Getting a website is an essential yet the most painful step for a business.
Use, save, and refer to this essential information Q&A for getting a good website for every business owner. Ask your question you didn’t find the list to make this list more useful for everyone.
Why do you need a website?
To give your prospects a focused, undistracted place to see ONLY YOUR services and to let them buy or esquire right away. It also conveys that you’re a serious business with a professional presence.
When is the right time to get a website?
As soon as you get serious about your business and making money online.
Should I design it myself with DIY tools like Wix or get it designed by a professional?
Do it yourself if you’re good at technical skills, have ample time to learn and experiment. Hire a professional team if you want to focus on your highest priorities, save time and energy, and leave this job to experts.
How can I make sure the website sends leads and business?
Any and every website doesn’t make money. The SIMPLEST websites make money. That’s why they cost more.
Involve a website architect and strategist. They take accountability for creating a website that brings business. You or the website design/development team will only create it. They will not take responsibility for conversions.
Alternatively, get it done with your best presumptions and guesswork and make up your mind for experimentation.
Who buys the domain and hosting?
YOU. Never delegate or outsource the task of booking your domain or hosting to your website team. It’s one of the biggest mistakes an entrepreneur makes. Own these two things at any cost – Your hosting and your domain name and buy it with your credit card and your email. Even if the website is down, hacked or anything goes wrong with your team, you can still restore your website.
How much domain and web hosting cost?
Domain – $12 max per year [Rs. 1100 / year]
Hosting – Starts at $75 per year [Rs 4000 / year]
Can we get a free website?
A free website means free hosting. You always need to pay for design and development. Or arrange a barter with a web team. Google has this option for NGOs. You still need to buy your domain though.
How much a website costs?
A basic business website starts at Rs. 10k. A basic e-commerce website starts at Rs. 50k. A basic blog starts at 10k. When we say basic, it means 5-6 basic pages or a few products with minimum essential features. It also means customization of a template or theme, not the fresh design from scratch. A website to be designed from scratch may start at Rs. 35k for a few pages.
If you’re a startup or at a low budget, prefer customization over getting a site designed from scratch.
If you involve a website architect or a strategist, add Rs. 35k to 75k to this whole cost as they make sure everything from design, content, and monetization is done right.
How long it takes to build a website?
7 days to 6 months depending upon the features and goals.
How do I find a good website designer?
Ask them these questions:
- Show me 3-4 best of your works
- What kind of website will work for my business? Can show some themes or templates?
- How will you make sure this website will bring me business?
- How many people are in your team or you work solo?
- What kind of involvement I will have?
- How often you will show me the progress?
- What if I don’t like the work?
- What is your refund policy?
- Do you have website architects and strategists to supervise the work?
How to make sure that your money is not gone to the wrong team?
Discuss the refund policy first. Come to a written agreement that if you do not find each other working well within the first 7 days and 1st page of your website, the project will not continue and you will be issued a refund. It is better to invest time for both parties for several weeks and feeling dissatisfied.
What makes people trust and buy from the website?
Simple content, the right flow, and navigation, simple design, reviews and testimonials, good pricing and offer, good product/service quality.
How do I make sure I found the right website team?
The right team will be responsive [to respond within 12 hours usually], transparent and honest, reasonably priced, upfront about in scope and out of the scope tasks, empathetic, happy and with enough resources and guidance/supervision of senior website experts.
How long it takes to get business from the website?
2-6 months AFTER you start marketing your website regularly and with a strategy.
When should I start marketing my website?
As soon as you’re ready to expect business from your website and ready to invest every month for the next 6 months.
How much website marketing costs?
Rs. 15k to 1.5L per month
Can you manage your website yourself?
Yes, you learn and practice for a few weeks though.
How often you should get professional maintenance?
Every quarter checkup is safe. For active and busy e-commerce websites, monthly maintenance is recommended.
What are the average maintenance charges?
Rs. 1000 to 3500 per month
What if the website is not sending business or making sales?
Get an audit. One or more of the following is not done right – Design, Content, Marketing. An audit tells you what to fix.
What’s one thing you must do right after a website is ready?
It’s not ready until you have the speed test (must load within 3-5 seconds), get Google Analytics and search console set up, and arrange the monthly backup. Optimize each page of your website with SEO meta details.
What basic thing should I know about website creation?
It takes 1-3 months to understand your own website and how it works and how it will make you money AFTER it is created. There can be glitches and issues for the next 6 months. Make up your mind about that. The learning and experience may be painful but useful forever for your business. Do not expect or ask your website design to do SEO. The real SEO is more expensive than one can think and takes months to return the results.
Got more website or blog related questions? Ask in the comments and I will answer as well as add to the list for everyone to refer to.
This article has been authored by Sunita Biddu
Sunita Biddu is one of the most favorite Social media and blogging coaches among entrepreneurs and business owners. She coaches about how to work less, save more time, and make more money using your personal strengths and digital technology. Helping over 2000 customers and trainees every year, Sunita Biddu is enjoying multiple roles from being a successful woman entrepreneur to a hobby photographer.
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