Create a website at Versio

Nowadays, having a website is a necessity for many. A website is the calling card of for example your creative work or your company. It is getting harder and harder to do business without an online presence. A website isn’t only important for the business market; also others are choosing to start their website. Examples include a blog or a portfolio. Perhaps you are thinking of creating a website - you are reading this article, after all - but you're wondering where to start. Starting a website can be as easy or complicated as you allow it to be. There are a couple of crucial factors to consider. We’ll take a closer look.

Contents

• The goal of your website: business or pleasure?
• Domain name, extension and registration
• Web hosting
• Security
• Do it yourself
• Layout and corporate identity
• The content of your website
• Publication

The goal of your website: business or pleasure?

Step one is asking yourself what's the goal of your website. Do you want to generate brand awareness, start a webshop or create a blog? It’s smart to record your wishes on paper first, which would be easy with a mind map. This is a visual aid, from which you will get a good overview. It’s also a good idea to think about other factors, like how much information you want displayed on your website. Hobbyists and bloggers often have other needs than entrepreneurs with a webshop. The demands differ per user.

Domain name, extension and registration

When you’ve thought everything through, you can register your domain name. The domain name is what an internet user would type into the search bar to find your website. Try to keep your name easy and simple. Lengthy names have a higher risk of typos. You’ve already got a head start when your domain name is catchy, clear and easy to remember. For more inspiration and tips for a great domain name, you can read this article. Next, you will choose the extension. There are many options. You can choose a .nl address, but .site, .net, .eu or .com are also an option. The latter two are particularly useful if you want to reach an international audience. Check here if your chosen domain name is still available.

Web hosting

A crucial part of your website is the hosting package. This is the space on the server. You can choose shared hosting, where you will share the server with others. A private server (VPS) is also a possibility. Without web hosting, your website is unable to go online, which results in nobody finding your website. We offer several packages, so there is always a package suiting your website. Click here to read more about web hosting and which type suits you best.

Security

It’s important to secure your website well. Cybercriminals not only aim their arrows at large companies, smaller websites can be affected as well. That’s why it’s important to secure your website with a SSL certificate. These are starting from just €4,99 per year. A SSL certificate will secure the connection between your visitors and your website. Google will disadvantage any website without this certificate, and visitors will be notified whenever the connection is not secured. Your visitors are able to recognize your website is secured by the following characteristics:

• The green address bar
• The “s” behind http
• The lock icon in the browser
• The company name in the address

Do it yourself

Do you have little experience with creating a website, but do you want to do it yourself? Our Sitebuilder might be a good option for you. Without a lot of technical knowledge, you can create a website in no time. With Sitebuilder, you can easily design many pages, and you can choose from 140 designs. Of course you can alter and personalize the styles. That way, you can always create a website that suits you. Learn all about Sitebuilder in this article.

There are several platforms available that also offer simplicity when creating websites. These platforms are known as content management systems (CMS). Wordpress and Magento are examples of this. There are thousands of plugins available, with which you can add extra functions, like a webshop or a contact form. With these platforms, you’ll benefit from technical flexibility, but you’ll be more limited in terms of creativity when compared to writing code.

Do you consider yourself a pro? Go right ahead and start programming with HTML, CSS, JavaScript or PHP. This is quite technical, so make sure you have enough time and experience.

Layout and corporate identity

However you decide to create your website, there’s plenty to choose from. Choose a clear, simple design and a consistent style with colours that compliment each other. By keeping your style consistent, so others can recognise you or your brand.

The content of your website

Create content for your website, while paying attention to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Click here to read more about SEO. Make sure your website functions on both mobile phones, desktops, and tablets. When you choose to use our Sitebuilder, your website will automatically look great on all devices.

Publication

After reading this article, you should have a better idea of what it takes to create your own website. It doesn’t have to be difficult; make it as easy or technical as you want to. When you have followed the steps above, you are ready to go live. Time to get started. Welcome online!