What you need to know before building a website?

There are a few things to consider before building a website for your yoga business. It’s a big step!

In this blog we will be outlining some simple steps so by the end of this you’ll have the confidence to move forwards!

Build a Website Step 1: Choose the Perfect Domain Name

If you haven’t already, it’s time to pick a domain name for your website. This is also known as a website address. Ensure that when you pick your domain name it’s clear, easy to remember and suitable for what your business offers.

Here are some tips for coming up with an optimal domain name:

1. Make it easy to spell. Try not to use slang, made up words, or extremely esoteric words.
2. Keep it as short as possible. The shorter it is the easier it is to remember and type correctly.
3. Use the proper domain extension. Try to use a .com or co.uk domain name (as opposed to .net, .co, etc.) unless it is more appropriate to use another extension, such as .gov, .org.
4. Avoid numbers and hyphens if you can. They are hard to remember and less elegant and memorable than word-only domain names and may be misunderstood when vocalising the domain name.
5. Make the address/name fairly broad to facilitate future growth.
6. Ensure it is memorable. With so many websites on the internet, it is important that your website name is catchy so people will remember how to access it in the future.
7. Before you buy it- Research the domain name. Google it to see if a similar website address already exists online, and search GOV website to make sure it does not contain any registered trademarks.
8. Check the price and the terms of sale!
9. Create an SEO-friendly URL. When appropriate, try to come up with an SEO-friendly website address. (SEO – search engine optimisation)

Here are a few websites that we’ve used to buy domain names for our businesses

123-reg

GoDaddy

Names

Build a Website Step 2: Choose the Hosting

Hosting is an important element of setting up the website. Without hosting your website won’t be accessible on the internet.

A website host (sometimes referred to as a website hosting provider) is a company that offers the technology and services necessary for a website to be viewed on the internet. Once you buy your domain name (your website address), you can then connect your domain name to your hosting provider and go live!

Some popular website hosting companies include:

GoDaddy

DreamHost

Bluehost

InMotion

SiteGround

Wix

In some cases, the domain name provider offers hosting services too- it's worth checking.

Build a Website Step 3: Trademark

If you are serious about your brand and you see it going places then investing in trademarking is a good way to go! (we’ve been burnt by this before!)

Why bother with trademarking?

Securing a registered trademark protects your brand and provides you with the tools to prevent someone from using something similar and riding off the back of your business. If you do not protect your name/logo/images by trademark you may find that you are legally prevented from expanding your business or even using certain things in the first place.

The process normally takes up to 4 months and costs between £170 - £200. We recommend doing more research about this before deciding. 

Build a Website Step 4: Website Platform/CMS to choose

Once you have the above points sorted, you should really understand what website platform to use. This is also known as a CMS (Content Management System).

A content management system (CMS) is a software program or application that is used to create and manage digital content. A good CMS will help you maintain your site and the best part is, that you often don’t need much technical knowledge to use them. You should choose a CMS that is designed for your business needs; different systems are used for different reasons, such as user-friendliness, extensibility and budget.

There are so many different website platforms to choose from and as mentioned above, it’s important to do your research first. We have an upcoming blog post that compares a few different CRM platforms so keep your eyes peeled for that.

There you have it! You’re now a few steps closer to setting up your yoga business!

 Did you know that we offer a range of yoga teacher training courses online, as well as in person? If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@yogacourse.com.