How to start

a website
from A to Z.
From planning to publishing
By Maxym Martineau

1 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Contents
Let’s get started .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Future steps: Blogging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Why do you need a website? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Quick checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Additional resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Plan your website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Establish concrete goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sell on your website .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Define your audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 What to include on an eCommerce site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Pique your audience’s interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Payment methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Define your audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Pick a domain name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Terms and conditions and Testimonials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
10 tips for choosing the perfect domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Design with eCommerce in mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Research design ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Selling with GoCentral Online Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Quick checklist: Plan your website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Must-have features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Additional resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Selling with WordPress Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
WordPress + WooCommerce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Design your site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 7 of our favorite WooCommerce add-ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Consider your hosting options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Quick checklist: The eCommerce element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Build your site: DIY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Additional resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
DIY design tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Build your site: DIFM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Get found with SEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Choose your best website building option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Intro to SEO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Quick checklist: Design your site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 How SEO works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Additional resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Keywords. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
How to optimize images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Create amazing content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Tag a friend! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Your business story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 How to get backlinks to your website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Five core pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Local SEO and Paid advertising. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Write your own web content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Quick checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Using images on your website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Additional resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Outsourcing web content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Next steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Putting it all together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
10-point website review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
2 How to start a website from A to Z.
 How to start a website from A to Z.
From planning to publishing
By Maxym Martineau
Copyright 2017 Go Daddy Operating Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

3 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Want tips
and tricks
for running
a better
business
online? The
GoDaddy
Blog has you
covered.
VISIT THE BLOG

4 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Let’s get started.

5 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Why do you need
a website?
It’s no secret that more than three billion people across the
world have access to the internet. From mobile devices to
desktops, it seems like everyone these days is plugged in
— and if your business isn’t claiming space on the web, then
you’re missing out on oodles of potential customers.

No matter your niche or where you’re located,

it’s essential to start a website for your business. For the remainder of this eBook, we’ll cover everything you
need to know to build a highly effective website — from
With a website, you can sell products or services online, getting started by establishing achievable goals, to creating
establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, a content-rich website that both visitors and search engines
generate new leads for your business, reach and connect will love. We’ll take a look at what you need to know to sell
with customers, and give your brand the visibility it deserves. online. We’ll introduce tools that will help you achieve your
Are you onboard yet? Good, because having a website website goals. And we’ll divvy out tips and best practices to
is important, but building one that suits your needs and is make your website work at maximum capacity. Because now
functional for potential visitors is the end goal. that you want to get online, we want to help you succeed.

6 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Plan your website.

7 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Establish concrete goals
Ready to get started? Before you can dive into the nitty-gritty Not sure where to start? Here are some things to consider:
of website creation, you need to map out a plan for success.
Even if you already have an established brick-and-mortar • Keep your goals realistic.
store, taking that identity to the web requires a bit of foresight.
• Make sure they’re well-defined.

If you’re looking to break into the online scene, you’ll first need • Align them with your business’s mission.
to define your purpose. It’s not enough to say, “I want to sell • Ensure they’re measurable.
online,” or “I want a website.” Rather, ask yourself, “What do
• Set a time limit for each goal.
I want my website to accomplish for my business?” Perhaps
it’s revenue or monthly visitors. Regardless of the metric you
choose, make sure it aligns with your overall brand. The purpose here isn’t to confine or stifle you — there’s
merit in dreaming big. But if you set lofty goals before you
When it comes to establishing goals, don’t be have the platform to achieve them, you run the risk of low
afraid to start small and work up to the big stuff. morale, which only hinders your output. And remember,
you’re building this site to put your business in front billions
Crafting measurable, attainable goals gives you a way to track of online users. Clearly defining your goals ahead of time
your company’s success. Instead of saying, “I want a million makes it easier to connect with your target audience.
followers on Twitter by the end of my first year,” break it down
into quarters (and maybe start with a smaller number).

8 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Define your audience
As appealing as it sounds to cater to the three billion users
online, it’s not reasonable. Those three billion users are
unique individuals with tastes that vary wildly, so you’re better
off targeting people who closely align with your business’s
niche in the marketplace. It’s important to get granular with
your online presence so you can better connect with potential
consumers.

Casting a broad net makes it hard to create a

recognizable identity — let alone one that’s
relatable to your audience.

What kind of site are you building? Do you want to be

humorous or serious? Are you selling mint-condition
bobbleheads or offering legal advice? Knowing who your
audience is, and appropriately tailoring your language to their
needs, means you’ll have a better chance of encouraging
them to act — and by that we mean buying, subscribing,
sharing or whatever your desired end result might be.

9 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Pique your audience’s
interest
Let’s say you want to sell custom printed T-shirts
online with wacky images and humorous
catchphrases. How are you going to appeal to
customers — both existing and new — when it comes
to your products? You probably wouldn’t lean on dry
text when trying to describe your fun logos. Let’s take
a look at two options and see which one you’d prefer:

Option 1: Try our cotton-blend men’s T-shirt. Sixteen

different colors available in six sizes, ranging from XS
to XXL. Features a cute sneezing panda on the front.

Option 2: Woven with the craftiness of Rumplestilskin

himself, these comfortable T-shirts will softly caress
your skin for a guaranteed 24 hours. The sneezing
panda will definitely make you an internet sensation
— for a limited time.

Which do you think your audience would prefer? Why

are they visiting your site? But most importantly, which
option will encourage your consumers to act? It’s not
the same for every business, so don’t be afraid to test
out different methods until you land on the right one.

10 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Define your audience
Complete the following fields to get a better picture of who This combination of demographic and psychographic
your target audience is: information will help you narrow down your audience, even
giving you the opportunity to tailor content and potential
Age and gender: (i.e., Women over the age of 20) products to make acting — buying, sharing, subscribing
— easier for consumers.

Get more tips for creating an ideal client profile

Interests and hobbies: (i.e., Skateboarders) and putting it to work.

General location: (i.e., Northeastern states)

Personality and attitude: (i.e., Humorous)

Occupation and income: (i.e., College student, less than

$40,000 a year)

11 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Pick a domain name
Picking a domain name isn’t to be taken lightly. Whether Above all, an effective domain name should do the following
you’re starting a brand-new business or already have an things for your business (regardless of the extension you
established company, one thing stands true for both — your choose):
domain name should represent your brand. And since there are
more than one billion websites currently on the internet, that • Safeguard your brand.
means finding the perfect domain name might be a tad difficult.
• Accurately represent who you are and what you do.

Don’t limit yourself by looking only for domains • Grab the attention of your visitors.
ending in .com. There are hundreds of new geo-
and industry-specific domain extensions that Simple, right? Let’s take a look at some helpful tips for
can help you score a domain name that perfectly choosing the perfect domain name.
represents who you are, what you do, and where
you do it.

If you’re starting an eCommerce site, consider a domain

name ending in .shop or .store. Attorney? Check out .legal
and .lawyer domains. In the pet services industry? Snag a
domain name ending in .pet. Plumber? There’s a .plumbing
domain name that’s just right for you. The sky’s the limit
with the availability of these new generic top-level domain
extensions (gTLDs).

12 How to start a website from A to Z.

 10 tips for choosing the
perfect domain
1. Make it easy to type. You don’t want your visitors ending up
somewhere else because you added a silent “T” to your name.

2. Keep it short. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is better left to

Mary Poppins.

3. Use keywords. If you can, incorporate the product or service

you offer.

4. Target your area. Consider using your geo-location to your

advantage.

5. Avoid numbers and hyphens. These keys aren’t typed as

frequently as the alphabet — don’t make people work to find you.

6. Be memorable. Standing out from the crowd is good thing.

7. Research it. Don’t grab the first name you think sounds catchy
— test among your friends and family first.

8. Use an appropriate domain extension. Don’t get stuck in the

.com mindset.

9. Protect and build your brand. Consider registering multiple

variations to safeguard your brand.

10. Act fast. New domains are registered every day — don’t wait
too long, or yours might get snatched.

Want an in-depth understanding of each step? Check out the

full article here. And when you’re ready to start searching,
visit GoDaddy to see what’s available.

13 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Research design ideas
So now that you’ve established your goals, determined your
audience, and selected a domain name, it’s time to create,
right? Almost. Before you pick up the design tools, do
some recon.

A good place to start is by looking at your

competitors’ websites.

Pay attention to:

Do these sites feel clunky or clean? Will the end user be
• The fonts and colors that appeal to you. able to navigate easily through the site so they can perform
• The layout and overall feel of the site. the desired action? Overall, your goal is to note what
works and what doesn’t so you can make educated design
• The use of videos, images and other graphics.
decisions moving forward. Make a list of your favorite design
• The amount of pages present. elements and keep them close at hand so you’re ready to
• The amount of copy or text on each page. move to the next step.

• Whether or not it’s easy to navigate. Remember: Trends change rapidly. Be prepared to revisit
• Whether or not it’s optimized for mobile devices (all of your site every few years to make sure it’s on par with
them should be). industry standards.

14 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Quick checklist: Plan your website

TASK

Write down your

business goals

Define your audience

Brainstorm
domain names

Search and
register domain(s)

Research design ideas

Make a list of favorites

for reference

Time to plan a website: 1-3 hours

15 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Additional resources
Make sure you start off on the right foot. Check out
these additional resources for starting a website:

Starting a website? Lay the groundwork first. Don’t Find and conquer your niche market like a
rush the process — make sure you’ve got your goals and champion. Don’t target everyone — determine your niche
purpose established ahead of time. and move forward from there.

Video: Before you build your website — Starting Be real: Set business development goals you can
and planning. Watch this video to get a head start on actually achieve. Be realistic with your expectations so
your business. you can prosper.

5 key considerations for creating a small business 10 tips for choosing the perfect domain name. It’s
website. It’s all about formulating a strong plan of attack. important to evaluate all of your options before registering
the first thing on your mind.
It pays to plan before you make your own website.
There are many facets to a well-crafted site, and they all Video: How to choose a great domain name.
deserve careful thought. Watch this video for tips about selecting a domain name.

Discover the incredible power of Zero to One.

There’s never a better time to get started. Put your project
in motion. GET A DOMAIN

16 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Design your site.
DIY or DIFM

17 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Consider your hosting
options
So by now, you understand that building a website for your
business is important and you’ve nailed down the planning
fundamentals. But what do you do next? The good news is,
you have options. You can either build a website yourself
(DIY) or hire a professional to do it for you (DIFM). But before
we weigh the pros and cons of those avenues, let’s first talk
about the foundation of your website — your hosting.

Imagine your website as a house. Your domain is the street

address, and the plot of land beneath your structure is your
hosting plan.

No matter how solid your house is, if the

foundation beneath it is weak, you’re going to
run into problems.

A good hosting platform, regardless of whether you build a

website yourself or hire a pro to do it for you, is essential for
solid performance. Whether you opt for a simple DIY website
builder or use a Content Management System (CMS) like
WordPress, the behind-the-scenes hosting needs to be up
to snuff.

18 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Before purchasing a hosting plan, here are a
few things to consider:
Reliability. Even if your site is optimized for speed, Scalability. We all want tons of traffic, right? Right. Make
your host’s uptime could affect your site’s load time and sure your hosting company can handle your expected amount
accessibility. Pay close attention to the guarantees each of visitors. The last thing you want is an influx of traffic only to
company offers. have your site crash.

Support. What happens when your site goes down at 2 Security. Getting hacked is no joke. Malware and viruses
a.m.? Will you be able to reach your hosting provider, or will can seriously damage your online reputation. Look for
you have to wait until the following day to find a solution? hosting plans that either incorporate some level of security or
That valuable time off the internet could potentially hurt your companies that offer website security as an add-on.
business. Look for a provider with 24/7 support.
Backups. Unexpected problems happen all the time. If
Storage. Storage is largely dependent on the type of site something goes wrong with your site, you can use a backup to
you’re going to build. Are you a photographer in need of restore it. Check to see if your hosting provider offers backups
displaying your online portfolio? If so, those images are going or a way to add them to your plan.
to use a lot of space. While some places offer “unlimited”
storage, be sure to read the fine print. Note: If you opt for a site builder, most companies include
hosting as part of their package. Check to be safe so you
Bandwidth. Bandwidth and storage go hand-in-hand. The don’t buy products you don’t need.
larger website you have, the more data you’re going to
transfer to visitors upon arrival, and the more bandwidth
you’ll need.

19 How to start a website from A to Z.

 “Great web design without functionality
is like a sports car with no engine.”

- Paul Cookson
Source: Skillcrush
20 How to start a website from A to Z.
 Build your site: DIY
Now it’s time for the fun stuff — building your website. There Our recommendation: Website builders are great for
are a couple of different ways to go about it if you’re looking entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to
to build a site yourself, but for the sake of this eBook, we’ll establish an online presence quickly. They’re easy to use,
narrow it down to two of the most popular options: using a require little to no technical knowledge, and look great on
website builder or WordPress. the web.

Website builder
If you consider yourself non-technical and you don’t have
the funds to hire a professional, then a website builder is
the way to go. Consider a tool like GoDaddy’s GoCentral
Website Builder. Add pictures, customize pages, integrate
with Facebook, add email marketing and more — all with an
easy-to-use swipe-to-style interface. You can even build your
site on your mobile device in under an hour. Plus, GoCentral
automatically optimizes your site for search engines to
improve your ranking.

21 How to start a website from A to Z.

 GoCentral’s swipe-to-style builder enables you to create
a professional website in under an hour.

22 How to start a website from A to Z.

 WordPress
If you want more flexibility and control of the behind-the- GoDaddy’s WordPress Websites features a
scenes aspect of your website, then WordPress is the way visual page builder that enables you to customize
to go. Just keep in mind that WordPress requires a bit more your page content by dragging and dropping
technical skill than your go-to drag-and-drop builder. While columns, rows, images and text boxes directly
you don’t need to learn coding right out of the box, there are
onto your page.
hundreds of plugins, features and options that could provide
added functionality if you’re willing to put in the time.

More than 60 million people have selected

WordPress for their site-building needs, and
there are tons of resources available to you.

With GoDaddy’s WordPress Websites hosting option, you can

dive into building with a simple and easy Quick Start Wizard.
Before you know it, you’ll be online!

Our recommendation: WordPress Websites is a perfect

option if you’re looking for more customization out of your
website. There are thousands of plugins and widgets available
to boost functionality. If you’ve got the time to tackle the
slight learning curve, WordPress is a great solution for your
business website.

23 How to start a website from A to Z.

 DIY design tips
Keep these quick tips in mind when designing your site.

1. Use a clean and simple design.

2. Choose a color scheme that matches your brand or logo.
3. Use high-resolution, quality images.
4. Choose a font and style that’s easy to read.
5. Make navigation clear and easy.
6. Include well-crafted web content.
7. Don’t forget a contact page.
8. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly.
9. Prominently display links to your social profiles.
10. Optimize for search engines like Google.

24 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Build your site: DIFM
If you would rather spend your efforts focusing on what you When it comes to choosing a web designer or a design
do best — running your business — and have a budget for company, here are a few questions to consider:
website design, hiring a professional web designer might be
the way to go. Just like you are the only person who can run • Who have they worked with?
your business, professional web designers possess a unique
• Where are they located?
set of skills and talents they use to run theirs.
• How much will the website cost?
If you don’t have the time or expertise to keep • Will they update your site regularly? How much will
up with the ever-changing design world, that cost? Will you have access to make the updates
consider hiring a pro. yourself?
• What other services do they handle (i.e., content writing,
But like any business decision, it’s important to do your
design, coding, etc.)? Are they handled in-house or are
research first. Don’t be afraid to properly vet options ahead
they outsourced?
of time. The GoDaddy Website Design Service team over at
GoDaddy is a great place to start. They’ll create, host and • Do they understand your business niche?
update your site quickly and affordably, so you can focus on • Can they help your business beyond web design (i.e.,
what you do best. social media, SEO, etc.)?
• Will your site be mobile-friendly and responsive?

You should be able to answer all of these questions (with

certainty and a positive outcome) before choosing to work
with a designer or company. If you want to learn more about
what to look for in a design company, check out this article.

25 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Choose your best website building option
DIY — Site builder DIY — WordPress DIFM — Professional web design

Cost Avg. $70 - $360/year Free Avg. $500 - $3,000 initial design fee
Start for free with GoDaddy GoCentral

Hosting Often included* Avg. $50 - $200/year* Avg. $50 - $200/year

Skill level required for Intermediate

Beginner Advanced
building Quick Start Wizard with WordPress
Websites

Minimal to no time, depending on service

Your time required Moderate to high, depending
Moderate Get a site in 10 biz days or less with
on complexity GoDaddy Website Design Service

Tutorials, help guides, phone and chat

Customer support support with some products
Support websites and forums Varies, fee**

Updates Immediate, free Immediate, free Varies, fee

Advanced features Available, fee or technical

Not availabe knowledge required Available, fee

Mobile website Varies, often included Varies, often included Available, fee

Website design Custom templates available for purchase

Pre-built templates included Custom design
with some select free options

*Hosting and 24/7 support included with GoDaddy GoCentral and WordPress Websites.
**24/7 customer support with GoDaddy Website Design Service

26 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Quick checklist: Design your site

TASK

Determine DIY or DIFM

Compare options
using chart

DIY: Site builder or

WordPress?

DIFM: Research/
hire professional

Time to design your site: A few days

27 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Additional resources
Need some more information before you start?
No problem. Take a look at these resources for
designing a website:

What to look for in a web hosting company. Make Fact or fiction: You can build a website in under
sure you’re asking all the right questions. an hour? It’s true. Here’s how you can do it in four
simple steps.
What’s the right hosting plan for me? Weigh all of
your options and make an educated decision. Video: Make a GoDaddy WordPress Website.
Watch and learn.
DIY or DIFM? Factors for deciding how to make a
website. Think about time, resources and expertise before Standout tools: WordPress Websites Quick Start
you pick. Wizard. Get started with WordPress by using this easy
quick start guide.
3 web design tips for the DIYer. Designing on your
own? Take these tips into consideration.

How to design a website when you’re not a

website designer. A great-looking website doesn’t have to GET A WEBSITE
cost a fortune.

What to look for in a web design company. Do your

research before hiring a web design professional.

28 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Create amazing content.

29 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Your business story
Whether your want website visitors to sign up for a newsletter, GoCentral comes with five sections, including
purchase a product, share on social media or anything in About Us, already added to every theme. Simply
between, you need to present content that compels them to use the editing tools in the right sidebar to type
act. Well-crafted words, paired with eye-catching images, or paste in your own text.
can make all the difference. That’s how you make your story
shine online.

Even if you don’t fancy yourself a skilled writer, you can craft
amazing content that speaks to your business and your brand.
That content can be as simple as:

• Sharing how you started your business.

• A photo or video of you / your team in action.
• The methods behind building your products.
• Interesting descriptions of your services.
• An anecdote that demonstrates how your products or
services are benefiting customers.

The choice is yours. To start, all you need is content for five
core pages (you can always expand later).

30 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Five core pages
Home. This is your landing page, and it needs to
wow visitors from the get-go. Craft content that invites
visitors to explore further and encourages them to act.

About Us. There’s no better place to tell your

business story than on your About Us page. Explain
how you got started to show your visitors the people
behind the brand.

Products/services. The bread and butter of why

you’re starting a website. Remember that images, as
well as content, paint a story. Make sure any product
photos you use stand out.

Testimonials. It’s important for visitors to see

that your product and brand can be trusted. Use
testimonials to share the customer perspective of
your business.

Contact Us. Give your visitors a way to contact

you. Show them that you can be reached, answer
questions promptly, and inspire trust by being more
than a brand.

31 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Write your own web
content
Now onto the really fun stuff — writing your own web content. Layout. Do your eyes glaze over when you see a big
Don’t fret! No one knows your business better than you. You block of text? Mine do. The layout of your content is just
know your story, you have a unique voice, and you can inspire as important as the words themselves. Use images, white
trust in customers, regardless of your previous writing skills. space, lists and headings to spread out your information in a
Crafting content doesn’t have to be difficult, and we’ve got a way that is pleasing to the eye.
few tips to steer you in the right direction.
Have fun! This is the most important step — have fun with
Audience. If you haven’t done so already, nail down your your words! Don’t be afraid to test out different methods
audience. Understanding the type of visitors you intend to and go with the one that works best for your customers
engage with is key to creating relevant content. Prioritize your (and you).
content to match with their unique needs, and make sure your
content not only explains what you do, but why you’re the Pro tip: When you’re done with your web content, get an
better option than your competitors. outside pair of eyes on your words (preferably someone with
editing experience). Even with a humorous site, you want
Voice. Once you’ve determined your audience, you can tailor to be professional, so don’t let grammatical or mechanical
your voice to match both your brand and your customers. You errors hold you back.
wouldn’t run a law website and use humorous language to
describe divorce proceedings, and likewise if you’re selling
fun kids T-shirts, you wouldn’t use stiff text to describe your
products. Be true to your brand, and the rest will naturally fall
into place.

32 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Using images on your
website
Part of a standout content strategy includes incorporating Use high-quality images. Beautiful images can inspire
captivating images. In fact, “BuzzSumo found that articles with action. Don’t turn customers away with shaky photos. Pick
an image once every 75 to 100 words received double the or take photos that relate to your brand and resonate with
social media shares as articles with fewer images.” So if you your audience.
want your readers engaged, start including images. Here are
a few things to remember when it comes to selecting photos Optimize your images. Keep reading through this guide
for your website: to learn more about image optimization. For starters, make
sure they’re sized appropriately, compressed so they don’t
Don’t use images illegally. You can’t just run to Google and affect load time, and are named with relevant keywords.
copy the first photo you see. Stick to places like Pixabay or
Unsplash for stock photos if you don’t have the means to take If you’re using WordPress Websites, it’s easy to
your own. Provide attribution as needed. upload images to the backend of your site and
add the relevant photo information.

33 How to start a website from A to Z.

 “Content precedes design.
Design in the absence
of content is not design
it’s decoration.”

- Jeffrey Zeldman

Source: Skillcrush

34 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Outsourcing web content
Still not convinced that writing your own content is the way • Hiring someone is always more costly than writing
to go? Consider outsourcing. There are plenty of sites, like content on your own.
UpWork or Fiverr, that make it easy to hire a freelancer for
• You’ll be relying on someone else to meet a deadline
your content needs.
(rather than yourself).

Pros
Pro tip: If you decide to hire a pro, arm them with insight
• There are plenty of options, giving you the ability to be about your business from the get-go — how you got started,
selective with who you hire. inspiration behind the products, etc. The writer’s job is to
• You can specifically choose someone with writing and work with the raw material you provide.
editing skills.
• You can post your job and set your budget on your
own terms.
• Hiring a pro gives you more free time to handle other
business tasks.

Cons
• Hiring an outsider to tell your story might not result in your
desired voice.
• You might have to revisit the final product and add some of
your own personal flair.

35 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Worksheet:
Content creation for websites

Worksheet: Content creation for websites

Use this Content Creation Worksheet to navigate the process of creating content for the five core pages you need to make
your business shine online: Home, About Us, Products/Services, Testimonials and Contact Us.

Get started
Website Address (domain name) __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Get an industry-specific domain name.

Design Objectives
Choose a website design that reflects and supports your answers.

What is the objective of your website? ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Who is your target audience? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

How would you want them to describe your website? (e.g. professional, edgy, fun) ___________________________________________________________

Do you have a business logo? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pro tip: Choose colors for your website that complement your logo.

Content Development — Five-page Website

The five basic pages every business website should have:

Home Contact Us Testimonials Products & Services About Us

Get tools to grow your business at GoDaddy.com. Content creation for your website 1

36 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Worksheet: Content creation for websites

Home page
On your home page, you want to include the top things visitors need to know in order to decide to do business with you. Who are you? What do you do/sell?
Why should I trust you? How do I contact you?

Describe your business in one short sentence (tagline). Example: Specializing in Residential Glass Services: Dual Pane
Glass Replacement, Custom Showers and Mirrors, Glass Shelves and
_________________________________________________________
Tabletops, and more...
Describe your business and what’s great about it in just a few sentences. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Sign-Up Form. What information do you need to collect? (i.e. email, name,
Call-to-Action. What is the one most important thing you want your visitors to phone, etc.). The less information you require, the more sign-ups
do before they leave your site? Be clear, concise and tell them what you want you’ll get.
them to do. Examples: Call for a quote • Schedule appointment online • Watch
our demo • Sign up for a class • Donate now • Email us for a free quote Create a killer sign-up form to capture leads.

Learn how to write strong CTAs for your business. _________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________
How will you motivate visitors to sign up? Very briefly describe why
your visitors should sign up and include this with your sign-up form.
Primary Contact Information. Include one primary way for customers Example: “Sign up for exclusive deals and VIP access to special events.”
to contact your business on the home page; typically, this is your phone
number. Your “Contact Us” page can include all of the various ways to _________________________________________________________
contact your business. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________ Credibility. Include one customer quote or review on the home page and
link to the testimonial page for visitors to read them all.
Products/Services Section. Include a short bulleted list or a few photos of _________________________________________________________
your products and services on the home page, and then add a link to the full
_________________________________________________________
product/services page to view all. List general categories of products or services.

Get tools to grow your business at GoDaddy.com. Content creation for your website 2

37 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Worksheet: Content creation for websites

Products/services page
List the general categories of products/services you offer.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe products/services in more detail:

Name of Product Brief Description

Hot Rock Massage

____________________________________________ Provides a deeply relaxing experience for the body, mind and spirit.
________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

Based on your business, you may want to include:

Product images
Pricing
Payment options
Return policy, warranties or guarantees
Shipping options and timeframes

Pro tip: Include high-res, quality images with different product angles to keep visitors from abandoning your site.

Get tools to grow your business at GoDaddy.com. Content creation for your website 3

38 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Worksheet: Content creation for websites

About page
Describe your business in a few short paragraphs. How did you start it and why? What do you do differently than other businesses?
Get personal, get passionate.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Other things to consider:

Photos of yourself or your staff

A biography on your expertise
Company or product awards
Testimonials or specific quotes from your customers

Get tools to grow your business at GoDaddy.com. Content creation for your website 4

39 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Worksheet: Content creation for websites

Testimonials page
Increase visitor confidence and trust by adding recommendations, quotes and testimonials from your customers. Ask top customers to write a
few sentences about your products and/or services.

Take advantage of ratings and review sites – join (it’s free to list your business) and encourage customers to rate your business. Do a little research
to find which ones are relevant to your business. Adding a testimonials page to your website is incredibly important. Find out why.

Contact us page
How do you want customers to contact your business? ___________________________________________________________________________________

Phone number _____________________________________________ Hours of operation ______________________________________________________

Physical address, directions, map to location ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Email (Look professional. Make sure your email address matches your website address.) _____________________________________________________

Depending on your business, you may want to add contact “categories.” For example:

Product Returns – send to P.O. Box

Billing Issues – email us at [email protected]
Customer Support – call (800) 555-1212

Pro tip: Choose the most important way for customers to contact you and put it on every page of your website.
Most importantly, add it prominently to your home page.

Create a strong contact page with these 12 tips.

Get tools to grow your business at GoDaddy.com. Content creation for your website 5

40 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Putting it all together
Now that you’ve filled out your content creation worksheet and
selected a builder for your site, it’s time to put it all together.
Let’s do a quick walkthrough and see what kind of website we
can build in under an hour with GoDaddy GoCentral.

1. Start with a free trial.

First, head on over to GoDaddy and sign up for a free, one-
month trial — don’t even bother pulling out your credit card.
No plastic required! And, you can cancel at anytime if you
don’t like the product.

2. Select your business category.

What’s your niche? Search through more than 1,500
categories to find the one that aligns with your business.

41 How to start a website from A to Z.

 3. Start designing. 4. Publish your work.
It’s really that simple. Browse through images (if you don’t Satisfied with your design? Be sure to Preview your
already have your own), drop in the content you drafted from creation first, but once you’re ready, all you need to do is
the creation worksheet, browse different layouts and color hit Publish. Bonus? It’s automatically optimized for mobile
schemes — even add new features or pages (like a Calendar, devices, so no matter where your customers are — or how
Blog or Contact form) with ease. they access your site — your creation will render beautifully.

Ready to get started? Here’s a link to the full article with

step-by-step instructions for building a website in under an
hour with GoCentral. And now that your business is online,
it’s time to start preparing for the future.

42 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Future steps: Blogging
I know, you’re starting a brand-new website — the last thing
you need is to worry about blogging right now. That’s perfectly
OK, but you should keep it in mind as a potential future
project, as blogging is a great content marketing strategy.
Here’s why:

• Build rapport with customers, new and old.

• Establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
• Collect email addresses through gated content.
• Give your followers useful information to share.
• Enhance your business’s SEO.

When you’re ready to give it a go, check out our guide for
creating a WordPress blog (and if you opted to build your
site courtesy of GoDaddy’s WordPress Websites, it’s
super easy).

43 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Quick checklist
TASK

Outline your
website’s pages

Determine: DIY or
hire a pro

If DIY, complete Content

Creation Worksheet

If DIFM, write a FAQ

about your business

If DIY, add your

content to your website

Time to create your content: A few days

44 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Additional resources
Want to do a bit more research before starting
your web content adventure? No problem. Browse
these additional resources first.

How writing brave web content can fast-track Stellar photos help you sell more in your online
sales and save your world. Write with authority to bring in store. Show your customers what you’ve got.
new customers to your business.
8 inexpensive tools for creating pro product
5 quick tips for improving your website content. photos. You don’t need to be a professional to take killer
Writing your own web content? Here are five tips to get product photos.
you started.
Client testimonials: the do’s and don’ts and how
Write your own damn website content. Check out to get started. Testimonials are important. Showcase
these rules for writing your own content instead of hiring a pro. your customers’ reviews.

Audience, language and other things that make us Using testimonials to grow your business. Social
go woot! Appeal to your customers by writing content that proof matters. Use client reviews to promote your business.
speaks for itself.
How to develop customer testimonials for your
A dozen places to outsource content creation. Still ecommerce site. Not sure where to start? Read this to
looking to hire a pro? Here’s a list to get started. learn how to gather reviews.

10 tips for creating quality images for your blog and

social feeds. Images are a big part of your content strategy. GET A WEBSITE
Use these tips to get started.

45 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Sell on your website.

46 How to start a website from A to Z.

 What to include on an
eCommerce site
Whether you already have an established brick-and-mortar When it comes to taking product photos, here are some tips
store or you’re jumping right into the eCommerce scene with to keep in mind:
a new business, selling products or services online is a great
• Use the sun or natural lighting if possible.
way to attract new customers. You don’t have to rely on foot
traffic to sell your wares, and there are plenty of options for • Shoot from different angles to showcase your products.
getting customers through your virtual door.
• Consider using some accessories (tripods, flashes, etc.)
to get the best shot.
An eCommerce website is a powerful tool for
generating profit and expanding your reach, You don’t need to drop tons of money on photography
putting your brand at the forefront of gear. If you’ve got a smartphone, you can take great-
customers’ minds. looking images right from your mobile device. Just keep
background, lighting and your audience in mind.
You customer base just expanded to cover the globe. And
while you might not target every person on the internet (you’ll When crafting product descriptions, audience and tone are
definitely want to keep your industry niche in mind), you’ll key. Listing features is a must, but it’s also important to sell
need to include certain elements on your eCommerce site to the experience of owning your wares.
attract and retain customers.
Too often businesses only focus on the
features or specifications (size, color,
Compelling product images and descriptions texture, etc.) and completely forget about
Your wares are the bread and butter of your online store. the benefits.
It’s not enough to simply post a picture and a price — all of Keep your ideal buyer in mind and tell them why they want
your product images should be high-quality photos with an the product.
accompanying description that explains features and benefits.

47 How to start a website from A to Z.

 “If you do build a great
experience, customers tell
each other about that.
Word of mouth
is very powerful.”

- Jeff Bezos,
Founder of Amazon.com
Source: APPSeCONNECT

48 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Payment methods
Depending on the type of site you have, your payment Customers who struggle to navigate through the checkout
processing method will differ. We’ll cover options for both a process often abandon their carts. Make sure your layout is
site builder and WordPress here shortly, but here are a few streamlined, and give them plenty of options (credit cards,
key overarching things to keep in mind: debit cards, PayPal, etc.) for purchasing.

• Offer multiple payment options. Pro tip: Use an SSL to secure your online store. Protect
• Make the purchase path clear and easy to navigate. your customers’ information to help build the trust that will
encourage future purchases from your eCommerce site.
• Ensure customers can apply coupons and discounts.

Easily accept multiple payment methods in your GoDaddy Online Store.

49 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Shipping
Want to further reduce cart abandonment? Make sure your GoDaddy’s Online Store features popular
shipping setup is solid, and if you can, offer free shipping. shipping methods built right into the tool, plus
According to the Walker Sands Future of Retail report, nine you can easily add your individual shipping
out of 10 people (in a survey of 1,400) indicated that free preferences — from free shipping to real-time
shipping was the No. 1 incentive for shopping online. That’s
carrier-calculated.
an astonishing percentage of shoppers you could capitalize on
simply by wrapping shipping into the cost of your goods.

If free shipping isn’t in the cards, you can always opt for a
flat-rate or weight-based price. Free might still be the best
option, but whatever you do, make sure the method serves
your customers.

50 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Terms and conditions Testimonials
No matter what you sell, it’s important to include terms and Each satisfied customer equals the opportunity for a five-
conditions on your website. Terms and conditions protect star testimonial. Testimonials serve to prove to potential
both you and the buyer — you get to dictate how processes buyers that your product works, and since they’re not
are handled on your site, and your customers aren’t left in the directly benefiting from leaving positive feedback, their
dark. A comprehensive terms and conditions page or section opinion is trustworthy.
is a great way to instill confidence in your buyers.
According to Search Engine Land, 88 percent
Not sure what to include? The specifics might vary among of consumers read reviews to make decisions
industries, but to get you started, here are a few common about the quality of the business.
topics that appear in terms and conditions:
You can’t afford not to use customer testimonials to
• Special fees and taxes
establish credibility for your business. Don’t be afraid to
• Refunds and returns ask your customers for reviews — you can either develop
• Shipping policies questionnaires or reach out post purchase. Just remember,
tailor your questions so your customers explain how your
• Copyrights and intellectual property product or service solved for a need. Also, be sure to let
• Disclaimers your customers know you’ll want to share their feedback.

• Cancellation clauses

Do some research and determine what to include in your

terms of service or terms and conditions section. You can
even generate an automatic one with TermsFeed. Just
remember — update your terms and conditions frequently to
reflect business changes.

51 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Design with eCommerce
in mind
Now that we’ve covered the basics for your
eCommerce site, it’s important to consider how you’ll
put it all together. When building an online store, here
are 10 design elements to consider.

1. Clear, concise and engaging calls-to-action.

2. Clean layout and design.
3. Simple navigation.
4. Intuitive checkout process.
5. Contact page for customers to reach you.
6. Easy-to-use product catalogue.
7. Colors and logos that match your brand.
8. Responsive and mobile-friendly.
9. Signup form to keep buyers in the loop.
10. Links to social media profiles.

Learn how to design an eCommerce website that

converts in this in-depth article.

52 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Selling with GoCentral
Online Store
Building a website to sell products doesn’t have to be time-
consuming and difficult. You don’t need to navigate a matrix
of code or learn the finer points of CSS to create a beautiful
online store that converts browsers to buyers. If you’re running
a business, you likely don’t have the time or inclination to build
a fully custom eCommerce site. That’s normal.

But you want your eStore to showcase your products to

maximum effect, be easy to manage, and move customers
smoothly through the checkout process. You can achieve
each of these online store goals (and more) with GoDaddy’s The setup is intuitive and fast — just the kind of thing on-
GoCentral Online Store. the-go entrepreneurs need. Just start the free trial, associate
your domain name with your site, pick a template, and start
With GoCentral, you can quickly launch a beautiful online styling. Once you’ve done that, your online store is just a
store with an integrated shopping cart that’s automatically publish button away from millions of potential customers.
optimized for our mobile world.

53 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Must-have features
Because we know it’s not enough to simply have a website, Mobile-ready technology. Here’s a fun stat: 67 percent of
we packed GoCentral with tons of features every eCommerce mobile users say that they’re more likely to buy a product
business needs. or service if the site is mobile-optimized. We do everything
from our phones, and creating a smooth and streamlined
Professional designs and images. Not a designer? No purchasing process, on multiple devices, is a must. Good
problem. We’ve done the work for you. Our research is thing GoCentral automatically does that for you.
industry-specific — you just enter your idea or business,
and we’ll suggest features, content and images to go along Multiple payment methods. PayPal. Credit cards. Debit
with it. And while you might want to take your own product cards. Even Apple Pay. GoCentral allows for a handful of
photos, you’ll have plenty of high-quality stock options at your payment methods to make transactions easier for your
fingertips, too. customers. The last thing you want is an abandoned cart
because purchasing products is too hard. But with all these
Email marketing integration. Reaching customers is your options, it won’t be a problem.
No. 1 priority. You want to engage with your fans and welcome
them back to keep retention high. GoCentral’s built-in email Built-in SEO tools. Now that you’ve got a beautiful site,
marketing tool means you can create a “Subscribe Now” it’s time to attract customers. Stand out from the crowd by
section to encourage customers to stay in touch. Then, build using GoCentral’s built-in SEO wizard to optimize your site
lists, start campaigns and track success. for success. From Google to Yahoo! and Bing, you’ll be sure
your content is optimized to boost search rankings.
Social media. Every business needs a Facebook page. If
you don’t have one already, don’t sweat it. GoCentral will
automatically create one for you to match the feel of your
website. There’s even a nifty “Shop Now” button that will
drive people right back to your online store. How’s that for a
consistent online presence?

54 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Selling with WordPress
Websites
For a more robust eCommerce site that doesn’t require a The Quick Start Wizard in WordPress Websites will guide you
degree in web development, check out GoDaddy’s WordPress through the process of selecting a professionally built theme
Websites. You can choose from thousands of WordPress with placeholder content and images that you can easily
plugins to truly customize your site, and with our Quick Start replace to customize your site.
Wizard, you can have an eCommerce site up and running in
Plus, there are plenty of features. With a WordPress
no time.
Website from GoDaddy, it’s easy to:

• Start a blog (now or in the future).

• Get listed on Google with the help of plugins like Yoast.
• Integrate your social media accounts and add social
icons to your site.
• Accept multiple payment methods.
• Build a solid email list using the built-in signup form.
• Schedule appointments … and more.

Even better? GoDaddy handles all the technical stuff

for you.

55 How to start a website from A to Z.

 WordPress +
WooCommerce
There’s so much to do on WordPress, but since we’re here Most of the functions allow for a freemium trial, so test a
for the eCommerce element, it’s imperative we talk about few out. As long as you’ve included WooCommerce in your
WooCommerce. WordPress plugins, the extensions will be available to you.
Bonus, WooCommerce is pre-installed with GoDaddy’s
WooCommerce is a powerful eCommerce Quick Start Wizard for WordPress Websites. After that, read
solution that integrates beautifully with on to see some of our favorite features.
WordPress.

WooCommerce is a robust plugin. In fact, there are more

than 400 extensions you can use to tailor the functionality
of WooCommerce to your needs. If this is your first go at an
eCommerce store, then there’s no need to wade through
all those extensions. First step? Narrow down your needs.
Consider things like:

• Packing slips
• Multiple shipping methods
• Integration with email marketing
• Inventory and stock management
• Advanced shopping cart functionality

56 How to start a website from A to Z.

 7 of our favorite
WooCommerce add-ons
The popularity of WooCommerce means there are plenty of plugins
and extensions available to boost its functionality, so we’ll start you
off in the right direction with a list of some of our favorites.

1. Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce. The purpose of your

eCommerce store is to sell products. With this nifty plugin, you can
create emails to try and recover or encourage sales.
2. Product Import Export for WooCommerce. Have a large
product list? This tool makes it easy to import all of your goods at
once.
3. WooCommerce Menu Cart. Want a mini shopping cart on
every page? Use this to create a smooth and streamlined checkout
process and keep your customers happy.
4. WooCommerce Products Filter. Let your customers filter by
categories, tags, product attributes and more. Make the purchase
path easy with this plugin.
5. YITH WooCommerce Wishlist. Make a difference in your
conversion rates by giving customers the option to favorite and
save items to their wishlist.
6. WooCommerce Stock Manager. Manage your inventory all
from one screen. It’s easy to make sure everything is in stock
with this plugin.
7. WooCommerce Multilingual. For those of you looking to go
international, this one is a must. Translate all of your products with
ease for customers across the globe.

Want to see more? Check out our full list, “15 free
WooCommerce extensions for new eCommerce sites
57 How to start a website from A to Z. (and plugins, too).”
 Quick checklist: The eCommerce element
TASK

Create product
descriptions and photos

Determine shipping
and payment

Include Terms & Conditions

and testimonials

Note eCommerce
design elements

Explore GoCentral
or WordPress

Time to add eCommerce features: A few days

58 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Additional resources
There’s a lot to learn about eCommerce. Use
these additional resources to start your online
business off right.

How to start an eCommerce website to sell online. Introducing GoDaddy GoCentral: Bringing your
Need some tips for getting started? Look here first. brand or bright idea online just got easier. Get
the lowdown on GoCentral and see if it’s the right fit for
Video: How to start an online store. Watch this video your business.
to get started.
Standout tools: WordPress Websites Quick Start
Sell online: Design an eCommerce site that Wizard. Get started with WordPress — the fast way.
converts. Do what you can to turn visitors into customers. Check out our Quick Start Wizard.

Stellar photos help you sell more in your online How to start selling on WordPress with
store. It’s important to showcase your wares. Do so in a way WooCommerce. Read up on this introduction into the
that entices your customers to buy. world of WooCommerce, and learn how it can help your
online store.
How to get bloggers to review products for your
business. Social proof goes a long way in business. 8 ways to boost your eCommerce SEO with
Encourage bloggers to write reviews to inspire new customers. WooCommerce. Want to take it a step further? Make
sure you’re optimizing for SEO with WooCommerce.
How to develop customer testimonials for your
eCommerce site. Shoppers often make purchasing
decisions based off reviews. Make sure to GET A WEBSITE
include testimonials.
59 How to start a website from A to Z.
 Get found with SEO.

60 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Intro to SEO
Now that you’ve got a website, you’ll need to work on gaining SEO is the process of increasing web traffic
visibility in the highly competitive cyberspace marketplace. to boost the ranking of your website when it
This is where search engines like Google and Bing come into is indexed by search engines like Google.
play. It’s not enough to simply establish an online presence
— you’ll need to apply the basic principles of search engine We’ve all heard the popular saying from Field of Dreams —
optimization (SEO) to your website to get found online. “If you build it, they will come.” Unlike a magical baseball
diamond in the middle of a cornfield, creating a website
The good news? You’re already a big step ahead by creating won’t automatically call to baseball heroes (or any visitors,
relevant web content — the kind of content that will appeal to for that matter). Fortunately, we’ve got a few tricks up our
people who are searching the web for your kind of products sleeves to help you out.
and services. Stay on top of your content game, and you’ll be
well on your way to a website that attracts visitors.

Now, onto SEO.

61 How to start a website from A to Z.

 “Google only loves you when everyone else
loves you first.”

- Wendy Piersall
Source: Main Street ROI

62 How to start a website from A to Z.

 How SEO works
SEO is all about establishing yourself as an authoritative Meta tags. These tags contain pertinent information to help
resource on the web. In order to do that, you need to search engines describe your site in search results. Read
understand the basics so you can better target your audience on for a more detailed explanation.
and increase your search ranking. At a high level, the basic
elements of SEO you should understand and apply are: Site navigation. The easier it is for search engines to
navigate your site, the higher your ranking will be. Make
Page content. We’ve touched on this already, but good sure all links are up-to-date and navigation is simple.
content reigns supreme on the web. If you can answer the
questions your audience is asking, you’ll rank higher in search Site map. Just like it sounds, a site map is a map or
results. directory of all the pages on your website. It’s used to guide
search engines through your site.
Keywords. Choosing appropriate keywords can make all the
difference. Select phrases that pertain to your business. We’ll
discuss this more in-depth shortly.

Link building. From backlinks to internal links, it’s important

to link to appropriate related content to provide relevant and
useful information to your visitors.

Image optimization. There’s a lot to cover when it comes to

using images for SEO, so keep reading to learn more (hint:
you want your ALT text to match your designated keyword).

63 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Keywords
Picking keywords for your pages doesn’t have to be
difficult. You just need to keep a few things in mind
to strategically use specific words and phrases to
help increase your search ranking.

Think like a customer. Use a tool such as Google

Keyword Planner to research keywords your
audience will be searching for.

Be specific. There’s no benefit to setting “shoes” as

a keyword for your boutique shoe store. Location,
services, products, industry — the more specific you
can be, the better.

Use them naturally. Gone are the days of stuffing

keywords just for the sake of stuffing keywords. Use
phrases naturally, and don’t force them.

Once you’ve done all of these things, naturally

include your keywords throughout the copy on your
pages, in headlines and in titles where applicable.
And remember to include them in your meta data or
images names!

64 How to start a website from A to Z.

 How to optimize images
Images are the opportunity to tell your brand story in a Pro tip: Resize your images or use a compression tool to
matter of moments. You already know how important it is to decrease page load time. Also, a DPI of 72 is plenty for
strategically select pictures that reflect your company, inspire online browsing.
engagement, and emotionally connect with your audience, so
now it’s time to make sure those images are connecting with
Google, too.

1. Make sure your image file name contains the designated

keyword for the page. If you’re selling “bedazzled flip flops,”
use the file name, “bedazzled-flip-flops.jpg.” Keep your file
name lowercased, and separate the words with hyphens.

2. Designate your image ALT Text to reflect your chosen

keyword. Using the example above, it would be “Bedazzled
Flip Flops.” Capitalized, no hyphens.

3. Ensure your page text correlates with your image file name.
Search engines look at both to deem relevance and ensure
that the image in question really is about bedazzled flip flops.

65 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Tag a friend!
Tags play an important role in getting found online.
Get to know these three key tags to make Google
happy.

Title tags. Title tags accurately and briefly (65

characters or less) describe the contents of the
page to search engines and users. They display in
two places: the bar of the internet browser and in
search results.

Meta description tag. This is a short snippet (150

characters or less) that gives you the chance to
quickly describe the nature of the content found on
that page. It should include the primary keyword
and entice readers to click through.

Header tags. Simply put, these are headers found

throughout your page (H1s, H2s, etc.), and they
should contain your primary keyword. While it
doesn’t display in search results, it draws readers’
attention to the nature of the content.

66 How to start a website from A to Z.

 How to get backlinks to
your website
It’s easy to internally link across your website to relevant 3. Write testimonials. When you submit a testimonial to a
information, but what about external links? Better yet, how business website, you’re often provided with the opportunity
do you get links from other websites to your website (aka to link your own site. It’s easy to write about something
backlinks)? While there are many strategies for garnering you love, and most companies will reward you with
backlinks to your site, here are three to get you started: link placement.

1. Offer to guest blog. As a business owner, you have

industry-specific knowledge to share. By contributing to blogs
in your niche, you create the opportunity to include relevant
links back to your own website.

2. Contact influencers. One great way to create backlinks is

to ask an influencer to write a review about your products or
business. They should already have an established following
who trust their insight, which bodes well for you.

67 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Local SEO Paid advertising
Local SEO is a fantastic way to drive traffic to your Want to take your journey a step further? Consider using
business, especially if you’re operating a brick-and-mortar paid advertising for your business. According to eMarketer,
venture. There’s a lot of noise out there concerning SEO “Digital spending will see double-digit growth each year of
best practices for improving your local ranking, so be the forecast, soaring from $83 billion in 2017 to $129 billion
sure to do your research beforehand. Straight from the in 2021.” That’s a lot of money! But what exactly is paid
source, here are some key tips to keep in mind, courtesy advertising?
of Google:
Paid advertising is any form of advertising
• Create a Google My Business profile. where you pay for ad space in order to display
• Completely fill out your information. business information.
• Regularly update your business hours.
Where paid advertising appears depends on the medium
• Verify your business location. you use, but typically paid advertising appears in a
prominent location above or before organic results. Take
• Manage and respond to reviews.
Google, for example. When you search for certain products
• Add business photos for visual appeal. or services, you might see the first few spaces with a green
• Check out other online map services and directories to “Ad” box next to the link. These primary results are reserved
claim your business. for businesses who’ve paid to have their information appear
first. There are two popular types of paid advertising: pay-
per-click (PPC) and cost per thousand (CPM).
Pro tip: Consider using GoDaddy’s Local Business Listings
tool to create and manage business listings across a Just like their name implies, PPC ads are only paid for when
multitude of popular sites — like Yelp, Bing, Facebook someone clicks on them. Cost is determined by value of the
and more — all from one, easy-to-manage interface. Your keyword or impression. CPM ads are paid for via a flat rate,
changes will automatically appear across all sites! regardless of whether or not someone clicks on them.

68 How to start a website from A to Z.

 PPC vs. CPM

Both PPC and CPM ads can work for your business, you’ll just
need to weigh the pros and cons of each to determine which
one suits your needs best.

Pros (PPC) Pros (CPM)

• Easy to track success • Relatively inexpensive
• You only pay for the ads browsers click on • Makes budgeting easy as it’s one cost
• You can modify your budget for ad spend with ease at • Guaranteed to display the number of times you
any time paid for

Cons (PPC) Cons (CPM)

• Costs can rise as you’re competing against others • Cost is set regardless of clicks, which means if no one
in your niche clicks, you could overspend
• A click doesn’t automatically translate to interest • It’s easy for visitors to ignore banner ads
• It’s hard to track conversion, and you’ll need a reliable • Ad blockers can cause a loss of impressions
attribution model
There are a few different ways to utilize ads for your
business, so do your research first. Don’t be afraid to test
out a few campaigns so you can determine which method
works best for your audience.

69 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Quick checklist

TASK

Incorporate appropriate
keywords

Find ways to get backlinks

Optimize images

Adjust tags

Look into local SEO

Consider paid advertising

Time to plan for increased traffic: 3-5 hours to set up, then ongoing

70 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Additional resources
The key to getting found is doing your research
beforehand. Start with some of these resources to
learn how to increase traffic to your business.

How to do SEO for small business websites Mastering keyword search to attract new clients.
[eBook]. Want a bigger picture? Check out our Select appropriate keywords to drive targeted traffic to
comprehensive SEO guide. your website.

How to use SEO tactics to define your inbound How to get ads on your blog without junking it
marketing strategy. Bring in more traffic with these up. If you decide to start a blog, you’ll want to incorporate
SEO tactics. ads tastefully.

How to sell online using SEO best practices. Starting Video: Make sure people can find your website.
an eCommerce site? Use these tips to boost your sales. Watch this and get found online.

Top tips for small businesses to dominate local Video: What are local business listings. Want to
SEO. Take control of your market by capitalizing on local SEO. learn more about local listings? Watch this.

Roundup of awesome SEO tools for small LOCAL BUSINESS

businesses. Check out these tools and see which ones work LISTINGS
best for your SEO strategy.

71 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Conclusion.

72 How to start a website from A to Z.

 Next steps
Congrats! You’ve made it through the initial steps to start a plenty of opportunities to engage with your followers and
website. But this isn’t the end — there’s so much more you increase brand awareness.
can do to improve your site’s success.
Consider blogging.
Set up a business class email.
We mentioned this briefly earlier in this guide, but it
It’s incredibly important to have a professional email address warrants being revisited again. Blogging is great for SEO
that matches your business name. A business-class email and establishing yourself as a thought leader. We’ve got a
address inspires trust and shows visitors that you’re serious great business plan for bloggers to help you get started.
about your brand. If you don’t already have one, you can
grab one at GoDaddy and align it with your domain name Google Analytics and site testing.
in no time.
There’s always room for improvement. Use a combination
of Google Analytics and heat maps to measure your
Get familiar with email marketing.
success and take stock of what works and what doesn’t.
Email is still the most cost-effective form of marketing, and Then, pivot.
the potential ROI is well worth the time it takes to make a
newsletter. A strong email marketing campaign keeps your Online security.
followers in the know, spreads product awareness, and
Now that you’ve got your site up and running, you need
humanizes your business.
to protect it. You’ll want to get an SSL to protect your
customers’ information — as well as help with your search
Look into social media marketing.
rankings — and then you’ll want to take steps to protect
Nowadays, if you’re not on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram your website from malware, viruses, hackers and more.
or some other form of social media, you’re missing out. It’s Investing in website security is great option.
important to stay social. As a small business owner, there are

73 How to start a website from A to Z.

 10-point website review
Want to make sure you’ve got a website that stands out? Answer the following ten questions to see if what you created meets
the mark. If it does, then you’re ready to introduce your creation to the world! If not, revisit some of the chapters to see where
you can improve.

Y/N

Have you researched design ideas and picked out a domain name?

Have you determined your method for site building (DIY or DIFM) and selected a hosting plan?

If you’re building an eCommerce site, have you included relevant product images and descriptions?
Payment methods and shipping?

Have you crafted strong and engaging web content that tells your business’s story?

Have you created your five key web pages (Home, About Us, Products/Services, Testimonials,
Contact)?

Have you looked into Search Engine Optimization for your small business website?

Have you tapped into potential keywords that are relevant to your industry?

Have you optimized images and included tags to make your pages search-friendly?

Have you capitalized on local SEO methods for your business?

74 Have
How you
to start researched
a website from A to other
Z. methods for advertising, such as PPC or CPM?
 Finished? Great. Tally up the number of Ys you circled to see
if you’re ready to launch your idea on the web.

0 - 4 Sounds like you’re just getting started. If you’re stuck on

any of these steps, give GoDaddy a call. We’ve got plenty of
experts on standby.

5 - 7 You’re on the right track! Focus on one area and power

through it.

8 - 10 You’re ready! Want to elevate your game? Consider

adding email marketing to your arsenal.

Want even more information about building your small

business? Check out the GoDaddy Blog. We regularly add
new content to help entrepreneurs and startups on their
business journey.

75 How to start a website from A to Z.

 The end.

76 How to start a website from A to Z.