CAREER PURSUIT 2021

EXPERT ADVICE - SELF-EMPLOYMENT 48 Professionally-built websites Having a website built by a professional developer will cost more than a DIY website. However, you will have complete control over how it looks, how it works, etc. More importantly, you should have ownership of the finished website and be free to move to a new hosting provider as and when you want. Themost popular platform today isWordPress. It powers 37% of all websites*. Some notable companies that use WordPress areThe Walt Disney Company and Marks & Spencer. Iwouldalways recommendusingWordPress because it’s themost popular platformthat, prettymuch, anywebdesigncompany can build on. Leaving you free to choose the best web developer for you. The cost of a professionally-built website can vary, but I would expect to pay at least £500 for a basic website and around £1,000 for an e-commerce website that’s designed and built to your specific requirements. A professionally-built website will also be developed with search engines in mind and will be relatively easy to optimise for higher rankings on Google and other search engines. If you choose the professionally-built website route, then your website will require hosting. WEBSITE HOSTING Think of website hosting as a virtual office space that you rent on the internet. There are numerous places to get website hosting from. Some of the well-known ones are GoDaddy, Hostgator, and Fasthosts. Again, be wary of low introductory offers. If you live in the UK, I would recommend using a UK-based hosting company, as you will be able to get support when you need it. More importantly, the distance from where a user is to where your files are stored could impact your rankings on search engines. You should be able to create a business email with any hosting package you choose (e.g. sales@yourdomain.co.uk ). These should come free with the package, though some providers will charge extra, so it’s worth checking first. Things to consider when choosing a web hosting provider, • Ensure that the hosting platform is optimised for WordPress • Most hosting providers will also offer a free SSL (the secure padlock sign next to a domain name) • UK-based support • UK-based servers • At least 99.9% uptime (uptime is a measure of system reliability) • Malware scanning • Easy-to-use control panel • Email accounts included • Email account set up • Room to grow There’s quite a bit to take in, but the main thing to remember is to research before committing to either a DIY or professionally-built website. It boils down to the following two questions really: 1. Do you have the time and inclination to set your website up yourself? 2. Can you afford to/does your start-up budget cover hiring a professional to design and build your website? Once you have answered these questions, you can go down your preferred route. Just remember, your website is your ‘shop front’ – so you want to make sure it appeals to your customers and offers a smooth user experience. The initial cost may seem daunting, but if you get it right, the return on investment is more than worth it. My name is Stephen Hamill. I served eight years in the 1st Battalion King’s Regiment from 1994 to 2002. I served in several places around the world including Cyprus, Kuwait, and Kenya and carried out operational tours of Bosnia and Northern Ireland. I have six children and I’m married to a Norwegian. I’m from Liverpool originally but have lived in Middlesbrough for the past 11 years. I own and run Sunray Media, a website design agency based in Middlesbrough. We have been creating websites since 2008: www.sunraymedia.co.uk. I also run a web hosting company called Viking Hosting: www.vikinghosting.co.uk. Some of the more popular website builders include Wix and Squarespace. You can design and launch a website with no coding experience necessary. *WordPress Market Share: https://www.envisagedigital.co.uk/wordpress-market-share/