In a digitally driven world, it is becoming imperative that every business no matter their size, has a presence on the world wide web.

Historically building a website would mean hiring someone with expert knowledge to do it for you. Potentially costing you thousands. These sites were built on complex systems that were difficult to use and maintain.

However, advances in technology have meant that building a website doesn’t have to be costly and time-consuming.


See also: The basics of building a website


If you are a small business looking to create your first website you will find this list of online resources very helpful.

Pick a domain name

A domain name is the name people use to find your site. It should be something that describes what your business does and that is easy to remember.

Firstly, you will need to check the name is free and then apply to own it.

Here are a couple of sites that can help you:

This site allows you to search for available domain names. You can customise the domain by choosing different codes, for instance .co.uk, .com or .wales.

The price of registering a domain starts from as little as 85p per year. On some domains, it offers free registration for the first year. The site is simple to use and included in the price of the domain registration is free email forwarding and a basic two-page website.

One of the largest providers of UK domain names. They offer a similar service to 123 Reg. However, they also offer a service that checks who owns a domain name. This is handy in the case where the name you want to use is already taken. You can contact the owner to see if they will assign ownership over to you.

Content Management System (CMS)

A CMS is the software used to decide on the layout of the site. It is also used to create pages and blogs. From here you can build an online portfolio and upload images.


See also: Does my business need a USP?


Three of the most popular systems are:

  • WordPress

One of the leading providers of Content Management Systems. WordPress is very popular due to its ease of use. If you want to build a simple blog or create a website to sell your products or services, WordPress covers it all.

WordPress offers two systems. Wordpress.org and Wordpress.com.

Wordpress.com is ideal for someone who wants to build a website quickly. You are however limited on how you can customise the site and you are limited to the functionality the site can offer.

Whereas, Wordpress.org is much more flexible. You can modify how the site looks and you can improve its performance and functionality through the thousands of available plugins.

WordPress is free to use but you may be charged to use some themes and plugins.

Wix is free to use and is a great solution for small business owners who have no technical knowledge and who aren’t comfortable adding features through the installation of plugins.

Wix comes with a number of pre-built themes. These can be modified with a simple drag and drop system. It offers much of the basic functionality that is on offer by WordPress but if you want to access more advanced functions you will need to upgrade to one of their paid packages.

Another easy to use CMS and website builder, Squarespace, offers flexible and stylish templates. Suitable for use by all business types, it can present your blog or online store in an easy to navigate website.

Websites build using Sqaurespace are mobile-friendly, meaning your site can be used on multiple devices, such as tablets and smartphones.

Images

The importance of finding high-quality images can’t be underestimated. The right image can turn your site from dull and boring to striking and inviting.


See also: Using online material - Have you got permission?


When choosing an image that is to be used on your website it is important to have permission to do so. This can be achieved either by paying for the right to use the image or using images that are free from copyright.

Getty Images are one of the largest suppliers of stock images and video. It covers multiple genres, such as art and culture, editorial, landscapes, sports, news and business.

Images available from Getty are royalty free. This means that once the image has been purchased you aren’t required to pay further royalty fees.

Getty Images offer multiple paid for packages that enable you to download and use their content.

A global provider of royalty free images, vectors and illustrations, Shutterstock offers content that is suitable for use by businesses in all industries.

Like Getty Images, Shutterstock charges for their images. There are several pricing options available depending on your frequency of use and the number of users.

Shutterstock presents a more affordable option than Getty Images. Something to bear in mind if you are working to a budget.

If you are on a tight budget, there are sites where you can download images for free. Some of the best are:

Unsplash offer images that are copyright-free. This means that anyone can use the images on any project e.g. website or social media.

The images offered through Unsplash are often taken by professional or semi-professional photographers. They offer images covering numerous topics, such as nature, health, landscape and business.

Pixabay is another site that offers copyright-free content. In addition to photos, you can access illustrations, vector graphics and video.

There are thousands of images available to download. It has an advanced search function that enables you to search content by category, size and colour.

Another source of high-quality copyright-free images is Pexels. The images offered are free to use for personal and commercial use. They can be modified and copied without permission.

It has a simpler search function than compared to Pixabay but the number of images available is comparable.

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