wear, women’s apparel, kid’s clothing, and fashion accessories. Please don’t forget to add an e-commerce platform to make shopping more convenient.

Contact: Think about all the channels website visitors and customers can contact you, including a physical business address, email address, phone numbers, and social media accounts (i.e., Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube). A contact form can be handy.

FAQs: Check the questions that customers frequently ask, list them, and offer short, crisp, and straightforward answers. This web page lessens the load on your customer service department because visitors can look up the answer from this section.

Testimonials: Why should visitors and audiences trust your brand? Having real people giving positive reviews and testimonials about your brand can help strengthen credibility.

Step 4. Optimize the website for Google and other search engines.

Most internet users will discover your website through Google, Bing, and other search engines, provided you observe proven search engine optimization (SEO) techniques.

SEO enables your website to rank well on search results pages. The higher its ranking, the more visible it is to online users.

Some SEO Tips

Research niche-related and business-relevant keywords, latent semantic indexing, long-tail, and other key phrases. Use these prudently on all pages and posts.
Create high-quality content with proven keywords.
Audit your web content at least monthly.
Make your website mobile-friendly, allowing online users to access it on their mobile devices.
Check user experience and website performance, including loading times.

Step 5. Review before publishing.

Assemble a team to evaluate your website. Check the elements, including their design and positioning. Test on a desktop computer and a mobile device.

Do the page elements adapt to the changing platform? How about the content? Is it meaningful, and does it adhere to the best SEO practices?

You can hit the “publish” button with everyone’s approval.

Please check your website’s performance monthly to understand how else you can improve it.

Conclusion

Making a website for small businesses is easy, although it requires plenty of decision-making.

Modern technologies empower virtually anyone to create a website with zero technical competencies and limited budgets.

You can leverage online shopping’s popularity and see your business grow through the 22^nd century.