Getting a functional website up and running can be an exciting journey, and being well-prepared helps ensure a smooth experience. Here’s a checklist of items that will help you get your website up and running as efficiently as possible.
1. Define Your Purpose and Goals
Before starting the process of website creation, be clear about what you want to achieve. Are you building a personal blog, an online store, or a professional portfolio? Defining your website’s purpose will help guide all of your decisions, from design and content to features and functionality.
Questions to consider:
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What do you want visitors to do when they come to your website?
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Are you trying to inform, entertain, or sell?
2. Choose a Domain Name
Your domain name should be memorable and reflect your brand or purpose. It's a good idea to brainstorm several options in case your first choice isn’t available. For example, a bakery might choose something like "sweetbakes.com". A domain name should be easy to spell, not too long, and ideally relevant to your content or business.
Tips:
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Keep it simple and avoid special characters.
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Use a name that is easy to pronounce and remember.
3. Prepare Your Website Content
Content is king when it comes to websites. Prepare the main content you want to include in advance. It is also important to update your content regularly to keep the website engaging and current. This could include:
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Homepage Content: A welcoming introduction and key information about your website.
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About Page: Information about you or your business.
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Product or Service Descriptions: If you’re selling something, make sure you have detailed descriptions ready.
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Images and Media: High-quality images related to your content or products.
Having your content ready helps ensure your website feels polished and professional from the moment it goes live, and regularly updated content can also benefit SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by improving visibility and relevance.
4. Plan the Structure of Your Website
Think about the different pages your website will need. Common pages include the homepage, about page, contact page, blog, and service or product pages. Planning the structure in advance helps streamline the process of building your site and ensures that your visitors can easily find what they’re looking for.
Suggested Pages:
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Home: The main introduction to your site.
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About: Details about your brand or mission.
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Contact: How visitors can get in touch with you.
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Services/Products: Information on what you offer.
5. Gather Essential Branding Elements
Branding is crucial to creating a cohesive online presence. Collect and prepare essential branding elements like your logo, color scheme, fonts, and any other design guidelines you want to follow.
Elements to gather:
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Logo: A high-resolution version.
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Color Scheme: Colors that represent your brand.
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Fonts: The fonts that will be used consistently across your website.
6. Decide on Features and Functionality
Think about what specific features you want on your website. Do you need a contact form, an image gallery, or perhaps an e-commerce store? Consider prioritizing these features based on your website goals to avoid overwhelming yourself with too many options initially. Knowing what features you need in advance will help make the setup process faster and more straightforward.
Common Features to Consider:
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Contact Form: Allow visitors to reach you easily.
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Social Media Links: Make it easy for visitors to connect with you elsewhere.
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Blog: If you plan to publish articles or updates.
7. Prepare SEO and Marketing Basics
Consider basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to help your website get found by search engines. Preparing items like page titles, meta descriptions, and keywords ahead of time will save you time later and help make your site more visible.
Things to prepare:
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Keywords: Words and phrases related to your content.
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Meta Descriptions: Short summaries of each page.
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Page Titles: Clear, descriptive titles for each page.
8. Set Up Essential Accounts
Depending on your website's purpose, you might need to set up additional accounts to make everything function smoothly.
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Hosting Account: If you haven't already, secure a hosting plan like Dark Horse Virtue’s Pro Suite Shared Hosting.
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Email Accounts: Create branded email accounts for a professional touch.
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Analytics: Set up Google Analytics or similar tools to track your website's performance.
9. Get Ready to Test Everything
Once your website is built, take the time to test everything. Check that all links work, forms are functional, and pages display correctly on different devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) and browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari). Testing helps ensure a smooth experience for visitors from the start.
Testing Checklist:
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Test all forms and buttons.
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Check how the website looks on mobile devices.
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Ensure all links direct to the correct pages.
Final Thoughts
Preparing ahead of time makes the process of building a website much smoother and less stressful. By having a clear purpose, the right content, and the essential branding elements ready, you can quickly bring your vision to life with minimal obstacles. With Dark Horse Virtue's hosting and tools, getting online is straightforward—especially when you’re prepared!
