How to create your website

Step-by-step guide

Build your website the easy way

Introduction
Do you need a website? Suggestions
Marketing and promotion. Sales and support. A 24/7 window into Our services
your business. There are plenty of reasons to start a website for your We offer services to help you build
company: a website. We mention them where
appropriate in this guide, but it’s
• Offer news and information up to you whether you want to use
• Show your product range them.
• Sell to customers online
• Support your existing customers Either way, this guide contains lots
of handy, practical advice.

The internet is a major influence on purchasing decisions, so having a

website will give your company extra exposure and credibility – as well Extra help
as helping you attract new customers. For more web design help and
advice, check out our blog too.
http://inside.123-reg.co.uk
It’s easy to build a website
You don’t need to be a technical whizz to put together a high-quality
website and it needn’t cost more than a few pounds each month.

So what are you waiting for? Read on and see how easy it is to build a
website for your company.

Naming your site
Give your site a name Suggestions
A domain name is the address where people can find your website. Our Register your domain name
domain name is www.123-reg.co.uk. You need a memorable domain You can register domain names
name so it’s easy for potential customers to visit your website. through our website. We manage
more than 2.4 million domains for
our customers and our prices offer
Get the right domain
great value. www.123-reg.co.uk/
• Most businesses register domain names ending in .com or .co.uk. domain-names
These are the addresses people recognise and trust most.
Domain name advice
• You can also consider other business-related domain extensions
We’ve put lots of useful domain
like .biz or .net – especially if you can’t find a good .com domain.
name advice on our blog – including
information about avoiding domain
• If you trade abroad, register domains for your target markets. For squatters and scammers.
instance, an address ending in .mx would be good for trading in http://inside.123-reg.co.uk
Mexico.

Do you need email too?

Domain name tips When you buy your domain
• Lots of good domain names are already taken, so you might have name, it’s really easy to get email
to explore different ideas to find the right one for your company. addresses for everyone in your
company.
www.123-reg.co.uk/email
• You buy domain names for a fixed period – typically two years.
Always renew domains promptly, to stop others snatching them!

• To stop “domain squatters” profiting from your brand, consider

registering additional domain name extensions.

Website purpose
What’s your website for? Suggestions
Once you’ve decided to build a website for your company, you need to Get some inspiration
decide what you want to achieve with it. Define some broad objectives Look at other websites to help
for your site. For instance, you might want to: decide what to do with yours.

• Sell directly online Check websites run by your

• Attract new customers competitors – and pay attention to
• Offer after-sales support other websites you use regularly.
• Provide information about your company How are they structured? What can
you do with them?

It’s important to decide your aims at the start, because they will
influence how your website looks, the structure of the pages and what Ask your customers
information you include. Your customers can be a valuable
source of feedback - ask them what
Write the aims of your website down in priority order, so you can refer they’d like to be able to do with
to them as you design and build your site. your website.

Site map
How will you structure your site? Suggestions
Before you start building anything, it’s important to decide what pages Keep it flexible
you want on your website and how they will fit together. You don’t have to get your site map
spot on first time. You can always
The structure of your site will depend on what you’re aiming to do change it later, so just make sure
with it. you have a good idea of what pages
your site will need.

These are some of the things you might need to include:

Navigation matters
• Home page
When you create your site map,
• Product catalogue
structure the pages so visitors can
• Company information
easily move from between them.
• Online order form
• Contact page Think about the paths visitors are
• Help and support likely to take through your site, and
• Business news make these easy to follow.

It’s a good idea to draw up a map of your site – either using paper or
your computer.

Home Page

Company Latest Offers

Products Business Tools Contact us
Info /About Us

Our
Product 1 Our Blog
Tools

Product 2 Our Clients

Most site maps are represented by a tree diagram, with the website’s
home page positioned at the top of the tree.

Constructing your site
Decide how to build your site Suggestions
There are 3 main ways to actually build your website: Instantsite

Ideal for complete beginners who

Do it from scratch want to build a website themselves
but don’t have the know-how.
• If you’re familiar with the HTML code websites are built with, you Anyone can build a website
can create your site from scratch. This gives you a high level of in an instant with InstantSite.
control, but can be time-consuming and tricky. www.123-reg.co.uk/instantsite
Good if you’re not afraid of code and have enough time available.
Website Builder
Ideal for anyone who wants to build
Use a site creator
a professional business website
• This is the fastest, easiest way to build a website. Just pick the using a fast and website
design you like from a range of templates, then add your images, builder.
text and other content. No technical knowledge is required. www.123-reg.co.uk/website-builder
Good if you’re on a limited budget and don’t want any technical
hassle. Web design service
Our web design service gives
you a tailor made website in just
Work with professionals
48 hours. Get in touch and we’ll
• For a unique, highly-professional website, you can work with a web do the rest. www.123-reg.co.uk/
design agency. You’ll from all their expertise and should get webworx24-web-design
a site that your needs exactly.
Good if you have complex requirements and money to spend. Learning HTML

If you have the time, learning HTML

Your budget and the level of technical knowledge in your business can be very rewarding. There are
will largely determine which is the right option for you. Make sure your lots of online resources to get
chosen method will meet all your website needs too. you started. One of the best is
w3schools.com.
www.w3schools.com
Site content
What to put on your site Suggestions
Sometimes it’s hard to know what to put on your website. Unlike Answer key questions
printing a catalogue or newsletter, you can include as much information Planning your website content?
as you like – at little or no extra cost! However, too much detail is just Think about the questions
as bad as too little – so think carefully when selecting content for your customers ask most often. Would
site. it help to put the answers on your
site?

Tips for great content

Finding Photos
• Put your visitors first. Think about what people are most likely
It’s easy to find cheap (or even free)
to be looking for on each page, and make that the first thing you
photos to use on your website. Try
include.
these sites – but always carefully
check the copyright rules for using
• Avoid dead ends. Every page should give your visitors somewhere each photo.
to go – for instance, to buy a product, or contact you.
www.istockphoto.com
www.shutterstock.com
• Keep it snappy. Keep pages to a maximum of 400 words, using
www.fotolia.com
bullet points and titles, so people can skim read. www.sxc.hu

• Be personal. A casual, conversational tone works well on the

internet – so try not to sound stuffy and formal.

• Use pictures and video. Carefully chosen, well-placed photos and

videos can really bring your site – and business – to life.

• Remember your objectives. Every item on your website should go

some way towards meeting the objectives you defined at the start.

Get some help

If you’re struggling to generate content for your website, there are lots
of places to go for help. Ask your staff, see if customers will contribute
– or search online for a web agency or professional writer.

Selling online
Should you sell online? Suggestions
Setting up an online shop is a great way to find new customers and Our online shop service
grow your business - ultimately giving you extra stability. Our Ecommerce package includes
everything you need to build and
run an online shop.
How to sell online
www.123-reg.co.uk/ecommerce
There are two main ways to create an online shop:

• Use an ecommerce package. The easiest way to get started, an SSL certificates
ecommerce package will let you choose a design for your shop, Our range of SSL certificates
then add your company and product details. It will take care of protect the information on your
payment and order processing too, so you don’t need any technical website – no matter whether you
knowledge. run an online shop or not.
www.123-reg.co.uk/ssl-certificates
• Develop a shop yourself. If you need customised functions, you
can build an online shop from scratch. This gives you loads of
flexibility, but takes lots of time and know-how. Most companies
would need to work with a professional web developer to do this.

When you plan your online shop, consider the impact on the rest of
your business. You have to take care of postage, returns, enquiries –
and monitor stock levels so you don’t keep your customers waiting.

Keeping it all secure

Security is super important when you’re handling sensitive details like
credit card information.

You can protect this information and prove your site’s identity with an
SSL certificate from GlobalSign. This activates the browser padlock
which visitors expect to see when they buy online - giving them
confidence in your site.
Hosting your site
Publishing your website Suggestions
Once you’ve built your website, you can publish it on the internet using Hosting from 123-reg
a web hosting package. This gives you web space, so anyone online Our hosting packages are super
can visit your website. reliable and have all the advanced
features you’ll ever need.
(If you use a website creator or ecommerce package to create your www.123-reg.co.uk/web-hosting
website, web hosting should be included).

Get the right hosting

Web hosting packages include two essential features:

• Storage space, for your website files. This is measured in

megabytes (MB) – you need at least 10MB for a simple site, and
much more for a complex one.

• Bandwidth, which allows visitors to view your site. It’s also

measured in megabytes - the more visitors you have, the more
bandwidth you’ll need.

It’s hard to know exactly how much storage space and bandwidth you
should get, but entry-level hosting packages are usually suitable for
simple websites. If you’re not sure what you need, look for a low-end
package which you can upgrade easily

Here are some other things to look for in your web hosting package:
• Good support. Comprehensive online help and a knowledgeable
support team can be a lifeline.

• Reliability and security. Look for an established provider with a

good track record in the hosting industry.
Keeping it updated
Managing your website Suggestions
Published your website? That’s just the start. To keep visitors interested Online marketing tools
and willing to return, you need to regularly update your site with new Attract more visitors and keep them
information and remove any outdated content. on your site for longer.
www.123-reg.co.uk/internet-mar-
keting/
What to update
There are lots of things to keep up-to-date on your website:
Here’s our advice
• Products and prices. If your product catalogue is online, Need ideas? Read our blog for a
remember to update it whenever prices or product details change. regular dose of inspiration.
http://inside.123-reg.co.uk
• News. If there’s a company news section on your website, update
it frequently – otherwise it will look out-of-date.

• Company information. Things change. Maybe you’ve taken on

new staff, or moved offices. Your website needs to reflect this.

To make sure nothing gets missed, it’s a good idea to review content on
your website in sequence. Keep a list of pages and aim to review them
all at least once every 6 months..
Improving your website
Keep it fresh Suggestions
The best business websites are treated as ongoing projects, with new Plan ahead
pages, sections or functions being added regularly. For example, you
You can use a web statistics tool
could:
to see how people are using your
• Add a discussion forum so customers can share information. website. For instance, see how
• Start selling online (if you don’t already). customers find your site and see
• Launch a blog offering advice about your products or services. which pages are most popular.
• Shoot some promotional videos and put them online. Then use this information to plan
improvements.

Gradual improvements add up. So even if it’s just a new page here or a
Try Google Analytics or Clicky to get
video there, visitors will notice the overall impact on your website.
started.
www.google.com/analytics
About 123-reg www.clicky.com
With over 2.4 million registered domain names, we’re one of the UK’s
biggest web hosting companies. So when you choose 123-reg for your
online business, you can be sure we’re in it for the long run.

To see our full range of services, just visit our website at

www.123-reg.co.uk.