These days, it seems that just about everyone has a blog or a website. If you think that sounds like an overstatement, take a look at these live website stats, which show how many websites are live at any given time. You will see that there are more than one and a quarter billion, and watching the numbers go up by around five new sites every second can become almost hypnotic.
If you don’t have a website or a blog of your own, the chances are, you are feeling a bit left out. For individuals, a blog is a fun way to discuss the things that matter to you, whether they are world-changing political topics or just your favorite TV show. But for a small business owner, a website is deadly serious, and is crucial to survival in the 21st century world.
Whether it’s business or pleasure, the idea of building your own site might sound a little daunting, but the fact is that if more than a billion other people can do it, you can too.
Most people use WordPress
You don’t need any programming skills to build a website, thanks to the many simple and intuitive platforms that are available. By far the most popular is WordPress, which powers more than 25 percent all websites. This gives you an idea of its flexibility and versatility. It really couldn’t be easier to use, and the best news of all is that it is completely free.
Choosing your domain
To get the ball rolling, the first step is to purchase a domain. This is the name of the site, and you will need to find one that is not already in use. The domain name needs to be relevant to what your site is all about, so if, for example, you are planning on creating a website dedicated to blind kittens, you will want something like www.blindkittens.com so long as it is available and hasn’t already been snapped up by someone else.
Hosting
Finally, you need to arrange hosting. There are a wealth of options for hosting your WordPress site, with different providers offering subtly different deals, so shop around to find the one that works best for you. This is a buyer’s market, so be sure to take advantage of the numerous coupon offers and special deals to get the very best rate.
Building your online presence
With the hosting in place, you are ready to get started. Setting up your site can be great fun, and you will soon become familiar with the different widgets and themes that WordPress offers. As your site grows and you get more confident, you will be able to link it with your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Good luck!
