smallbusiness

How to Build a Business Website

Process

1) Get Hosting and Domain
2) Install WordPress
3) Find Theme
4) Install Theme
5) Add Content
6) Setup google business and social media accounts

Hosting
Every website needs a Host. Analogy: If your website is a house then the Host is the land the house sits on and the electrical and sewage lines that are connected to the house. The street address of the house is the domain URL of the website. The Hosting service provides the digital space your website sits on it the internet and provides the infrastructure required to run a website. Dreamhost offers some of the best webhosting. Shared is good for starting out and once your website is getting tons of traffic you can eaisly upgrade to VPS or Dedicated hosting.

Get Domain

1) Login to Cpanel at https://panel.dreamhost.com/
2) Go Domains -> Manage Domains -> Register a New Domain -> Search for your ideal domain name
3) Add to cart and pay for the domain, typically costs $12
4) Go Domains -> Manage Domains -> Click Fully Host this domain

Install WordPress

Dreamhost can automatically install WordPress which makes it easy to setup
1) Login to Cpanel at https://panel.dreamhost.com/
2) Go Goodies -> One-Click Installs -> WordPress -> Select Domain -> Click Install
Dreamhost will automatically install WordPress to your site. NO need for you to manually install it. FYI manually installing WordPress is a bit of a pain as it requires you to download the WordPress zip file then upload the files to the web server by logging in via FTP. Then you have to configure the settings and database. Dreamhost makes this process pain free by automatically doing it for you.
3) Check your email. There will be a email from Dreamhost with your WordPress Username
4) Follow the link in the email to setup a password
5) Login into your site by going to websitename.com/wp-admin
6) Setup easy username if you want. Dremahost creates a hard to remember username. You can create a easy one by going to: Users -> Add New -> Enter Username/email/PW
-> Set Role as Adminstrator

Find Theme

Now its time to find a theme.
1) Go to Themeforest and search wordpress themes for the type of business you have
** For example if you have a real estate business then search for Real Estate in ThemeForest
2) Browse all the Themes viewing the live demo of what the site looks like
3) Find the one that has the right look and functionalities you are looking for
4) Buy and Download the theme, typically cost around $60
5) Unzip the main file. Within the zipped file there should be another zipped file with the name of the theme. This file you want to keep zipped. Just unzip the main
file that you downloaded.
6) Install theme buy logging into wordpress:websitename.com/wp-admin
7) Go Appearance -> Themes -> Add New -> Upload Theme -> Select zip file
**Select the zipped file that is within the unzipped downloaded file
**If there are 2 theme files, one named child. Then install the one without child name first. Then install child theme
8) Click install
9) Then activate theme. If there are 2 theme files then activate the Child theme
**Child Theme allows you to edit the Theme without altering the main theme files which get periodic updates from the Theme developer
10) Install Demo Data: Appearance -> Import Demo Data
**Installing Demo data can vary between themes. Typically its is in Appearance demo data. If not then check the install doc provided by the Theme provider.

Edit Theme

Now when you visit the website it should look like the website demo in Themeforest.
1) Edit pages, to change the homepage goto: Settings -> Reading -> Your homepage displays A static page -> Select Homepage
2) Now edit the pages adding the content and info about your Business

Setup google business and social media accounts