I remember the first time I thought of launching a website. It was 2009.
I always loved to share my point of view and I had tons of stories to tell. I came through the kind of life hurdles that, if I wasn't sane, I'd think I was a cat.
I used about seven of them, if nine lives is what a cat has in terms of numbers.
I've been very lucky (cool word for blessed).
I was involved in a couple of crazy car accidents. One of the most terrifying one was that time I went through the windshield of a Nissan Pathfinder. After being ejected onto the expressway from a vehicle that hit the guardrail at 65 miles per hour (according to police records)- all I can remember is the moment I sat in the front seat before it all happened.
I was 19.
I have not been able to recover the memories of the accident, or give great details into the incidents prior. The doctor said this happened due to one of two things:
1. Physical brain damage from the hit. (I am a little eccentric - but as far as I recall, I've always been that way!).
or,
2. I have a sort of psychological block referred to as "selective amnesia."
I think there's another proper medical term for this condition, but you get my drift. It seems the way God made us is like this; anything too traumatic or difficult for us to handle will be wiped out or pushed so deep into the subsconsious mind that we won't even find it. Code word "delete."
To be honest, I'm grateful for that internal protective mechanism. I see the loss of memory surrounding such a tragic incident as a blessing really. Though it kind of screwed up a part of my story telling because I'm unable to give those important details - but oh boy do I have more stories to tell.
Back to what this all has to do with creating a website....
I knew I had to have a website to build on, tell my stories, write my self-help articles, and help others launch their passions and dream businesses online - so I started by researching web developers.
(This was long before I learned to build websites myself - yes I can do this very well now) - I found a nice woman in Canada who said she'd create my website for $10,000.
Okay, get up off the floor and pick your device up....
She did it for $8,000. It was a nice experience but very stressful because no one seems to tell the WHOLE truth before they take dreamers in as web clients - not back then anyway.
It's not the website launching that's challenging. It's knowing what you want and need before attempting to launch one.
You don't have to know everything, but there are a few components that should already be sorted before you go to your wallet. This is the part I didn't consider. And this is where developing a website can become expensive, and time consuming if you're already on a web designer's clock.
What did I want on my website???
Well at the time I was working in film and television and I owned a company called "Dream Talent, Inc." I supplied production companies with talent for various productions. I also performed a range of pre and post production responsibilities that we could classify as a sort of "concierge" service.
So, there were a few things I needed to collect to provide the content for each page. Then, I needed to determine how many pages it would take to support the information, based in part on what I wanted to display.
And of course, I had to consider the norm out there in the digital universe.
It was a lot to absorb all at once, especially when I was so excited to simply get a website up and running. Of course learning all of this would be required me all at once set me back. I left everything up to the developer. (expensive)!
I had no experience owning a website! She wanted the job so she went ahead and created the pages she thought I'd need.
$8,000 and about 8 weeks later this huge complicated file was delivered to my home by mail. There were about 15 cds in the box, maybe more. I couldn't tell you where those cds are today.
I never did run that website. I saw it once or twice because it was beautiful - but I had no insight into the software and applications it took to run one, much less edit and run those programs when I needed to.
THANKKKKK Goodness those complicated days are over.
Today you can have your own website up in a matter of days, with front end access, hosting, a beautiful design, tutorials up the wazoo - and your dream e-commerce business up and running, displayed to millions of users and potential clients, more easily.
So, if you’ve decided to make the leap and start your own website! That’s fantastic news!
And it is my goal today to make sure you're not stuck trying to figure out how to get started.
Future web guru, you’ve surfed yourself to the right place. I'm going to break the website ownership shebang down for you RIGHT NOW - in 5 simple steps.
You or anyone you know can use these 5-steps to launch a website in 7 days.
As long as you've done the due diligence and compiled the assets you need to add into the site.
Before we get into the 5 steps, let's briefly go over this pre-website process:
There are a few preparations you want to take care of first, so when you get to the business of designing and developing your website - you're ready to plug in your content and go!
Talented software and application developers have made it possible to own and run a website without knowing a bunch of code, css, or any overly, complicate programming. It's so much easier and doable than in it was in 2009 when I spent that 8 grand.
Decide how many pages you want now.
My recommendation is to start with 2 pages, or if you're really simple you can pull this launch off with just 1 page - and pop up landing pages based on your goals at the moment. I discuss this further in our member's area. You can go to this registration page to download the Dreamer2Doer VIP Cheat Sheet pdf here. It lets you know what we do inside "tech wise" and will also notify you when we offer free courses and training via webinar.
So, before you forget, sign up and download the pdf now while we're discussing it.
Page 1 of your website is where you will put your HOME page.
(Note: You can create as many pages as you want. It costs you nothing once you own your site. This is just where you should start off if you're undecided, so you can launch.
Your Home Page is your virtual front door.
It's where you'll greet your visitors and tell them about YOU or the ways you're here to serve them.
Of course if you're creating a professional page from where you plan to sell to the public, you want to limit your intro to details about yourself that compliment or highlight your best characteristics as proof you're the right person to do business with in the area you're authorizing 🙂
Some website owners like to add "testimonials," or some kind of social proof to the bottom of their homepage to let their visitors know they have experience, happy clients, or customers who appreciate their work.
Think about some of the people you can call up to write you a 3- sentence praise.
Page 2 is where you want to add your BLOG because in this digital era people want to read what you have to say concerning the products, topics, or niche you're representing with your website.
Your Blog is where you get to show off your wisdom and knowledge about your area of interest. Do it well.
Page 1, 2 OR even 3 (depending on your design concept) is a perfect place for your SHOP product placements, E-Books, Freebies, Courses, Services or whatever you plan to focus on with your new website.
Do you know how many people I've work with who didn't realize they needed these things to be mapped out before getting to the website design? A lot. It's why I knew I had to publish this article. Now I link it to everyone I work with before we sit down to have the discussion. I've been told it helps with preparation in a major way.
I mean, a website is not like an apartment where we can move in and sleep on the floor until we can afford a sofa.
But then again, it is somewhat. You want to start with this basic info then build your website as you go along.
So, at the very least spend some time writing out your homepage bio. Choose a few products that mean something to you - or write out the details of the services you plan to provide.
Start securing experienced talent to write excellent web-copy for your website's pages - AND, find you a resourceful content creator for your blog articles ahead of time.
I show you how here.
Okay, Let’s Move On to the Fun Stuff!
1
Choose Your Domain Name!
When it comes to choosing your domain name, there are a couple of important factors to consider.
You will want something that's easy for people to remember, and something that's relevant to your business.
Don’t worry too much if your exact business name is already taken. Be creative! If you’re looking for ideas, try searching for names at one of the popular hosting companies like Google, Go Daddy or Name Cheap to see what's available!
And remember, there are many others out there!
Once you have your perfect domain name chosen, head over to your registrar of choice to register it. I discuss this in detail on our member's site and with my private clients. In my experience, it's always best to register your domain name under a different registrar than your website's hosting company - even if you purchased it there.
I'm sorry -( I won't get into the details here so I hope to see you inside! If you have any questions, you can send them though this contact form.
2
Select a Web Host
Now that you have a domain name, it’s time to host your website somewhere.
Many domain registrars also offer hosting services, but there's no requirement for you to use those. Shop around for the best quality and rates.
Web-hosting services generally come in two varieties, shared and dedicated hosting.
Shared hosting is much cheaper and might be a good option for you in the beginning. Dedicated hosting is more robust, but will cost you more.
Interested in the best hosting for this year? Check out this informative article at Wp Beginner.
3
Use Great Photos!
A picture is worth a thousand words. This expression has never been more true than it is with your website. No one wants to read blocks of text over and over.
They want pictures!
Are you a photographer? If so, great! If not, don’t worry too much. There are plenty of websites to source amazing photography for any website.
Aside from that awesome camera you're probably underestimating in your smart phone - there are some great stock photo sites out there as well.
Buying stock photos doesn’t have to cost you a spare kidney. Sites like Unsplash and Pixabay offer over a million royalty-free photos and videos that you can use completely free.
4
Write Amazing Content!
(or, hire someone to do it for you)
I mentioned this earlier. Scroll back here to read this article when you're done, or bookmark it for later. I love being your go to person!
How many times have you heard “Content is King” when people talk about creating a successful website? There must be a reason for this. There is. It’s true!
Without quality content, a website may have very little to offer visitors. And without visitors, a website probably won't last very long.
The easiest way to get the ball rolling is to just sit down and start writing. Let those creative juices flow!
If you don’t consider yourself much of a writer, or you just need a little help with getting the content posted, consider hiring someone to give you a hand. With a little effort you can find a co-writer to match your efforts, and before you know it you'll be pumping out A+ content.
5
LaunchYourOwnWebsite.COM!
If you follow the pre-website nuggets above and these 5- simple steps, then guess what?
It’s time to launch your new website!
Click publish on that article you create and announce to the world that you're ready for a flood of visitors!
Ready to Take Your Website to the Next Level but don't want to do it alone? We're helping novice solo-preneurs like yourself launch their new websites online every day! We'll teach you the most important component of a successful website >>> HOW TO FIND YOUR AUDIENCE - Social Media Integration!!
You CAN launch your website in 7 days or less!
Congratulations for taking BIG steps toward your dream of owning a website! The fun is only just beginning, though. Soon it'll be time to grow your audience and that takes planning, diligence, and your commitment. You can join our VIP D2D Membership and learn to do leverage software and applications on your own, or you can apply for a one on one Platinum service for a limited, and work closely with me as I build it for you.
Prefer 1-on-1 wisdom & guidance?
Book A live Session in The Lifestyle suite.
Life is fair and abundant. It's people who will give us crap when we wing it through life without a plan!
Get started on your vision board!
Access "DECODED: ReWrite Your Life "VooDoo Vizion Board Experience." This Course is a part of the Dreamer2Doer Tech Skills Online Course lineup. You can subscribe now to be notified when the course opens ala' carte, or apply for the D2D VIP Lifestyle Suite Membership to gain instant access!
