I need a Website

You’ve just started your business, or it’s been there for some time and wondering how to have your own website. Perhaps you are an artist, writer, or generally you are a brand on your own and wonder whether you need to have your own website and how to go about it.

In this piece I am going to take you through the process, and using simple terms in the most layman language I can muster to get us understand the fundamentals of website and related services to this.

What is a Website and how different is it from a Blog?

A website is a collection of web pages stored in a server, and basically can be accessed via an internet-connected device. A web page on the other hand are what you want people to see when they visit your website. This includes content such as text, pictures and videos, usually displayed in HTML format.

A blog on the other hand is a discussion or informational website that’s usually published on the world wide web. It is normally published in a diary-style format, typically with the most-recent entry being at the top. You’d be surprised that your favorite newspaper is basically considered a blog. The next thing I’d like to tell you is that a blog is also a website, and yes, you can have a website running a blog simultaneously, just as didasolutions.com!

Do I really need a Website?

Before investing in anything, – time, finances, emotions, it’s always best to know why you should and what you’d get in return. The same applies to websites. If your answer is yes to most of the below points, then you definitely should invest in a good website:

• Reach more clients and fans beyond your physical reach
• Make your brand known to a wider audience
• Have a one-stop information center about you and your business without the need for physical interaction or phone call
• Be in charge of all the information about you and control who and how it is accessed

What it Takes to have your own website

1. Web Content

What do you want your website visitors to see? A good write-up, logo, text, video are just common items. Make sure that your write-up is original, precise and presentable. The same applies to your photos and videos if you’d like them to appear on your website. The good news about websites is that they are (and should be) a living record and can always be improved with time. The most important thing is you being with the fundamental content for a start that can always be added or modified with time. Don’t be afraid to hire the services of a content developer and / or photographer to have quality material on your website.

2.  Domain Name

In simple terms, a domain name is what identifies your website on the world wide web. Also important to note is that a domain name is unique, i.e. it cannot be shared. Say I run a business named Salama Fine Arts. The domain name I choose should be along that line. You’ll have to decide on the Top-level Domain (TLD). In short you decide whether it’s going to be a .org, .or.ke ( for organizations), .com , .co.ke (for commercial entities), .net, .biz etc. If the domain name that you want is not available (meaning that it’s owned by someone else) you can contact the owner to sell it to you, or find a different one that’s available. Also important to note is that you have to renew your domain at least annually. The beauty about having your own domain is that you are able to have personalized email addresses and your brand generally stands out.

3. Web Hosting

Your website and emails must be stored in a server somewhere and should be available 24 / 7 for the period that you’ve paid for. Some things to consider when choosing a web host are the hard drive space, memory, bandwidth and number of emails, databases offered, as well how reliable they are in terms of keeping your content up and running, safe and how their support performs. Web hosting is a renewable service monthly, quarterly or annually.

4. Search Engine Optimization / Search Engine Marketing / Social Media / Social Media Marketing

So you already have a nice website up and running, but how do you get it known by your target audience? You need the services of SEO and Social Media to popularize the website. Search Engine Optimization in brief is making your content easy for search engines to find your website. It goes to an extent that you may have to promote or pay for your website to reach more target audience.

5. Maintenance

Once your website is up, you have to regularly keep updating and maintaining it. This includes putting more relevant information that goes hand-in-hand with current affairs within and beyond your brand, update the software that runs your website, informing visitors of new offers or changes in your hours of operation. You can do this by yourself or appoint someone to be in charge of this.

Are you ready to start the journey of having your own website? Then partner with Dida Solutions now