Are you looking to grow your business or establish an online presence? In that case, you might be thinking about setting up a business website. However, you might feel that you lack the time and/or skills to do this successfully.
The good news is that you can get started with just a domain name, a hosting plan, and a website builder. The latter simplifies website creation since it comes with pre-designed templates, built-in tools, and other advanced features. With the right website platform, the process will only take a few minutes.
In this post, we’ll discuss what you need to create a website for your small business. Then, we’ll show you the easiest way to do it. Let’s jump right in!
What Do You Need to Create a Business Website?
First, you’re going to need a professional domain name. Some website builder platforms set you up on a subdomain that looks something like “mycompany.websitebuilder.com”. This isn’t great for establishing credibility.
Instead, you’ll want to register a custom domain name that contains justyour business name. You can browse available options using NameHero’s free domain search tool:
After finding the perfect domain, you’ll need to choose a web hosting plan. This will make your business site publicly accessible.
Many web hosts offer packages that include essential website features. At NameHero, our hosting plans come with free domain registration and an SSL certificate to secure your site.
The final thing you’ll need is a website builder. Many tools let you pick a pre-made website template and customize it to suit your needs. You can add images, apply brand colors, insert relevant content, link your social media accounts, and more.
You might also need third-party tools if you require advanced functionality. For instance, if you’re setting up a website for a restaurant or salon, you’ll likely need a booking form builder and a payment gateway.
How to Make a Business Website (In 4 Steps)
Now, let’s look at how to create a website for your business. In this tutorial, we’ll be using HeroBuilder, which is an AI-powered website builder by NameHero.
HeroBuilder creates your site in WordPress, which is the most popular content management system (CMS). Plus, all pages are responsive, so your site will look great on both desktop and mobile devices.
When you get a premium HeroBuilder plan, you’ll have web hosting and a domain name included so you won’t need to purchase them separately. This all-in-one solution is ideal if you want to manage all aspects of your website from the same account.
Step 1: Sign Up for HeroBuilder
You can get started with HeroBuilder for free. Simply create an account, then choose the option to set up a new site:
HeroBuilder will walk you through a setup process, where you’ll need to provide some information about your site. This will enable the builder to generate a site that meets your requirements.
First, enter your website name and click on Create Site. Next, specify the type of business you run (or the niche). If you’re looking to sell products or services, select eCommerce:
Now, pick your preferred site structure. There’s a single-page layout which works best for startups or small businesses. Meanwhile, the multi-page option is ideal for online stores and larger companies:
You’ll also need to define your website goals, like growing website traffic, getting more subscribers, or promoting your physical store:
Then, choose a design to determine the right look for your site. HeroBuilder provides an impressive collection of stunning pre-made templates to help you make the best first impression:
You’ll also get full control over the pages you want to add to your site. You can click on each page to preview it first:
If you click on More Pages, you’ll find additional layouts for galleries, resources, testimonials, and more.
Finally, HeroBuilder asks for a detailed description of your business website. You can also define the right tone here, which might be professional or inspirational.
Now, sit back and let HeroBuilder generate the website for you.
Step 2: Customize Your Business Website
Once HeroBuilder has created your business site, you’ll be able to customize it in the WordPress SiteEditor. You can tweak your website footer, header, content, buttons, images, and more.
WordPress structures pages in rows and columns. These contain blocks like paragraphs, images, buttons, etc. If you want to add new blocks, click on the + icon.
You can also select existing elements on the page to customize them. In the blocksettings to the right of the editor, you can edit details such as the item width, position, and justification:
If you switch to the Styles tab, you can apply colors, WordPress fonts, dimensions, spacing, etc:
Note that you can also access the Block toolbar directly in the editor, which lets you configure more settings:
You might also like to set global styles that ensure consistency across your entire site. To do this, you’ll need to click on the Styles icon at the top of the page:
The HeroBuilder options at the bottom of the editor enable you to quickly swap styles, edit the navigation menu, and tweak specific pages. You can also open the main dashboard to utilize the AI writing assistant or manage your website.
Step 3: Upload Your Products
If you’re setting up an online store, or selling services online, you’ll need to add your offerings. HeroBuilder will automatically install the WooCommerce plugin to your ecommerce site.
In the WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to the Products section to list the items you wish to sell online. Click to add a new product:
Here, enter a product name and description, set a product image and price, and add tags and categories. Repeat this process to add more products to your store.
Next, head to Payments. WooPayments offers popular payment options including Apple Pay and Klarna.
You can install additional payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal by going to WooCommerce > Extensions.
Step 4: Choose Your HeroBuilder plan
The website builder you’ve used to design your site is only free for four days. It’s also set up on a subdomain (e.g. example.nameherosites.com) rather than a unique custom domain.
So, once you’re happy with your site, you’ll need to select a HeroBuilder hosting plan. Your online store will be hosted on NameHero’s optimized and secure web servers:
You can upgrade directly from your free HeroBuilder account. Navigate to the My Hosting tab, then click on Upgrade. This will take you to a page where you can view the available plans:
There are currently four options to choose from: Starter, Plus, Turbo, and Business. Each plan will unlock full access to WordPress, so you’ll be able to install new plugins, change themes, and a lot more.
The AI HeroBuilder plans come with a staging environment. This enables you to work on your website offline, and push changes live once you’re ready. You can also add collaborators to your project, and create professional email accounts that match your domain name.
Don’t worry if you choose a plan that has more resources or features than you actually need. You are able to downgrade (as well as upgrade) as needed.
Conclusion
If you want to sell services or products online, you’ll need to make a business website. This will also enable you to grow your business, use search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to get new clients, and establish a digital presence.
To recap, here’s how to build an online store in four steps:
- Design your business website using HeroBuilder.
- Customize your business website.
- Configure important website settings.
- Choose your AI HeroBuilder plan.
Do you have any questions about how to create your own website with HeroBuilder? Let us know in the comments below!
Sophia is a staff writer at WordCandy.co, where she produces quality blog content for WordPress plugin and theme developers, hosting providers, website development and design agencies, and other online businesses.
Reynord says
What perfect timing! I just started helping my friend launch her small business, and your straightforward 4-step approach makes the process seem much less daunting. I particularly appreciate how you emphasized that website builders can make this accessible even for non-technical business owners – something that isn’t always clear in other tutorials.