Here are some essential steps to take after buying a domain and Hosting :
- Connect your domain and Hosting: To ensure your domain and hosting are correctly linked, you must update the domain’s DNS (Domain Name System) settings. The DNS settings will point your domain to your hosting provider’s servers. Typically, you can find the required DNS information in your hosting account or by contacting your hosting provider’s support team.
- Set up your website: Once your domain and Hosting are connected, you can start building your website.
Depending on your technical expertise and requirements, you have several options:
A. Website builders: If you’re a beginner or prefer a more user-friendly approach, consider using website builders such as Wix, WordPress.com, or Squarespace. These platforms offer intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-designed templates to help you create your website quickly.
B. Content management systems (CMS):
CMS platforms like WordPress.org, Joomla, or Drupal are excellent if you want more control and flexibility. They provide extensive customization options and a wide range of plugins and themes to enhance your website’s functionality and design.
C. Custom development: Building a custom website from scratch might be the best option for advanced users or those with specific requirements. This approach requires technical expertise or hiring a web developer. - Design and customize your website: Creating a visually appealing and user-friendly website is essential regardless of your chosen method. Select a theme or template that aligns with your brand or desired website style. Customize the colors, fonts, and layout to match your branding and make your website unique. As mobile traffic grows, don’t forget to optimize your website for mobile devices.
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Add essential website elements: Enhance your website’s functionality by incorporating critical aspects, such as
A. Navigation menu: Create a clear and intuitive menu structure to help visitors navigate your website easily.
B. About page: Introduce yourself or your business, providing relevant information about your background, expertise, or mission.
C. Contact page: Include a dedicated contact page with a contact form or your email address, allowing visitors to contact you.D. Services or products: If you offer services or sell products, create dedicated pages to showcase them, including detailed descriptions, pricing, and images.
E. Blog or news section: Consider adding a blog or news section to share valuable content with your audience, establish yourself as an authority, and improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO).
- Install necessary plugins and tools: Depending on your website’s functionality requirements, install plugins or tools to enhance its features. For example, if you’re using WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO, Jetpack, or Akismet can improve your website’s SEO, security, and performance.
- Implement analytics and tracking: Set up website analytics to understand how your website performs and gain insights into visitor behavior. Google Analytics is a popular choice that provides comprehensive data about your website’s traffic, user engagement, and conversion rates.
- Optimize for search engines: Boost your website’s visibility on search engines by implementing basic SEO practices. This includes optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, and headings with relevant keywords, creating unique and high-quality content, and building a backlink strategy to increase your website’s authority.
- Test and launch your website: Before launching it to the public, thoroughly test its functionality, responsiveness, and user experience. Check for broken links, ensure forms and interactive elements work correctly, and verify that your website looks great on various devices and browsers. Once you’re confident everything is working as intended, it’s time to launch!
Remember, building a successful website is an ongoing process. Continuously update your content, monitor analytics, and stay up-to-date with web design trends and best practices.
With dedication, consistency, and a user-centric approach, your website will thrive and contribute to your online goals. Now we update some of our Hosting stuff!
And there are more ways to update your domain! Here you go!
8 Things to Do After Buying a Domain Name and Hosting
Congratulations on taking your first step, so what should I do after buying a domain name?
Once you register a domain, it’s time to build your online presence. Here, I will share the essential things to do after buying a domain name and hosting to secure your online business without hiring professionals.
1: Get a Hosting Plan
After buying a domain name, the first thing is to sign up for a web hosting plan to host your site. Most hosting packages come with a free domain name, so you may skip this step if you have already bought a hosting package with your domain name.
If you are not buying your domain name and web hosting from the same company, you will need to point your domain name to your respective hosting server so that they connect to the location of your host. Though it sounds a bit technical, the process is easy.
All you need to do is log in to your hosting account and copy and paste the name servers. Refer to this tutorial to point your domain to another hosting provider.
2: Link your domain to your social media
Your customers may have difficulties finding your online store on Facebook due to the long and unprofessional domain name.
Redirect your newly registered domain to your online store on Facebook. With easy to remember domain name (shorter website URL), your customers can place your website more easily.
3: Register Your Business
If your domain is part of starting a new business, then you will need to officially start this business by registering it. You can choose to operate as a sole proprietor or partnership, LLC, or corporation to secure liability protection for your business.
LLCs have been very popular for companies focused on online business due to their low liability protection and low cost. However, it is unnecessary if you plan to start a blog.
4: Trademark Your Business
The protection for your business is not limited to registration only. You must register a trademark if you are concerned about protecting your domain name, especially if the name is unique and will be the next big business name!
A trademark will protect you against domain name trademark infringement and allow you to take legal action, which can win compensation from a company/individual who violates your trademark.
5: Create a Custom Email Address
Once you own a domain, you can have your email address not tied to any ISP (internet service provider) or webmail service. An email address with your domain name improves your email’s credibility and company image.
For example, it looks more professional to have info@yourdomain.com than info@gmail.com. Most hosting plan allows you to create free email accounts with your domain name.
6: Design and Develop Your Website
When everything else is in place, it’s time to build your online presence. Having an online website is similar to owning a physical shop but in a virtual way. Different businesses use websites in different ways. It can be a way for people to find your business, an e-commerce site for online shopping, a lead generation, or a blog. You may need to create some articles or a link to your site. Figure out how to use yours.
Many businesses will hire professional web developers to customize a high-quality website. If you decide to do it on your own, consider using a user-friendly platform like WordPress to figure out how to customize your website to what you like. It is essential to have a good quality website for your target prospect.
Read
- 5 Steps to Setup a WordPress Website
- 5 Best Free WordPress Plugins Features for Your Online Stores
Most hosting packages do come with WordPress one-click installation. It takes less than 30 seconds for the installation. It provides several free themes with good design for your website.
7: Force HTTPS Redirection
SSL (secure socket layer) certificates provide good security and encryption to protect your data transfer across the internet. A website with SSL shows a padlock icon on the left of the URL bar.
Exabytes Hosting plans to provide a free SSL. All domains with a valid SSL certificate can have redirection enabled. The option is to allow force HTTPS Redirection from the insecure version (HTTP) under the domains interface in cPanel.
However, the free SSL only provides basic encryptions for nontransactional data such as logins. If you hope to secure your customers’ sensitive info, such as bank account details, you will need Paid SSL.
Read
- Why Do You Need SSL in 2019?
- 3 Types of SSL Certificates You Need To Know
8: Market Your Website
If you want your website to be found by your prospects easily, you will need to learn the basics of SEO, which includes adding relevant keywords and link building. You can obtain steady traffic for your site if done right.
However, SEO is just one of many ways of online marketing. You may also need to consider more strategies, such as social media marketing, content marketing, or paid advertising, to drive website traffic. Social media is essential as most people spend plenty of time on social media sites daily. That’s one of the reasons to secure your matching social media names. Put in your effort and wait for considerable traffic from those social media sites!
So, here you go, the essential things to do after buying a domain name.
Cheers!