New Business Start Ups - what you need to do before setting up a website

Congratulations -  you have a business idea and starting up a business. One of many jobs you will have is setting up a website. This is not only  big expense but also requires planning if you want to get it right. 

There are however some essentials you should action first, before setting up the website:

1. Register a domain name.
   It is important to secure a domain name even if you are not planning to get a website for a while. A domain name is a unique name that forms the URL (web address) for your website. You can buy more than one domain name and link them all together to the same site. The most obvious choice is your business name but there might be other names you are known as or combinations that might help with SEO. For example if your business is called John Smith Photography and you specialise in newborn baby photography, your main domain might be www.jhonsmith.com.au as used in advertising but a domain such as www.melbourne-newborn-photography.com.au will be great for SEO and can be also linked to your site.
   

   A domain name can be registered with any accredited hosting provider.

2. Set up a hosting account: 
a hosting account is essential for when you are ready to set up a website. before you do, you have two options:

a. Email hosting: If you want to to up email addresses using your domain name for
example info@yourdomain.com.au) you will need email hosting. 

b. Basic Hosting: If you also want to upload a ‘coming soon’ landing page on your domain you will require a basic hosting account.In any case you can upgrade later when you develop a full site.

3. Social Media: 
You can start promoting your new business and create a ‘buzz’ bfore you have a website by using social media. Creating the account is free and easy to manage yourself. 

4. Set up a blog: 
A blog (using Wordpress or Blogger for example) is a great way to start online. You can blog about your new business and industry and start your online positioning and SEO before you have a business website. The blog can be integrated to your site later on in a few ways. 

5. Get your branding sorted: 
Before you develop a website you need to get a logo and branding for your new business as the website will be based on that. It is also essential to get good product photos if you have a product (preferably at least a few professional) as your web designer will be able to create a better looking website with good photos.