How to develop a website out of thin air and make it into a business?

An online business can be fruitful and the most satisfying business you can ever imagine. The leading businesses today are online giants like Google, Alibaba, Amazon and more. In this blog, we will share our views on how one can develop a website and make it into a full-time business.

 A domain name

“Names aren’t just coathooks, they’re coats. They’re the first thing anyone knows about you.”      Nick Harkaway

Giving your business a name is a first and foremost thing. A good domain name can be beneficial in the future. So, choose wisely. Choose a name that explains your business in a nutshell even before the customer enters your website. He or she should know from the Google search results after reading the Meta description what the website is all about. If you are able to do so, half the battle is won.

Website platform & content

There are so many platforms to choose from that you get spoiled for choice. But that doesn’t mean all are compatible with the nature of your business. Let’s list out website platforms according to the use:

1. Blog platforms: If you want to attract users by posting incredible content, then you can start a blog. The best platforms are as follows:

 

• WordPress
• Joomla
• Weebly
• Wix
• Yola

 

According to the work you want to put in the list is written in descending order of complexity. WordPress websites are easy to start but if you want a above average look and feel, you will have to shell out some money or spend some time. On the other hand Yola is free and pretty easy to use. But if you take into consideration, the marketing part of the blog, you should consider WordPress and Joomla. These are old platforms with a lot of bug fixes and updates. They also have thousands of free plugins to help you start a website with virtually no investment required. Let us share an example: Planet24

 

2. E-commerce platforms: Looking to foray into the online retail business then you must know that there are many platforms to work with. We have developed various websites, but we always see to it the platform has the capabilities to deliver what the client is looking after. If the client is looking for a CMS based website, then we suggest:
   • Magento Community Edition
   • PrestaShop
   • Shopify
   • OpenCart
   • osCommerce
   • Zen Cart
   • Spree Commerce
   • WooCommerce (WordPress)
   • Jigoshop (WordPress)
   • VirtueMart (Joomla)
   • Drupal Commerce (Drupal)

 

Want a more secure website than open source frameworks?

You can certainly find a developer or an agency that can create a website on PHP Frameworks. The best technologies to work on would be:

• Laravel
• Yii framework

These frameworks offer a high level of customization and security. Large eCommerce websites are built on these platforms.

    3. Marketing the website

After getting through with the website development, it is time to market the website in the best possible way. You have to engage in on-page SEO and off page SEO. Then you must consider Social media optimization. After you get desired traffic, you can hope to monetize by introducing Google AdSense or selling display options on your website or blog. If you have a retail business, link building and continuous Social media optimization can really reap benefits. Later on, you can associate and even go for affiliate marketing.

The topic is so vast, that is nearly impossible to write down everything, but we will take this forward in our upcoming blogs. Till then it’s a pen down for today.