What to Do Before You Start a Website
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First published November 10, 2020 at https://techiemamma.com/5-steps-to-take-before-you-start-your-blog/
You want to start a business, website or blog! That is awesome! I love building websites and love helping others build websites. There are things to do before even getting started writing or marketing to make sure your bog is the most successful, promotable and engaging site that will bring followers, readers and even profit if you are looking for that. Five small but huge things that will set you on the path to success.
Key Points
- Niche Selection: Choose a niche that is not too limited but also not too broad, and incorporate a unique twist to differentiate your blog.
- Website Focus: Determine a central theme for your website, such as technology, health, or fitness, and ensure that all content aligns with this focus.
- Content Strategy: Create content that is engaging, relatable, and valuable to your target audience, and incorporate your niche’s theme into all aspects of your blog.
- Name Importance: A name should reflect the website’s purpose and influence design choices.
- Name Selection Considerations: Avoid overly broad names and be prepared for potential future changes.
- Branding Options: Consider using a personal name, a unique and memorable name, or a brand name.
- Domain Name Selection: Choose a name for your website and check its availability as a domain.
- Domain Name Options: Explore various domain name extensions beyond .com, such as .blog, .biz, .travel, and .family, to find a suitable and unique name.
- Domain Registration: Use a domain name search tool like Domainr to find available domain names and then register them with a reliable registrar like Google Domains.
- Name Consistency: Maintain consistency across social media platforms, even if not all are used immediately.
- Name Availability: Check the availability of desired names on social media platforms, including potential future platforms.
- Brand Impact: Consider the impact of name variations on user recognition and potential confusion with competitors.
- Blog/Business Goal Setting: Set clear goals and a strategy for your blog or business to maintain focus and motivation.
- Continuous Learning and Research: Conduct research to improve skills, stay updated on industry trends, and learn from competitors.
- Networking: Network with others in your niche and outside of it to gain new perspectives and potential collaborations.
- Hosting Definition: Hosting is the space on the internet where your website is located, similar to renting a house or apartment.
- Hosting Provider Selection: Choose a hosting provider that works well with WordPress, has a good track record of uptime, and offers customer support.
- Hosting Cost: Hosting costs vary depending on the provider and the level of service, ranging from a few dollars to several hundred dollars per month.
Find Your Niche
Finding a niche is crucial for blogging success. While broad topics are common, incorporating a unique twist, such as a tech focus, can set a blog apart.
Finding your niche is crucial for your brand, networking, and overall success. Ensure it’s not too limited but also not too broad. Many bloggers cover various topics but the most successful bloggers usually focus and specialize in a single area.
This was something I wish I knew when I first got started. I knew the technology for blogging inside and out, but didn't know the best practices for blogging. The Techie Mamma blog still has posts on mom stuff, traveling, raising kiddos and more general mom topics. These days I call the category Modus Vivendi, which is latin for "way of living.”
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A niche or focus can grow into a blog as long as it has a unique twist. Your passion could be health, fitness, or crafts. Find your focus or niche using my worksheet!
Niche Discovery Worksheet
Craft the perfect niche for your Mompreneur business. The worksheet will help you:
- Brainstorm ideas for your niche or focus.
- Analyze your target market for places to fit.
- Help add a twist and your speciality to make your site unique.
- Narrow down your speciality from your brainstorm.
- Find Your Niche that is specific but not too limited.
Find a Name
Finding a name is vital. It reflects your identity and site’s purpose. Over-focusing on a name may necessitate a change later, while a broad name can hinder brand traction. Your name influences your logo and design choices. Consider using your name for branding. I have a unique name, Cousett, but it’s hard to remember and spell, so I chose a brand name.
Once you’ve chosen a name, check its availability as a domain. A domain is your website’s address, usually in the format www.yourname.com. Many other endings are available, such as .blog, .biz, .travel, and .family. New generic endings are becoming more popular. Wikipedia and the international ICANN organization have comprehensive lists of domains. Remember that not all registrars have all endings. Domainr is a great tool for domain name search, short URLs, new gTLDs, and whois.
Some hosts (if you are self-hosting like with WordPress) will provide a domain for free for a year. You don't have to register your name at the same place you purchase hosting, though. There are many, many registrars. I recommend NameSilo, Spaceship, and Hover. Some slightly more involved options include Porkbun and Gandi.net. Look for clear domain pricing like at NameSilo.
Owen Borseth / Porkbun LLC
Consider name consistency across social media platforms. Namechk checks name availability on various sites, domains, and trademarks. To build a strong brand, avoid taken names. For example, Techie Mom was taken, so I changed it to Techie Mamma. However, this change may confuse users and lead them to a competitor’s site. Researching other sites like techiemom revealed they weren’t being used, allowing me to proceed with techiemamma.
Take Action
- Choose a name for your website.
- Check if the name is available as a domain.
- A domain is an address for your website, usually in the format www.yourname.com.
- There are many other endings to choose from, such as .blog, .biz, .travel, .family, etc.
- New generic endings are becoming more popular and opening up many options for sites.
- Wikipedia has a comprehensive list of domains, but the international ICANN organization also has a list.
- Not all registrars have all the endings, so check who has it available before registering.
- Domainr is a great tool for domain name search, short URLs, new gTLDs, and whois.
- You don’t have to register at the same place you purchase hosting.
- I recommend Google Domains for registration, but Google doesn’t offer all the endings, so check Domainr first and register with Google if possible.
Define Your Goals
Having goals and a strategy for a blog or business makes it more attainable. Techie Mamma started as a hobby but evolved into a business with services and products.
Determine your goals for your business site or blog. Do you want to reach a specific number of subscribers within a year?
Brainstorm a strategy with potential products and ongoing goals.
Perfectionists, don’t overthink it.
Just have ideas about your path and set new goals every few months when you reach milestones. Having goals and a strategy makes your goals more attainable.
Research
Research, research, research. There is so much research when it comes to working on a blog or business.
- Research to improve your skills and help you do the task you need to do.
- Research to know other blogs in your area and see their style to see what you may be able to contribute or improve on.
Adapted from the adorable song in Finding Nemo, “just keep learning, just keep learning”.
Networking
I think hand with research comes networking. Network with others in your niche and others that are not in your niche. It is important to go both ways when researching. There is so much we can add in our own area and others as well.
Hosting
In today's web world, there are a lot of options for what platform to use for your business or blog site. In the past, WordPress was the gold standard. Now, there are some amazing platforms for blogs, including Ghost (this platform), platforms that have multiple business functions, like Podia, Wix, Squarespace, and platforms that are engineered for building a shop, like Shopify (home of the Mighty Shop).
WordPress & Self-Hosting
Finding a hosting provider is crucial before starting a blog. Choose a provider that works well with WordPress, has a good track record, and fits your budget.
Breaking Down Your Domain & Hosting
When getting your business site live, there are two main parts that must be understood. There is your domain, your name and your unique address. Purchase your domain via a registrar or a web platform. Next, there is the platform. If the platform is WordPress, it will be a hosting provider for your website. If your platform is something like Podia or Shopify, then that is your host. Regardless of the platform, your host (or platform) is space on a server that is then linked to your domain address, like a house or apartment.
Definitions
- Domain Name: Unique address on the World Wide Web, like a street address, that leads everyone to your website.
- Hosting: Space on a server linked to your domain address, like a house or apartment. This can be a purchased platform plan or purchased hosting package.
- WordPress Self-Hosting: Hosting provider for WordPress. There are a lot of options. Some specialize in WordPress, while others are more generic. Prices range from a few dollars to several hundred dollars per month, depending on your needs.
- Self-Hosting Selection: Choose a provider that works well with WordPress (or other platform), has a good uptime record, and provides excellent customer support.
Resources
Research Your Name
Purchase Your Domain
Owen Borseth / Porkbun LLCHosts / Platforms
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