How can I create a website for my business free of cost?
Is it possible to have a free website?
Getting a website developed for your business is easier now than ever before. If you have access to a computer, there are a vast number of ways to have a website designed and developed for your business. Some ways are easier than others, however. In most cases taking shortcuts can lead to unnecessary problems or underwhelming results.
If you would like to have a website built free of cost, there are a few online platforms and software you can use, such as WordPress, Squarespace or Wix. These assist you in designing websites with easy to use templates and themes and other services.
Purchasing domain names carefully is a very important aspect of owning a website. Having a website is an important part of running a business. Make sure you are the rightful registered owner of your domain name.
A free website is not all sunshine and rainbows
The ability to design and build your own website has been made a much easier process with the use of the above-mentioned do-it-yourself platforms and software. Doing it yourself can lead to issues that hinder the quality of the final product. This is because many people are unaware of what actually makes a good website and what makes a bad website.
Many people believe that a website is to showcase them and/or their business, and in part this is true. The primary audience of your website, however, are your customers. You don’t have a website for you to visit and get information about your business, that’s what your customers do. You need a website so that your customers have a place for them to visit and gather information about your business without having to leave their homes or phones. Websites are there to help you market your business, build trust and for visitors to make a more informed choice about how you can solve their particular problem.
Issues that could arise when building a free website
When building a free website, you might, as a result of the platform you use, have to host adverts on it. This can cloud your website with unnecessary information. First impressions, which are so important, might be impacted by potentially irrelevant advertising “noise”. To add insult to injury these intrusive adverts could slow down the loading of your website. Why would you allow advertising on your website? Well you may be under the impression that you will earn revenue from them but this is usually not the case. Any revenue from the adverts goes to the platform provider and you don’t get any financial benefit from the clicks on the advert.
Your domain name could also be affected as you will most likely have to include the name of the platform you are using i.e. cheapcars.wordpress.com. This can make your website and business seem very unprofessional. Free websites also have bandwidth restrictions and this could impact the potential growth of your website.
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.
—Colin Powell
Why choose a professional over something free
When designing your own website, the content you use is of major importance. This is what your customers will be reading or watching to get an idea of what the business does and what problems it solves. Not knowing how to structure your content can lead to a cluttered, ugly website which can drive customers away.
Do you know how to design a website that is mobile friendly? And not just mobile friendly but designed so that it looks good on a mobile device? This is a must in this day and age where 60 percent of your website’s visitors will be arriving on a mobile device.
This is where having someone else whose business is websites will come in handy. They can assist you with putting you content together for your website in a way that works based on best practices. Some web design companies will put the content together for you. Others may not do the content, but will help guide you through the process. And of course they will ensure that what looks good on screen, looks good on a mobile device too.
At Tech Warrior we believe that you should compile the content for your website as you know your business better than anyone else. We do, however, guide you with a set of detailed questions to ensure the correct content is gathered and collated.
Be aware of shortcuts
It is quite a simple process to build your own free website for your business as the tools are easily available. However, you get what you don’t pay for. As previously mentioned, shortcuts can lead to unnecessary problems that could arise in future if you decided to go that route.
But if you must, go for it!
If you can, we highly recommend you choose a trusted web company that can help you build a quality website to help your business succeed.
