Creating a Website

October 21, 2025

Creating a Website

• Why?
• Options
• What to look for? Features depending on your needs
• Domain Names
• Web hosting

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Is a website worth it?

• Accessibility: potential customers can learn about your business, products, or services any time, from anywhere.
• Credibility: A professional-looking website can enhance your business reputation
• Marketing: A website is a powerful marketing tool. You can promote your business widely and cost-effectively. It also allows for digital marketing strategies such as social media connections, and email marketing to attract more customers.
• Sales: With e-commerce functionality, customers can purchase directly from you 24/7.
• Customer service: You can provide improved customer service through a website by offering FAQ sections, chatbots, blogs or other forums.
• Business growth: A website helps you reach a wider audience and expand your customer base.

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The Basics of a Website

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Content

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Using a Web Designer vs Website Builder

• Web designers can create websites of any size with any functionality, but they often charge a premium price for their skills.
• Expect to pay upwards of $200, depending on the skill and experience of the designer you choose.
• Expect separate and additional fees depending on what you need. This could include design, a monthly fee for your web hosting, and perhaps a monthly maintenance fee
• Web designers and agencies excel when it comes to more complex websites, such as large ecommerce websites.

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Website Builders vs Website Designers

• Website builders (GoDaddy, WIX, Squarespace, etc) are a great option if you don’t have a large budget and want complete control over your site
• Recent advances in technology mean that website builders are now suitable for all but the largest of websites.
• Most builders have intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces, and templates making it easy to build your own site
• Most Website Builder tools comes with online marketing features to help promote your website.
• Another bonus. You won’t need to contact your web designer whenever you want to make a change to your site.
• Costs start ~ $11.99 per month. They can be lower when sites offer deals. Even FREE!

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What Guild Members Use

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Quick review of 86 members

How to choose the best website builder

• Easy setup that can link to your Facebook, Instagram, Google etc accounts.
• Look for built-in tools for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and marketing to help attract new customers.
• Also, seek out features such as appointment booking and accepting online payments.

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Features to look for

• Easy to use upfront. User-friendly interface (no coding needed)
• Customizable
• Industry specific Templates
• Can you upgrade as you grow? Can you add features?
• Mobile compatibility - should automatically include mobile responsive design. If you don’t see that, opt for a different builder.
• Domain
• Hosting
• Email

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What you may get for Free

Even with a free website builder, getting your website online might come with some startup costs. These include:

• Domain name: Most—but not all—include a free shared domain such as yoursite.wordpress.com. To use a customized, memorable domain like yoursite.com, you have to buy the domain, ~$10 for the first year and $12 or more per year after that.
• Hosting: All website builders include shared hosting for free. (If you want to use software like WordPress.org, you’ll have to set up your own hosting, which can vary in cost but can start as low as $3 per month.)
• Marketing: As your business grows, you might outgrow the free marketing tools available with most web builders. Look at what each company offers beyond the free tools.
• Payment processing fees: Even if you can build an online store for free, nearly every e-commerce option you find will charge you small fees for sales. The exact amount depends on the processor, but ~ 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction is common for small businesses.

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Domain Name

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Domain Name

• Important because it is your business’s identity.
• Most web builder sites often include a domain name.
• Expect to pay around $20 a year for your domain.
• Special offers can reduce this cost.
• Some domain extensions may cost more per year.
• You don't actually own a domain name; you're renting the right to use it for a specific period. 
• You'll need to register with a domain name registrar, such as GoDaddy, Google Domains, or Namecheap. 
• You'll typically search for your desired domain name to ensure it's available and then complete the registration process, paying a fee for the period you wish to register it. 

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How to get your Domain

• Choose a Domain Name: - Select a name that's memorable, easy to spell, and relevant to your website or brand. 
• Select a Domain Registrar: - Choose a reputable registrar that is ICANN accredited, offering quality customer support and competitive pricing. 
• Check Domain Availability - Use the registrar's search tool to verify if your chosen name is available. You can also do a WHOIS search.
• Purchase and Register - If available, proceed with the registration process, providing your contact information and paying the registration fee. 
• Consider DNS - If you build your own website, and/or need to transfer your domain, you'll need to configure DNS (domain naming system) records that point your domain name to your website's hosting server. 

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Domains - Important to Remember!

• Renewal - Domain registrations are typically for one year, and you'll need to renew them to retain your domain name. 
• Free Domains - Most hosting providers offer free domain registrations with certain hosting plans. 
• Domain Extensions - Explore different domain extensions beyond .com, like .net, .org.
• Domain Name Generators - If you're struggling to find a name
• Domain Name Disputes - If a domain name is already registered, you may need to negotiate with the current owner to purchase it. 
• No Permanent Ownership - You don't actually own a domain name; you're renting the right to use it for a specific period. 

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Website Hosting

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Web hosting

• A website consists of several different computer files, and all those files need to be stored somewhere — a web server.
• Web hosting involves paying a company (like GoDaddy) to host your website on their servers on your behalf.
• Most website builders include shared hosting for free. (vs private and/or dedicated)
• Hosting costs vary widely and can start as low as $3 per month ($24 to $120 per yr) and again, special offers can reduce setup costs.
• Prices are based on different types of packages available, and the package you need will depend on your business requirements. (i.e. private servers, integrated servers)
• Good web hosting is important because it’s what keeps your website live online. It’s crucial for your website’s performance and scalability.

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Closing Thoughts

Creating a website doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Using website builders means the average small business owner can do it themselves. However. Adding extra functionality to your website will typically increase your overall costs. 

• Start small - Begin with a basic website that includes only essential features
• Prioritize essential features - Focus on the features that are crucial for your business operations and user experience.
• Use free themes and plugins - available on most platforms. Just be sure that the free themes and plugins you choose are reliable and regularly updated to maintain your website’s security and performance. 
• Optimize user experience - Invest in user-friendly design elements and ensure your website is easy to navigate.

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Creating a Website Demo

Products

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https://manage.wix.com/account/websites?referralAdditionalInfo=Route

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