In this age, setting up a website for your business in Nigeria is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. With approximately 60% of Nigerians active on the internet, having an online presence is crucial for reaching your target audience effectively. Without a business website, you are leaving out on a huge market untap.
Utilizing the internet allows you to conduct business with individuals in Kaduna while being located in Lagos state. By leveraging the internet, your business can transcend physical boundaries and operate without limitations.
Your small business website can act as a store online or a spot where you share info with your target audience. If you’ve got stuff to sell online, making an online store is the way to go. This way, customers can buy your products and have them shipped right to their door.
In this blog post, you’ll learn the necessary steps to establish your business website in Nigeria.
Types of small business websites in Nigeria
What kind of business website are you considering? Are you thinking of an online store? Do you plan to accept online payments? Which payment gateways are you considering?
These questions will help determine the design, features, and type of business website we’ll create. Below, I’ll briefly explain the different types of business websites.
1. Online store Business website
An online store allows customers to browse and purchase products and services online using credit cards or bank transfers. It includes features for shipping, inventory, and payment processing, freeing your business from geographical limitations.
You can operate from Lagos and sell to customers in Kano or Kaduna, enabling purchases 24/7 from anywhere. Examples in Nigeria include Konga, Olist, jiji and Jumia, which are online marketplaces selling products from various merchants.
Alternatively, you can create your own online store tailored to sell your products directly to customers.
2. Business information website
A business information website highlights the activities of a business. Upon visiting its homepage, you’ll quickly grasp the essence of the business. It typically includes an “about us” page providing details about the business and a “contact us” page outlining how customers can reach out.
3. Landing page website
A landing page is a website designed to attract potential customers and convert them over time. To build your website effectively, you’ll require skilled copywriters to craft compelling content that drives conversions.
4. Portfolio website
A portfolio website showcases samples of work done by creative professionals or businesses. Individuals such as website designers, interior decorators, and writers often utilize this type of website to exhibit their work.
5. Event website
An event website facilitates the registration of attendees for upcoming events or webinars. Your audience can easily sign up for the event, providing you with potential leads in the process.
6. Blog
Your small business can center around publishing blog posts to draw in the ideal audience. Through your blog, you can build an email list, which you’ll utilize to send newsletters and product advertisements to potential customers gradually.
Hosting provides the internet space for hosting your website files, while the domain serves as the unique address of your website online. Further details on this will be covered in this post.
Choose how to set up your Busines website
Once you’ve determined the type of business website you want to pursue, the next step is to consider the most suitable approach for designing your website, taking into account your budget and the specific type of website you aim to create.
1. Use the services of a website designer
Website designers and agencies can handle your business website design from start to finish, including ongoing management. While outsourcing is the simplest but costliest option, experts will charge based on their skills and your website’s features. It’s capital-intensive, so if you’re on a tight budget, keep reading for affordable alternatives.
2. Use a Website Builder
A website builder is a software tool enabling you to create a website without coding, making design easy even without technical expertise. With templates available, you can customize fonts, colors, and other features swiftly. Examples include Wix, Squarespace, and OLITT. We suggest OLITT due to its affordability, features, and flexibility, offering a more cost-effective alternative to hiring a website designer.
3. Use a content management system like WordPress
Utilizing WordPress for website design is widely favored, as it powers over 45% of websites online. Although WordPress itself is free, you’ll need to purchase hosting and a domain name to begin.
What to know when choosing a domain name for your business website
Selecting a domain might appear insignificant, yet upon closer examination, its impact on your business becomes apparent. Your domain name should reflect your business brand and be easy to type to prevent customer misspellings.
Tips for choosing a domain name
- Include keywords
- Make it easy to type
- Keep it short
- Make it unique
- Use a domain generator
- Make it easy to pronounce
- Avoid dashes and numbers
- Avoid copyright infringement
- Choose the right domain extension
- Avoid double letters
- Consider the future of your business
After choosing your domain name, it’s crucial to verify its availability. It’s recommended to select multiple domain names so that if your first choice is unavailable, you have a backup option.
Set up your Business WordPress website the right way
1. Buy hosting
Upon purchasing hosting and a domain from Truehost, you’ll be provided with Cpanel login details. Refer to the above tips on choosing a domain name.
2. Install WordPress
The Cpanel serves as the administrative dashboard for your website, allowing you to manage its operations. Once you purchase hosting from Truehost, they will promptly send you the details of your Cpanel account and additional information.
You can then utilize the provided username and password to access the account, where you’ll be able to install WordPress and carry out various tasks.
To install WordPress on your website, navigate to the software section in your Cpanel dashboard and select WordPress Manager by Softaculous. Clicking on it will take you to the WordPress installation section.
The image below illustrates how you’ll install WordPress on your website by providing information such as username, password, and other details. WordPress can be installed on your website in under a minute.
Upon successful installation, you’ll receive a link to your WordPress admin panel. From there, you can enter the username and password you selected during the installation process.
Following this, you’ll gain access to your WordPress admin, enabling you to install themes, plugins, and design your website pages.
Themes consist of templates for your website, while plugins enhance its functionality.
3. Install plugins: Only useful ones
As depicted in the image above, the plugin icon is where you can install plugins on your website. Clicking on the plugin button will take you to a directory where you can search for the plugins you wish to use on your website.
Examples of plugins you may need for your websites include AIOSEO or Yoast for SEO, Google Analytics, MailChimp, and more. When you begin designing your website and require additional functionality or features, you can search for plugins on Google that meet your needs.
While there are thousands of free WordPress plugins available online, many free themes come with limitations. Thus, you may need to purchase a premium theme to access the full range of features.
4. Install your WordPress theme
As previously stated, themes serve as templates that dictate the appearance and atmosphere of a website. Therefore, it’s crucial to select your theme with care as it significantly impacts your website’s overall presentation.
While there are numerous free WordPress themes available for use on your website, opting for a premium theme provides greater customization options. Like plugins, themes have their own directory where you can search for and install your preferred themes on your website.
With themes tailored for various purposes online, for small business websites, it’s advisable to search specifically for small business themes.
5. Design your website pages
To craft your website’s homepage, about us page, contact us page, and more, you’ll require a page builder. Page builders offer drag-and-drop templates for designing your desired pages.
Popular WordPress page builders include Seedprod, Elementor, Divi, and UX builder, providing customizable templates to create stunning designs.
However, their free versions typically offer limited features, with full functionality available through premium versions.
6. Create eseential pages
Homepage: The homepage is the initial impression visitors have of your website, making it crucial to ensure it is visually appealing, concise, and straightforward. By doing so, visitors can quickly understand the purpose of your website upon arrival and know what actions to take next.
About Us: This page serves as a platform to inform visitors about your business, including its origins, current activities, staff members, and more.
Contact Us: It’s essential for your potential clients to reach you easily whenever they need to. Thus, it’s your responsibility to offer various communication channels for their convenience.
6. Install analytics
Understanding how your website visitors interact with your content and products is crucial. Key factors include page dwell time, product interest levels, click-through rates, impressions, and likes.
This data can aid you in making informed decisions to foster the growth of your business. Google offers two essential tools, Google Analytics and Google Search Console, which you can integrate into your website.
These tools are indispensable for all small business websites in Nigeria as they provide valuable insights into your website’s performance.
How to optmise your Business website for SEO
1. Make your website mobile friendly
Studies indicate that a significant number of individuals browse the internet using mobile devices. Consequently, it’s essential to ensure your website is mobile-friendly to accommodate these users.
Fortunately, many WordPress themes come pre-optimized for mobile devices, eliminating the need for additional adjustments.
2. Perform keyword research
To attract the appropriate customers to your small business website in Nigeria, conducting keyword research is essential to uncover topics that resonate with them.
3. Perform content marketing
Content marketing involves utilizing various forms of content, such as podcasts, blog posts, videos, and text, to generate leads that can be converted into customers.
By crafting blog posts on your website that cater to your target audience’s interests, you’re likely to attract more customers compared to not having a blog.
4. Use keywords
It’s crucial to incorporate industry-specific keywords that accurately describe your website. These keywords should be included in your meta descriptions, blog posts, title tags, alt tags, and similar areas.
By effectively utilizing these keywords, you can improve your website’s visibility and rank for searches relevant to your industry.
5. Integrate social media campaign
Implementing every white hat SEO practice will enhance organic traffic to your business website by strategically positioning it for Google to comprehend its content, resonating well with users.
Integrate social media with your small business website in Nigeria to create a boundaryless business that operates round-the-clock, all year long.
In today’s era, having a website is essential for the growth of your business. To fully realize your business’s potential, it’s crucial to leverage all the resources available online and a working website is at the apex of that.
Till next time.
Cheers ❤️
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