Steps to creating a website

Website is a crucial element for a brand to reach a greater height. While many of you might be a beginner and hence mightn’t know how to create a website. Well! below are some of the steps to create a website.

Select your website platform

always select the correct website platform for your site. Take a detailed look at the type of website you’re creating, whether it is for e-commerce, displaying artwork, etc. Some of the website platforms are WordPress, Shopify, Wix, etc. However, in 2022 WordPress is the most commonly used and popular website-building platform. It is free and highly customizable, and also user-friendly. WordPress makes your site responsive and works great on every device.

you can learn about the reasons to use WordPress here

Research and find a domain name

A domain name is as significant as content in a website for a website. It affects how easily and conveniently your audience can find your site. A domain name is a part of your URL. It assists in maintaining brand consistency. Furthermore, it helps your customers find you online and prevents confusion between your brand and another similar brand. research and find the perfect domain name that matches your nature and type of brand.

it is better to use your business name for your website domain name, or other online platforms too. Also, make sure to check the availability of your chosen domain name on websites that sell the domain names.

register your domain name

visit the web hosting company’s website to register your domain name. select the plan or package according to your requirements. Add your domain name in the requested section and accordingly, it will take you to a page.

you can register your domain name on sites such as Namecheap, GoDaddy, google domain, etc.

Choose a web hosting service

for your website to be accessible on the internet, you need a hosting service by a web hosting company. there are several companies that provide secure and reliable web hosting services on their server. You are free to host your website with the same company with which you registered your domain name.

web hosting provides you with website space, databases, backups, website-building tools, plugins, etc according to your package.

Get connected to your domain name

after getting your domain get connected to it. Bluehost is a popular host that has agreed to provide a free domain name, and SSL certificate, along with a 60% discount on web hosting.

after you’ve finished registering your domain name, you need to update your DNS with the domain register with whom you purchased your domain name.

Install WordPress

next, install WordPress on your device. It is open-source software and a popular platform for building your website. It allows you to host and customise your website, blogs or online portfolios, stores etc. So, it is recommended to install WordPress to create a website.

Install WordPress, upload it to the hosting account and run the installation process. Installing WordPress is as simple as it sounds.

Add contact form

you might be thinking why do I need a contact form? But here’s an interesting thing, it provides you spam protection and also saves time. As you start your website you’ll get thousands of emails and hundreds of them might be spam emails. Hence, a contact form can stop almost all spam emails.

For this, you need to select the best WordPress contact form plugin and install it. Create a contact form from WPforms > all forms in your WordPress admin area, configure notifications, add it to a page, sidebar and you’re done!

Setup WordPress SEO

WordPress has numerous built-in SEO. However, there are other third-party plugins too. Yoast SEO is one of WordPress SEO which is a powerful tool that can assist you in making your site SEO-friendly easily and conveniently. Moreover, All in one SEO, W3 total cache, and Premium SEO pack fall under the category of best WordPress SEO responsible to boost your website traffic.

To install WordPress SEO, on the dashboard go to plugins, add new, type your desired SEO into the search bar and install it and activate it.

Install google analytics and webmaster

As your website goes live, you have to track your audiences to monitor the growth, trends and patterns. These are the power tools that is used to monitor the interaction of your site with google or any other search engines. It is believed to improve visibility and create reporting views. Further, it provides vital information of your site and is a must no matter what type of industry you have.

log in to your WordPress admin area and go to Settings » General page. Here, you can see your website’s URL in the site address field. Enter your correct website address in the Google webmaster tools setup wizard, and click on the ‘Continue’ button.

Install caching

caching in WordPress means creating a static version of your content and serving it to the visitors. caching is believed to improve the speed and performance of your website. Moreover, it helps to reduce the load on your hosting server.

WP Super Cache is a popular free cache plugin that generates static HTML files for your WordPress site. Go to Plugins > add new, search for your desired cache and click install and activate it.

Set up spam protection

Spam protection in WordPress provides security against login, registration, comments and content protection for your website. In simple terms, it helps to defeat WordPress spam users and prevents future registrations.

To set up spam protection visit plugins from the dashboard, click add new and search for spam protection. Find your required plugin, install it and activate it.

Change site title, tagline, WP address, and site address

After you’ve created your website update your user’s profile, change the site title, tagline, WP address site, address, permalinks, and other requirements. Log into the WordPress dashboard. Go to settings > General option and change or edit both the site title and tagline and other. And click on save.

Theme selection

you surely like an attractive-looking website Don’t you? well, a theme in WordPress helps your site to look appealing and improves the look along with the performance of your website. To install the Theme in WordPress, navigate to appearance > Themes. on the themes page select add new and choose a theme. Click on Download and begin the installation process. And finally activate it

Add widgets

WordPress widgets add more content and features to your website. In simple terms, widgets are blocks of content that we can add to the site’s sidebar. It provides a way for users to customize your site. Footer and Header are the common widgets that are added to the site. Go to the WordPress dashboard, and click on appearance > widgets. You can either choose a widget or drag it to the sidebar or a destination.

plugin research and installation

Plugins are one of the most important elements of a website. Plugins add various new or existing functionality to your site and allow you to create any type of website including an e-commerce store using woocommerce or other plugins and portfolios, etc.

What you need to note is there are some plugins in WordPress that are free and some you have to pay for. Hence, you need to research properly, understand what type of plugins you need and accordingly install them.

Plugins activation(security plugins too.)

After you’ve installed the plugin make sure to activate the plugin. While you install your plugin like woocommerce, Yoast SEO, etc. make sure to install security plugins like Wordfence security, defender, etc. to protect your WordPress site from malware, hacking attempts, or other destructible acts.

Security plugins are important for your site because a hacked website can cause a huge loss of business revenue. Hence, after installing plugins activate them and also check if you have security plugins installed.

Add content(pages and posts)

contents are the most important element of your website. In the human body, the heart keeps you alive. similarly, content is the heart of the website as it is useless without content. To add content, in the WordPress admin dashboard Go to posts > add new.

Here you can add your content and finally update it. similarly to add pages, Click on Page > Add New. Add in your new content, including a Title. 

Check your website structure

Before you have your website go live, make sure to check its structure. Check the attributes, categories, permalinks, etc. Make sure to keep your website structure simple and always follow the hierarchy. Similarly, your site’s internal links and external links are vital to your website. Also, categorize your page according to the contents it contains. After you’ve created the content and finished with the structure, add the sitemap that’ll help to crawl over your content.

Improve the website’s appearance

Your site must look standard and professional in order to allow your viewers to stay on the site for a longer period of time. The first impression is the last impression. Therefore, customize your site, and make it presentable.

Along with the appearance make sure to improve the site’s speed, delete unused themes and plugins and control your spam comments to improve the site’s appearance.

customization of the website

Discover brand-new ideas and techniques to customize your site. To customize your site, on the WordPress dashboard of admin area appearance > themes.

create a custom homepage using Elementor which can be easily installed on your site by searching it in the plugins. change the font, use various features, and utilize available features to customize your site and make it user-friendly.

Add blogs/store

After you’re done with customization, add blogs or stores for your website. To start an e-commerce site you can add plugin Woocommerce from plugins to start the site and accordingly add your products.

To add blogs, posts > add new. similarly, to add products, on the admin dashboard products > add products. add title and description. select the type of product (simple, variable,…).

Check SSL/HTTPS

SSL and HTTPS are very important to keep the information confidential, secure connections, and prevent your information from being modified. How to check SSL/HTTPS?

go to your WordPress dashboard, then select Settings > General. Now, check if your WordPress Address and Site Address begin with “https://”. If not, change these URLs.

Launch your site

After all your website-related works have been completed including your contents, permalinks, attributes, pages, SSL checking, and customization. You’re all set to launch your website and make it live. However, make sure to check your security plugins and also takes notes of the glitches to repair them on time.

Improve SEO efforts

after your website goes live, to increase the organic traffic and improve your SEO. use appropriate tags, metatags, meta descriptions, alternative texts, etc. it is good to use Yoast SEO for your website as it helps you to optimize your content for both Google and visitors.

Set up website analytics

To monitor your site’s performance and to watch the improvements in your audiences and viewers, set up website analytics. According to reviews on the internet, it is good to install google analytics as it is reliable and beginner-friendly too.

Google Analytics is offered by Google and it tracks and reports website traffic. It is easy to set up and is easily understandable.

Create an official page for the audiences

It is always good to open an official business page on your website so that your viewers can easily contact you with suggestions or queries. It can also be used to promote your brand on the internet and increase the reach of the people. you can use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc to promote your brand.

While you create a website make sure it is ADA compliant website. Don’t know what is ADA compliant website. Have a glance!

SEO – SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Introduction to SEO

SEO is a process to increase its visibility through user searches for any products, or services related to the business. SEO targets to improve both the quality & quantity of the traffic to a website through search engines like Google. Moreover, it helps a brand to appear in the highest, most relevant rankings on the internet which increases its reach. It helps in the exposure of the brand or products respectively. It provides access to control the web traffic, and boost the content in the market and various social & online platforms. An SEO-friendly website is more tailored towards the client’s target causing a positive impact on the brand.

What is the importance of SEO?

1. SEO Provides visibility

SEO provides visibility to the brand crawling over users’ search results. Thus, it makes the brand appear as the highest-ranked and most relevant search.

It further exposes your brand in the digital market providing you an online platform to grow dynamically.  More people reach out to you creating a base for the brand.

Five unexpected ways you can improve your company's online visibility -  Talented Ladies Club

2. control over web traffic

SEO improves the performance of your site through quality content that drives people to your brand. Furthermore, it increases audience and customers & provides you with organic traffic. From the research by SEO statistics, the majority of people’s online experience begins with a search engine.

Thereafter, SEO increases the amount of data sent and received by the audience. It gives the brand quality and quantity of web traffic.

3. Boosts trust

The majority of online users check your site initially which creates an impression on them. Thus, it results in the growth of trust among the users. It Provides audiences with good content and the results they desire and demand.

Also, ensuring a smooth online experience boosts their trust in the brands. SEO provides a comparative and competitive advantage to the user that makes them trust the brand.

4. Improves user experience

SEO is responsible for making the products appear as the highest-ranked. It allows the user to have a better experience while using the internet. When an audience doesn’t have to spend much time searching for results, it stamps a good impression on the visitor.

And, provides a better and smooth experience for the visitors. Users’ experience is improved when they get to know more about the business and its marketing strategy.

5. Growth of the brand

SEO aims to provide much exposure to the brand in the digital market providing visibility on various online platforms. It also increases trust, credibility, and control over the costs leading to the hype of the business.

When a brand is ranked well causes the audience to view it more and often which generates trust among them.

6. Targets specific clients and users

SEO benefits the user and the business when it optimizes its website to appear on top for specific search queries. It proves as a powerful tool to pull the clients toward your brand.

Furthermore, it increases the sales rate resulting in more profit and exposure.

7. 75% of people never scroll after the first page

According to research, the majority of audiences never linger over the internet after the first page as the most relevant and highest click appears on top of the page which as mentioned earlier creates trust among the users.

Therefore, it is good to be invisible if your brand appears on page 3 of search results.

8. Cheaper and cost-effective

Search engine optimization (SEO) is said to be cheaper and comes under the targeted budget than other paid searches. SEO delivers you with clients who are genuinely interested in your brands and products or services.

Further, it provides the visitors with quality content and quality traffic.

9. Increment in user engagement

SEO provides a platform to the user that tends to be easier to navigate and find the information they wanted. This makes the visitor stay on the site for a longer period of time and click on it more often.

This incredibly increases the user engagement rates providing both the viewer and the brand with a competitive advantage.

Hence, SEO is a highly effective tool for businesses to stay ahead of their respective competitors. It makes them stay in the leading and highest position and lowers the risk of falling off the search results. SEO provides a platform for visitors to get what they wanted and for the business to grow rapidly. It is possible via SEO marketing strategy in the digital market.

Basic WordPress SEO Settings To Check And Fix

Having a glance, WordPress SEO is significant for a brand to increase its web traffic and help them grow dynamically. Furthermore, Checking WordPress SEO and fixing them improves a website’s rankings and user experience. WordPress SEO checks if the site is running correctly or not.

Some contents or settings that every WordPress user should check and fix are:-

1. Check if you have good and suitable web hosting services

Web hosting is one of the crucial elements of a website. As it promotes a safe and secure website. Virtual Tribes Web hosting solution is suitable for beginners for a secure site. Moreover, It is more focused on speed and is affordable too.

Selecting the correct hosting for your website will improve site performance, assist in data management, provides more security, and generates SEO opportunities too.

For WordPress to run the hosting should include PHP, MYSQL, and HTTPS supporting versions. In addition, It might deteriorate your site health if you work on the older version.

2. Take a look if WordPress is updating regularly

Bugs and being vulnerable to malware are common in every technological system. For WordPress to run smoothly, it should be updated to keep files, posts, and blogs safe from any loss.

Furthermore, to experience and bring the newer versions into practice, for better compatibility WordPress should be updated. One of the main reasons to keep WordPress checked, updated, and fixed is for security and to correct it.

To update WordPress means installing a newer version of WordPress, plugins, and themes that are available. Prolongation of the update of WordPress from the older version to newer version can add bigger problems causing the site to break down or fail and may throw you into technical debt.

3. Upgrade your PHP version to the latest

Just as you upgrade WordPress to the latest version, you need to make sure that the PHP version is upgraded too and need to work with the compatible and latest version of PHP.

Upgrading PHP releases significant speed and security. As it is popular, it is the target of many hackers to attack the site causing other harm to the sites too. Not upgrading PHP to its latest versions makes the site lag and not work properly.

Moreover, In the present day, PHP compatibility is 8.0 and the entire WordPress user should consider updating it to the current compatible version.

4. Check if your security plugins and themes are working or not

As security plugins and themes are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Checking security plugins and themes minimizes the risk of security breaches and provides more flexibility to the site.

Security plugins and themes are responsible to protect and secure the files in the WordPress system. Thus, We can install Themes and plugins manually. WordPress offers all-in-one security for the protection of your data.

These plugins increase the speed of the site, improve SEO, and act as a building block to the website. For instance, Security plugins like bulletproof security, wordfence, etc. lie among the famous security plugins to protect your site for WordPress.

examples of security plugins

5. Adopt HTTPS and SSL

HTTPS and SSL are critical elements or tools for WordPress for stronger encryption of the site. Thus, it ensures privacy and reliability in WordPress. These extensions secure the confidential data and information of the users.

The first thing every user should do is adopt an HTTPS connection to all pages in WordPress to secure files and information. HTTPS and SSL are the encryption to ensure the protection of the flow of traffic. Therefore, having a valid SSL certificate is mandatory.

Likewise, Many search engines like Google flag the website without a valid SSL certificate as website security is a key element for any site.

6. Check your permalink structure

Using SEO-friendly permalinks allows a website to rank higher and stay in the lead in search results. In addition, A permalink is a website URL to link your content. Permalink, in simple terms, refers to a permanent link or URL.

Permalinks allow the users to have access to your content, articles, and information by the simple act of copy-pasting the URL. We can check Permalinks by going to the settings —permalink screen.

Keeping a consistent structure of the permalink, using appropriate keywords and shorter URL are some of the URL tactics and guide to a permalink that allows your website to rank higher. To clarify, a user can set up permalinks by using a custom structure.