Est Read Time: 9.5 Minutes
We all know that it is crucial to put your business online, especially in the wake of COVID. Potential customers want to be able to find you and see what you offer long before they commit to buying from you.
But money is tight and your options are pretty limited on where to start. You contemplate a website, but you don’t know how to do that and you sure as heck can’t pay someone else to do it. So you opt for Facebook or Instagram.
But I’m telling you, the best place to start with your online presence is a website.
It’s a platform you have complete control over and can slowly build on.
Sure, choosing to set up a Facebook or Instagram Page is a quick, easy, and free choice, but you can lose your page at any moment for any reason. On top of that, you need to be creating consistent content to remain relevant and build trust.
When you go for a website, the domain you buy is yours. And you have complete control over the content you add to it.
I am going to walk you through the most inexpensive option to set up a one-page website. (If you can afford to buy hosting first, then do it. But note that setting up your hosting won’t be included in this blog post. However, Bluehost does a great job of walking you through the setup, then you can come back here when you’re ready to set up your one-page website!)
Don’t worry about your first website being perfect, you’re learning! Remember to give yourself grace as you do things for the first time.
I remember my first website…
It was pretty bad 😂
I’d show you if I still had it, but sadly we can’t laugh about it together. I had no understanding of how to set it up, what to include, and how to write the content. So to say the least, I have a good understanding of how you’re currently feeling.
Seriously, my first website was a mess! But after several different websites over the last 7 years, I started to really learn what worked and what didn’t.
So with my help, hopefully, you’ll have a little more flow and less stress creating when setting it up. 🙌
[If you go through the process and you still can’t get it, contact us and we will be happy to help you! —Yes, for a small fee, but what is peace of mind worth to you? Plus, we enjoy doing it! 😊]
Alright, so let’s dive into setting up your WordPress Website!
Getting Started
First, download and print the setup checklists HERE.
Then easy peasy, we are going to start with creating your account:
- Create Your Account Here
- Choose a Domain: The best is to choose a domain relevant to your business. Being able to use your business name is the most ideal. Keep it simple. No one will remember a long, irrelevant domain.
PS- WordPress domains usually cost around $20 for the year, but it’s free for the first year if you pay for a plan! - Select a Plan: Starting out, you’re probably safe to just use the Personal $5/month plan or Premium $10/month plan. Heck, if you can splurge for the Business $33/month plan that is even better. But if you want to start free as free can be, click “Explore Our Starter Plans” right below and it will show you the Free and Personal $5/month plan. (Sneaky buggers, eh?)
- Fill Out Information: Pay for whichever plan and domain you chose.
After choosing your plan, you will be brought to your WordPress Dashboard.
Set Up Your Page
It’s important to remember a few things when creating your one-page website.
First, people have a short attention span, so you need to be able to grab their attention within three seconds of them being on your page.
Second, make your page about your ideal customer. You want them to go through your website and find themselves identifying with most or all of your content.
And lastly, keep it simple. I will continue to remind you to keep it simple because the moment you complicate it, you not only make more work for yourself, but you make it so your website is less user-friendly…meaning fewer people will go through your website.
So here is how I’d recommend you layout your website:
[See my Example Page here]
- Have a catchy headline: Maybe your company slogan, a belief you and your ideal customer share, or something that quickly identifies them. Make it short and relevant.
- Contact Information: You’ll want to have this right at the top for anyone coming to your website just to learn how to call you.
- Call to Action Button: There will be people who come onto your website with the intent to buy already, so let’s make contacting you as convenient as possible. (I recommend linking it to an email, you can do that by ‘Add Link’ button and typing in: mailto: email)
[See the Gallery Below on how to add a button, link it to your email, and change its colour!] - Immediately identify who your audience is: Okay, so I cannot stress how important it is to identify who your ideal client/customer avatar is. If someone lands on your website and you’re trying to talk to everyone, you’ll speak to no one. It’ll be too general and not personable enough. So before you begin your home page, make sure you write out your ideal customer/client avatar. Having this at the top and making it accurate also helps to send only qualified leads your way. You want to make sure that anyone who does not work for your product/service to realize that sooner than later to save you both time.
- Near the top of your website, you’ll want to include an attention-grabbing photo(s) or video: We’re pretty visual beings, and who doesn’t love looking at great photos or videos? Make sure they’re attractive and relevant to your audience.
- Identify how you serve your ideal customer/client: Do not focus on your product or service’s features. That is a marketing tactic of the past. We’re in 2021, we’ve got some pretty awesome technology, so features aren’t necessarily what attracts us. It’s hearing the results we will see that attracts us. Describe in detail how they will feel and what sorts of benefits they’ll experience if they buy your product or service.
- Give a Guarantee: What can you guarantee to your customers/clients? Is there something you deliver on every time? Giving your customers/clients a guarantee helps them trust you more. And currently, building trust should be your highest priority. It is literally what will help with sales.
- Another Call To Action Button: Now that you have built some more trust between you and your potential client/customer, you’ll want to add another call to action button for the ones who have felt they’ve read all they needed to and want to take the plunge with you.
- Photo of You: Again, we’re visual beings! And seeing your face can really help someone who is on the fence make a decision because they feel they can trust you. (Especially if you’re smiling and PLEASE, no filter photos!!! You want to look professional and approachable.)
- A Note From You: Talk to your customers. Make it clear you know who they are and why you are in a position to help them. Why do you do what you do, what will you personally guarantee?
[When I first saw this done, I was WOWED! I loved the idea of adding a personal note from the owner. To me, it showed that they cared more about their business and their customers/clients. But maybe that’s just me…🤷♀️] - A Third Call To Action Button: Yes, I said it. You need ANOTHER call to action button. I feel like you already understand why, but to be clear, you need multiple call to actions on your website. Because when people journey to and through your website, they are all in unique places. Some of them are ready to go right away while others need a little more reassurance, and then there are people who want to consume all the information they possibly can before they make a decision. Having multiple calls to action buttons helps cater to each of them. And you want to make it as simple as possible for anyone to contact you.
- Testimonials: As soon as you’ve gained enough experience with your customers/clients, ask for testimonials. Of course, not everyone cares to read them, but there are people who do. If you don’t, you’re potentially losing out on a good portion of your potential market. Let’s be real, the ones who are making the most informed decision are more likely to pay more and stay longer. (Which is what we want!)
- Contact Information: Of course, you’ll want to have your contact information at both the top and bottom for easy findability.
Once you’ve got all of this, click the “Publish” button in the top right corner. (If you haven’t published your website yet, WordPress will prompt you with another button in the top right corner if you view the page.)
So there you have it. That is how you should be putting together your one-page website. I do recommend that you do some research and see what others in your industry are doing for their websites so you feel inspired and have a better idea of what to include.
Once you have your one page up you can play around with WordPress, testing the different tools it has and getting to know it better so if you’d like, you could eventually expand it into a whole website.
I’ll say it again though, give yourself grace.
It will not be perfect the first time. Or the second time.
Actually, I need to mention that once you’ve published your website test it!!!!!! Search and navigate it on both website and mobile. Take notes of anything that isn’t showing up as it should and adjust from there.
And test all your buttons and links! (This is a personal mistake I’ve made more than once..it does happen 🙈)
Heck, I’m still updating and tweaking my website to try and make it better all the time.
Of course, it’s just me and my assistant, so it has been slow. But that’s okay!
There is not a perfect person in this world, as much as some people like to think…😂
My point is that it doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be there.
So stop procrastinating and get your website up!!!
I wish you all the best. May your small business bring you success and prosperity.
-Jordan
PS-If you still feel like this is too overwhelming, we can help you! We’d love the opportunity to help you. I created a one-page website service tailored to small business owners who are on a tight budget. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
