If you are planning on starting a business, then chances are you will need a website, and the sooner the better.
What is the difference between a website and a blog? Nothing really. A blog is simply a particular type of website, and here are a couple of great reasons why you should have one.
- Blogs are relatively easy to set up.
- Blogs can be maintained by the owner (that’s you!), removing the need for going to a technical person to babysit it for you, or everytime you need to change something.
- Blogs that are updated regularly (it’s basically a series of chronological entries, kind of like an online diary) with good quality content, get better search engine traffic (more feet in the door) than websites which are made once, and then left there to languish for all eternity.
- Using Wordpress as your content management system (you will hear people talking about CMS) is the easiest way to have complete control over your websites content, and changing things on your website is about as difficult as composing and typing an email. (i.e. not difficult at all!)
- Using the blog format, allows customers/clients/people to interact with you and leave comments/contact you for more information, and it encourages conversation and community, these are all things you want in a successful business.
- Word of mouth is still one of the best promotional tools there is, and a blog can be set up so that your users/visitors/clients can easily promote or send your information to their family, friends and network of contacts.
I started this website with one thing in mind. Helping people. I know that people often feel afraid to ask for help, particularly with things of a technical nature, and that’s okay. I understand how technology scares people who are afraid of messing things up.
You need not worry that you can’t do this, can’t have your own website, because I am going to help you along every single step of the way. If you need a website (if you’re starting a business or have a business, then this means you), then I am going to help you get one, set it up for you, and teach you how to use it.
I am a Work at Home Mom too, so I understand your concerns, the pressures you face (believe me, just typing out this post I had to deal with about 1.7 billion interruptions, including making about twenty pieces of toast “No, don’t cut it like that momy, I want triangles!!”) but aside from all that, I also understand what it is like to be a woman facing a technical challenge, and if I can share with you, the knowledge I have learned, and help you achieve your goals then I am going to do just that.
So What’s Next?
There are two essential ingredients in setting up your web presence.
1. You Need a Domain Name (your very own .com, .net etc).
A domain name is the name of your business as it appears in the web address. Eg. www.nessworld.com (nessworld.com) is our domain name. Having a domain name is all fine and dandy, and many people mistakenly think that once they’ve registered one that’s IT, they have a website. Not so. Having a domain name is like having a name for your house, but with no building to live in. Domain names are registered once, range in cost from about $8 to $12 for a new registration, and you re-register them every year that you want to keep them.
2. You Need a Hosting Package (a place to put your website up).
A hosting package is the place where your website is housed. This means it’s on a server somewhere, and you can access it using a control panel, through your web browser. Hosting packages vary from very cheap, to very expensive (thank you Captain Obvious!), however, be warned; if you are serious about your business, and expect it to do well then be prepared to pay in the region of $5-$9 a month (USD).
So Here’s the Deal
I use StartLogic for most of my webhosting. I have been with them for over 3 years, and have had only compliments for their service.
If you decide that today is the day that you take yourself and your business seriously and you sign up for a StartLogic Pro-Logic Package, then I will install and set up Wordpress for you for free.
Here is Why StartLogic Pro-Logic is my host of choice:
- Disk Space: Unlimited (you can store as much information/photos/videos/text as you need to)
- Your Domain Name: Free* (free if you sign up for a year or two in advance, otherwise there is an $8.95 domain name registration charge).
- Email Accounts: Unlimited (everyone in your family can get a you@yourbusiness.com email address)
- Control Panel: Vdeck v 3.0
- Bandwidth: Unlimited (this means that they do not limit the amount of visitors to your site (very important for when you hit the big time!!)
- Money Back Guarantee: 30 Days (excl the domain reg fee, once registered it is yours for a year regardless of whether you use it or not)
- Domains you can host: Unlimited. This means that you can purchase additional domains and add them to your one hosting package – so you can have as many websites as you want all on the same hosting package.
What does it cost?
- 2 Year Plan: US$5.95/month + Free Setup + Free Domain Name (Total Upfront cost = $142.80 – roughly ZAR1035.89 for two years worth of hosting that’s just R43.16 a month!)
- 1 Year Plan: US$6.95/month + Free Setup + Free Domain Name (Total Upfront cost = $ 83.40 – roughly ZAR605.48 for one whole years hosting, that’s just R50.45 a month!)
- Monthly Plan: US $6.95/month + $30 Setup Fee + $8.95 Domain Name (Total Upfront cost $45.90/ZAR 328.28 then $6.95/ZAR 43.77 a month thereafter)
These are great options, because if you have the start up capital to pay upfront then it reduces your costs over the long run. When I started 3 years ago, I chose the third option, because I did not have the extra cash to ‘go big’ at the start. It just goes to show that having a business online does NOT have to cost an arm and a leg to get going. In fact the costs of starting a business online is far far less than if you were to physical premises and stock shelves.
So What Will I do For You, For Free?
- Install and configure Wordpress software on your hosting package (i.e. set up the initial website/blog for you)
- Upload 5 themes for you to choose from to start off with (a ‘theme’ is your blogs ‘look and feel’) there are many out there to choose from.
- Install plugins that will give you better visibility with search engines, set up your rss feeds allowing people to subscribe, and another to prevent spam.
- Tell you how and where to login to your wordpress panel, and get you started creating your online presence.
Why am I doing this for free?
- Firstly, if you sign up with StartLogic for a Prologic Package, they pay me a commission. This enables me to offer you my initial help to you for free. (If you already have a domain and hosting and want help then see my services page for how I can help you)
- I believe in empowering woman to achieve their dreams, this is just a small way that I can help you get started. Being a work at home mom is very close to my heart and by helping other women, and particularly moms, I get to help whole families ! Or at least that would be my beauty pageant speech!
What technical services do I offer that are not free?
Please check out my services page (will open in new window) for more information, so that we can be clear as to what is free, and what is not.
My services include things like importing other blogs into a wordpress installation, personal tutoring via Skype on how to edit your websites content, create posts and make it look awesome, change the themes etc.
As well as graphic design services for designing all the bells and whistles that will make your blog look and feel amazing, and more importantly promote your business brand and identity.
These services are available as individual items, as and when required, but there is also an option for a monthly membership in the works, where I will also perform any upgrades necessary on the wordpress installation (they’re always improving it!) and on the plug-ins that we mentioned earlier as well as sending you monthly graphics to use on your site, tips on improving your blogs SEO (search engine optimization), and ideas for Social Media Marketing so that you can get more visitors and improve your business in every way possible, members also get my monthly newsletter which includes a lot of information about making money online using your website.
More details on this coming soon!
Do you have any reason NOT to take up this offer?
Get your business online host your web site with StartLogic! and start getting customers!
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