One of the most important concerns for any business is increasing brand visibility. Among other things, this requires choosing a strong domain name. But here’s the (not quite) million-dollar question: How much will it cost you? There are a few factors involved, but it’s not hard to estimate what you can expect to spend on a domain name for your website. Being armed with this knowledge upfront is crucial to make sure that you’re getting a good deal and not overextending your budget. In this article, we’ll discuss the most important factors to keep in mind when choosing and buying a domain name. We’ll also discuss how much you can expect to spend and how domain price relates to your web hosting service. Feel free to jump ahead to the section that’s most important to you.
Let’s get started! Your Idea Starts with a Great Domain NameDon’t let someone else register your URL. Search DreamHost’s 400+ TLDs to find the perfect fit for your website. ![]() What Is a Domain Name (And Why Do You Need One)?To visit a website through your browser, you’ll usually enter an address that tells the browser where to go. It usually begins with “http” or “https”. Some popular examples of web addresses are https://facebook.com/ and https://www.google.com/. ![]() However, what we’re interested in is the latter part of those addresses: i.e., “google.com”. That’s the site’s domain name, and one of the first things you’ll do when building a website is to register one. This is what makes it possible for people to access your site easily on the internet. A unique and professional domain name can even help instill trust in your brand. You’ll usually start thinking about acquiring a domain name when you’re considering a new business idea or creating a new site. However, you could also buy domain names to hold on to them for future use or to resell them for a profit. If you’d like a domain-extension deep dive, check out our beginner’s guide to domain name registration. How Much Does a Domain Name Cost (And What Determines This Price)?The cost of a domain name will be affected by several factors. These can include:
You can expect to spend around $10 to $20 per year for most domain names. This can go up to $50 or more for some new TLDs — think extensions .best and .bio — while high-demand domains with TLDs like .game can cost a few hundred dollars. It’s also important to know that some web hosting services provide a free domain with the purchase of a hosting plan. On the other hand, certain domains with broad single-word names, such as hotels.com, business.com, insurance.com, and so on, have been known to sell for millions of dollars. These are premium domain names and won’t be sold by every registrar. Related: What’s My Domain Worth? How to Value Your Domain NameHow to Buy a Domain Name (5 Key Tips)There are a few things to consider when you’re in the market for a domain name. All of these can affect how much you’re likely to pay, so it’s best to be prepared for the most common scenarios in advance. 1. What to Do If the Domain Name You Want Is Already TakenIf your desired domain name is unavailable, you’ll need to decide how much using it is worth to you. You’ll likely have to spend a lot of money if you’re determined to buy it from the current owner. Because of the California Consumer Privacy Act and GDPR regulations from the European Union, it’s not quite as easy as it used to be to look up a domain owner’s contact information on the WHOIS directory. However, you can still use the directory to see the organization name related to the domain. ![]() Even if the owner has opted for full domain name privacy protection, their domain registrar should be able to help you connect with the domain owner via a third-party company, such as Tiered Access. This helps to ensure privacy for the domain owner. You should expect the process to take several days. Once you’ve made contact, the next step is to make an offer, either directly or through a domain name broker. For a fee of 15–20% of the transaction cost, a broker can assist in managing the negotiation process and provides protection for your money. Of course, you have other alternatives as well. You could use a different TLD, set up a domain lease, or search for a very similar name that is available. We’ll discuss some tips for doing that next! Related: Domain Wars: The Top 5 Ugliest Domain Disputes2. How to Find Available DomainsWhether you’re just starting to look or you need a replacement for an existing domain name, there are a few ways to explore your options. You might start by doing some brainstorming based on keywords that are related to your business or website. You’ll generally want to keep your domain name simple, to avoid misspellings and confusion. A search tool can come in handy here. You can enter your ideas in our domain search tool to learn about availability and pricing. You’ll also get suggestions for related domains, which can be helpful when your first choice is unavailable. ![]() This tool also enables you to move right on to the purchase phase if your desired name is available. Related: What Is Domain Privacy Protection?3. How to Choose the Best Domain Option for YouSome rules of thumb to keep in mind as you shop for a domain name are:
We used to caution against using symbols or numerals in your domain name, but several large organizations now successfully deploy hyphens and numbers in their URLs. Consider, for example, financial powerhouse deutsche-bank.com or 62.com, one of the largest domain registrars in China. Just remember: If you’re going to add a hyphen or numerals to your domain name, make sure it’s easy to remember. Of course, it can take some effort to settle on the right option. However, this upfront investment of time can pay off with a strong domain that benefits your site and never needs to be changed. 4. Where to Buy a Domain NameBuying a new domain, rather than one that’s already owned, will be the best option for most people. The domain registration and purchase processes vary a little based on what registrar you use but should be straightforward. Domain registrars are companies that manage and sell domain names. There are standalone registrars, but most hosting providers also sell domain names. For example, registering a domain here at DreamHost can be an easy and practical way to go. Since we’re both a domain registrar and a hosting provider, you can make your purchases together as a package. Related: Didn’t Buy Your Domain With DreamHost? The Domain Transfer Process, Explained5. Domain Name Fees to Watch Out forWhen buying a domain name, you’ll need to watch out for hidden fees. Certain fees can be nudged into the dark corners of a registrar’s terms of service. These might include:
It’s not uncommon for a registrar to offer a low price for the first year and then increase it upon renewal. And that’s not necessarily the registrar’s fault. For example, the price of .com is governed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and domain registries, such as VeriSign, must obey the law. Additionally, some registrars might offer discounts that only apply if your contract with them is long-term. This means you’ll need to ensure that your costs will remain relatively stable. You’ll also want to be wary of registrars that offer domain names for unusually cheap prices. These might charge high administration fees or manipulate your WHOIS information. Related: The Hidden Costs of Cheap DomainsDomain Name FAQsBefore we wrap up, let’s answer a few common questions about buying domain names. Do I need more than one domain name?This is more a business decision than a necessity. You only need one domain name for your website. However, you might want to buy multiple domains with spelling variants and redirect them to your site, just in case people misspell your main address. You might also have unique domain names for different aspects of your business to help your users find what they need more easily. An alternate domain can also serve as an easier-to-remember variant of the original domain. And if you’re in a business where the competition is stiff — say you’re running for elected office — it can be worth it to buy several variations of your domain (including ones that are not very flattering, ahem) so that the opposition can’t use them. What are the best TLDs?The best TLD is simply the most meaningful and appropriate one for your business. This means it depends on what you’re using your site for, as well as how much you can afford to spend. For most sites, .com or another popular option will suffice. However, a company might use a .info or .help domain for its knowledge base and .blog for its company blog. Another might also use .promo for handling discounts, .design for sharing digital assets, and .dev for its developers. How are domain names and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) related?It’s important to start thinking of ways to make your site search engine-ready from the outset. Since keywords are used by search engines for ranking your content, you might want to consider including a relevant keyword in your domain name. Keep in mind that Google’s algorithm is resistant to keyword-stuffing: the practice of cramming your domain name with keywords so as to rank higher than other websites. So don’t try to include multiple keywords in your domain as this can have a detrimental effect. The good news is your choice of TLD will not affect your ranking on Google. The search engine’s algorithm treats new TLDs (e.g. .xyz and .online) and legacy TLDs (e.g. .com and .org) equally. Related: The Top 11 SEO Best Practices for DomainsHow many domains can I host?You can host an unlimited number of domains on our Shared Unlimited and VPS hosting plans. You’ll also be able to create email addresses under each domain, set up forwarders to send emails to your main email account, and forward domains to existing websites. Our control panel also enables you to manage all your domains easily in one central location. Can I use my domain name for email, as well as for another site such as LinkedIn?Yes, you can set up email at your custom domain name and still have it point to sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Just as getting a professional domain name can help with your brand image, using it for email addresses and social media sites can do the same. Get Professional Email @yourdomainPromote your website with every message you send when you set up professional email with DreamHost. Plans start at $1.67/mo. ![]() Domain Pricing Made EasyIn addition to creating a hosting account, registering a domain name is one of the most important business decisions you’ll make. It offers you a way to maintain an online presence and increase visibility for your brand. However, it can take some effort to do the necessary due diligence, and ensure that you’re getting the best bang for your buck. In this post, we discussed some key considerations to keep in mind when shopping for a domain name. These include:
Ready to buy a domain name? With our domains, you can expect straightforward pricing, access to hundreds of unique TLDs, easy management, and more! The post How Much Does a Domain Name Cost? appeared first on Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge. from https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/domain-name-cost/
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If you want to build your own website, you can’t go wrong with WordPress. This flexible, powerful Content Management System (CMS) powers more than 37% of all sites on the internet, making it a leading platform. However, like a TSA agent, it can be intimidating at first glance. Fortunately, WordPress is much easier to understand than the airport’s ever-changing security protocol. With just a brief introduction, you’ll quickly find yourself able to create a stunning website in about five minutes. Plus, you can customize it to meet your exact needs and goals. And you don’t even have to take your shoes off! This article is a quick WordPress crash course, explaining what the platform is and why it’s so special. I’ll also give you an idea of what this CMS can be used for, then show you how to get started with DreamHost. To the boarding gate! Power Your Site with Managed WordPress HostingHassle-free, high-performance WordPress hosting can help you grow your business. Plans start at $16.95/mo. ![]() What Is WordPress?![]() WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS), a platform you can use to build and maintain a website without any knowledge of coding. This software enables you to customize just about every aspect of your site. The first version of WordPress was created in 2003 by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. It began as a simple platform designed for people who wanted to create basic blogs and host them on the internet. Over time, however, it’s grown into a flexible, powerful tool for creating almost any type of site. Before moving on, it’s important to make sure we’re on the same page. There are differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The former is a website builder where you can create and host a site for free. It’s simple to use but also limited in what it can do. WordPress.org is a more powerful platform, so we’ll be focusing on it for the rest of this article. What Makes WordPress Unique?![]() The first thing you need to understand about WordPress is that it is open-source software. If you aren’t familiar with the term, it means the platform isn’t restricted under copyright or trademark, and is freely available for anyone to download and modify (under what is called the GNU General Public License). What’s more, it means the WordPress Core is developed and maintained by a dedicated community. This is great news for you as a user for a variety of reasons:
The fact that WordPress is open-source has enabled it to develop a strong, diverse community of contributors and enthusiasts, who regularly gather at WordCamps around the globe. Remember that 37-percent-of-websites stat I threw at you earlier? It’s not a stretch to say WordPress is an incredibly popular platform, and that makes getting help when you need it easy. You can find plenty of online documentation, forums, WordPress-focused blogs, dedicated courses and resources (including our own DreamHost Academy) and much more. No matter what you’re trying to do, chances are someone else has done it before and can help you out. Of course, WordPress isn’t just for beginners! The beauty of the CMS is that it’s able to scale alongside its users. As you learn about the platform and acquire new technical knowledge and skills, you’ll be able to do more and more with WordPress. You can create and run a simple blog, but you can also design large, complex websites for businesses and online stores. With WordPress, the sky’s the limit! What Can You Do With WordPress?![]() WordPress began as a small, blogging-focused platform. This means it has a lot of features that lend themselves to blogs, and it’s perhaps the best solution you can find for that type of site. There’s an easy-to-use editor for creating posts, robust comments functionality, and much more. However, WordPress is no longer just for your personal blog. In fact, you can use it to create just about any type of site you can imagine. Here is just a small selection of the types of sites WordPress is ideal for:
Related: How to Set Up an Online Course on Your WordPress WebsiteIf you aren’t sure what type of site you want to create yet, you can always start small and scale up over time. It isn’t hard to begin with a simple blog, and turn it into a news or affiliate site whenever you’d like. You can also create a site that fulfills various roles — for example, a business website with an accompanying company blog, as well as a connected storefront to sell your products or services. While many of the sites listed above are made possible thanks to WordPress themes, plugins, and other tools, we’d be remiss not to mention the many features the platform offers out of the box that are useful to all types of sites. Chief among these is the central, user-friendly WordPress dashboard. This is a private admin area you log into, where you can control all aspects of your site from one place. ![]() The dashboard is also home to a flexible, easy-to-use editor that makes content creation a breeze. You get access to plenty of settings and customization options so you can make the site your own. Plus, WordPress is designed with performance, security, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in mind — crucial elements for practically every site regardless of its size or focus. Last but not least, WordPress offers a wealth of themes and plugins to personalize your experience. The Ultimate WordPress Crash CourseWhether you need help with WordPress development or writing your next blog post, we can help! Subscribe to our monthly digest so you never miss an article. ![]() How Do You Customize WordPress?![]() On its own, WordPress is a powerful but fairly basic website solution. You can make some changes to the way your site looks and acts, and if you’re comfortable with HTML and CSS, you can make just about any alterations you’d like. If you don’t have that level of technical proficiency, however, you can use themes and plugins to customize it to your exact needs. Themes are pieces of software you can download and install on your WordPress website, which change the way it looks. Using a theme, you can alter your site’s layout and appearance and even make some changes to its functionality. Some themes are general-purpose, making it possible for you to personalize your site to match your own style and branding. Others are specific to a particular type of website — so you can find themes perfect for blogs, online stores, portfolios, and just about anything else. Either way, themes usually provide access to a lot of pre-made elements you can mix and match to create a unique look, whether or not you’re a designer. Choosing a theme can be a difficult decision. Our WP Website Builder makes this task easier, providing over 200 top-quality options to choose from. It only takes a single click to install your favorite. Once you’ve installed your theme, you’ll be able to use the builder’s drag-and-drop tools to fully customize your website. There’s no coding or design skills needed! Related: How to Pick the Right WordPress Theme for Your WebsiteIn contrast to themes, plugins enable you to add new features and functionality to your site. You can find simple plugins that add only one new feature, such as a contact form or image gallery, or comprehensive options to make radical changes to the way your site functions. Using plugins, you can build a storefront, enhance security, optimize your site for search engines, create a forum or wiki, and much more. Whatever you’d like your site to do, chances are you can find a plugin to make it possible. To prove it, we’ve written many a plugin tutorial over the years:
There are a lot of places to find WordPress plugins and themes online. If you’re new to the platform, we’d recommend starting with the official Theme Directory and Plugin Directory. A few minutes spent browsing through these pages should give you a clearer idea for what WordPress is capable of with just a few modifications. How Should You Get Started With WordPress?Hopefully, by this point we’ve convinced you that WordPress is well worth trying out. Now what? Since WordPress is a self-hosted platform, there are a few steps involved in creating your first site. But don’t worry! The process isn’t that hard. For a birds-eye view of the process, check out the quick-start video above, then read through the steps below for a complete walkthrough. 1. Sign up for a Hosting PlanYou’ll need access to a web server — a place where your site’s data and files are saved, which can transmit information across the web to anyone who visits your domain name. This means purchasing a hosting plan. There are many types of plans available, depending on your particular needs and the kind of site you’re creating. One of the best choices you can make is to pick a quality, WordPress-specific hosting plan. ![]() Consider our own DreamPress plans, for example. We pre-install WordPress for you, so you can get your site up and running fast. These plans are also managed, which means we’ll take care of ensuring that your site performs well and runs securely — so you can focus on designing your content. If you choose the DreamPress Plus or Pro plans, you’ll also get Jetpack Professional. This is a comprehensive plugin that provides SEO and security features for free. If you’re on a tight budget, you could consider our Shared hosting plans. Starting at just $2.59/mo, these plans give you everything you need to get a site up and running without investing too much up front. As your site grows, you can always upgrade to a more robust DreamPress plan down the line. Whichever plan you choose, we’re happy to help you get set up and answer any questions you might still have about WordPress and web hosting. We have plenty of WordPress experts you can contact through a variety of channels, day or night. Once you’ve decided which hosting plan is right for you, add it to your cart and begin the checkout process. We recommend that you opt to have us install WordPress and enable WP Website Builder during registration (it makes building your site quickly much easier). ![]() Once you’ve paid for your plan, you’ll receive an email confirmation that includes the information you’ll need to get started. Related: How to Choose a Web Host (15-Point Checklist)2. Explore Your Control PanelOnce you’ve signed up for a hosting plan, you’ll want to get familiar with your control panel. You can start by logging in from the DreamHost user panel login page and having a look around. This control panel is where you’ll find all the tools you need to manage your website. ![]()
There are a couple of administrative tasks you’ll want to take care of right away. You’ll need to register a domain (if you didn’t do so during the checkout process) and make sure WordPress is installed. Later, you’ll also use this control panel to configure your website mail, add new users, and access your MySQL databases. 3. Register a DomainThis is the unique web address where your site will be hosted. Try to choose a domain that is unique and catchy but simple enough for visitors to easily remember. You can check to see if your desired domain is available (and buy it) from a domain registrar or a web hosting company. ![]() Once you have a domain and a hosting plan, it’s time to start building a site! If you opted to have us pre-install WordPress for you during your account registration, move on to step 4. If you didn’t, you can install WordPress manually, although many hosting providers will offer an easier solution. WordPress-specific hosts (like us!) often offer a one-click installation option. 4. Access and Customize Your SiteNow it’s time to actually build that website you’ve been dreaming about! WP Website Builder’s “getting started” wizard will be ready and waiting for you the first time you log in to your WordPress dashboard. This wizard, which was built by our friends at BoldGrid, will guide you through everything you need to do to get your site published and ready for visitors. ![]() First, you’ll pick out your theme using the Inspirations library. This is a massive collection of themes organized by industry. Each theme includes gorgeous demo content, which you can swap out for your own original content as needed. ![]() Once you’ve picked your favorite theme (and don’t worry, you can always change your mind later) you’ll choose which pages are installed and whether or not you want a blog on your site. You can keep it simple, or go with the ‘kitchen sink’ option to install all of the available pages. You can also check the responsiveness of your theme, to make sure it looks right on every device. Finally, you can give the wizard some information that it can use to fill out other areas of your site, such as your social media profiles. This section is optional, but it will save you a lot of time later on. ![]() After exiting the wizard, you’ll see your site’s pages on your WordPress dashboard. From there, you can further customize your pages using the drag-and-drop editing tools and pre-built design blocks. With the WP Website Builder, you’ll see your edits in real time, so you won’t have to blindly guess at what you’re changing. You’ll use these same tools to add content to your blog. If you feel like your website is missing features, you can start exploring plugins you may want to add. It’s okay to start small with this step. We recommend looking for a quality theme first, and then choosing a couple of plugins to add the features you want. You can always install more plugins over time as you need them. If you aren’t sure where to start, there are a handful of popular plugins that are a smart choice for almost any website. 5. Start Creating ContentThere are two main types of content in WordPress: posts and pages (although some themes and plugins add more options). Both use the same beginner-friendly editor, so you’ll find that putting together your first few pieces of content is a breeze. Don’t forget to include a contact page so visitors can get in touch! If you entered your contact information during the setup process, the WP Website Builder will automatically add it to your contact page. ![]() As you add content to your site, you’ll use the same drag-and-drop tools that made building your pages so simple. Plus, WP Website Builder will give you Search Engine Optimization (SEO) suggestions right on the page. This will help get more traffic to your beautifully-designed website! Related: How to Create a Content Marketing StrategyWordPress Course CompleteWordPress is popular largely because it’s a perfect solution for a wide variety of applications. Both beginners and seasoned developers can use it to create small blogs, booming e-commerce sites, and everything in between. What’s more, it is surprisingly simple to get started with! To create your first WordPress site, you’ll need to select a domain name and sign up for a hosting plan (we recommend DreamPress). Then you can install the platform and start customizing your site. With the WP Website Builder, this process is fast and easy. Choose a unique theme, add your pages, do some quick customization, and you’re ready to publish! The post Everything You Need to Know About WordPress: A 5-Minute Crash Course appeared first on Website Guides, Tips and Knowledge. from https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/wordpress-crash-course/ Decided to start your own website? That’s great! The first thing you will need is to choose a domain name and register it with one of the many available domain registrars on the web. You just find a great deal and click “purchase.” Simple enough, right? Not exactly. While you can find websites advertising domains for as low as 99 cents, those too-good-to-be-true deals usually are just that. Sneaky registrars have been known to lure first-timers with a crazy low price only to rope them into hidden costs later on. So what are some of the sneaky tactics that end up costing buyers extra money? And how can you avoid getting suckered in by a cheap deal that turns into an expensive headache? Allow me to explain. Then I’ll give you the tips you need to choose a domain at a price that won’t hurt your wallet. Your Great Idea Starts with a Domain NameDon’t let someone else register your URL. Search DreamHost’s 400+ TLDS to find the perfect fit for your website. ![]() 5 Sneaky Tactics Used by Cheap RegistrarsThere are many ways domain registrars can reel you in with the promise of a cheap domain, then flip the script on you. So it’s important to understand the tactics they use and how to spot red flags when registering a domain. Let’s take a look at five of the most common ways the world’s cheapest domain registration can become much more expensive than you expected. 1. Hidden FeesThe most common complaint that people have when registering a domain is the billing and renewal costs that are owed to domain registrars. “Auto-Renew” and “Transfer Out” fees are often the nasty culprits. Or you may discover that your registrar throws on an extra charge for not selecting the auto-renew option. You should be able to control whether or not you can auto-renew your domain, and your registrar should be transparent about auto-renewal options and the possible fees attached. Plus, if you want to transfer your domain name to another registrar, your current registrar may charge you a fee of two or three times what you initially paid for the domain. Many registrars rely on the fact that most users do not read the long, dense fine print that makes up their Terms of Service. Related: Didn't Buy Your Domain With DreamHost? Check Out These Domain Transfer Tips2. Initial DiscountsAfter an initial first-year discount for purchasing a domain name, you may encounter a situation where the price of renewing that domain is much higher. The fine print of some registrar’s contracts may lock you in for two or more years, and the second-plus year prices can increase drastically. Multi-year contracts can be beneficial if that is what you’re looking for, but make sure you know what you’re getting into prior to registration.
Actionable Insights in Your InboxWhether you need help finding a target audience, crafting the ideal digital marketing strategy, or understanding why domain name renewals so expensive, we can help! Subscribe to our monthly digest so you never miss an article. ![]() 3. WHOIS PrivacyWHOIS is an online public database that allows you to look up certain contact information about an individual, business or organization that registers a domain. Since each and every new domain must be registered with WHOIS, you must fill out the appropriate information needed before your domain is officially registered. During registration, you will probably want to keep this information private and inaccessible to the public. Because as we wrote about domain privacy in 2016, “Having an open registration system where anyone can see your home address seems like a colossally bad idea.” The good news is that most domain registrars do offer privacy protection. The catch? Some of them charge as much as $10 to $20 per year for this basic Internet must-have. Their explanation for this may be that you need to pay extra “admin fees” in order to access your WHOIS records. We’re not buying it, though. At DreamHost, we throw in WHOIS privacy for FREE whenever you register eligible TLDs with us. Did you catch that “eligible” thing? That’s an important caveat. That’s because registries — the folks in charge of a specific TLD for the entire world; not to be confused with a registrar like DreamHost — set their own requirements for domain owners. Some registries simply do not allow domain owners to list anything but their own contact details. For example, TLDs like .ca, .de, .eu, .io, and .us don’t allow WHOIS privacy to be enabled so make sure you’re aware of the limitations of your chosen domain before you plop down cash. One more important rule to remember: ICANN mandates a 60-day lock anytime you update your domain records. Instituted in December 2016, the transfer lock is designed to cut down on domain theft and fraud. But what if you’re a power user with multiple websites or you want to transfer ownership of the domain even though you’ve updated it recently? A lot of domain registrars can’t help you. At DreamHost, we’re not in the business of arbitrary restrictions. We give you the option to opt-out of this lock so you can always be the master of your domain. Related: A Beginner’s Guide to Domain Name Registration4. UpsellingA lot of times, domain registrars can reel you in with a simple offer: buy a cheap domain in two or three simple steps. Then the registrar proceeds to try to upsell you on a million different products and services — sometimes from unrelated paid sponsors — that you would never ever want or need. Screen after screen of ads clutters the buying experience and reveals the registrar’s true motive: sell cheap domains, collect sweet ad dollars. This is different than a registrar like DreamHost that sells domains and also offers quality web hosting. We do this because keeping your hosting plan and domain registration under one roof, figuratively speaking, is actually the easiest way to manage a website. Why? Because everything is consolidated in one easy-to-access account. But — and this is a big one — you don’t have to purchase hosting and a domain from your web host at the same time. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It’s your call! So make sure if a registrar is trying to upsell you on a package deal that you do your homework to ensure that the services are fairly priced before you hand over those credit card digits. 5. Costly Support ServicesErrors occur all the time in the inner workings of the web. Servers can go down, power can go out. Stuff happens, and when it does, you want your domain registrar to have an effective and intuitive support system. If your DNS is temporarily unresponsive or your domain email address is not working properly, you want to make sure you have a way of communicating with the people who are supposed to be able to help. Unfortunately, some registrars will actually charge additional fees to get support. They may even put restrictions on your account capabilities or try to charge you an extra yearly fee in order to access certain essential settings like your DNS and nameservers. Not cool. At DreamHost, you can chat with our support crew or look up domain how-tos in our Knowledge Base — no charge. Related: How to Choose a Web Hosting Provider — 15-Point ChecklistHere’s the DealObviously, not all domain registrars are out to get you. We don’t want to fear monger or scare you out of building your first website. The goal here is to educate you on the red flags to watch out for as you’re evaluating domain registrars. So with that in mind, let’s talk about how you can avoid these hidden costs and have a great domain-buying experience. Avoiding the Hidden Costs of Cheap DomainsPretty much all of the issues with “gotcha” price hikes of cheap domain names can be identified and avoided by simply researching your registrar and getting to the meat and potatoes of what they have to offer and how much their services actually cost. When you’re shopping for a domain — or anything online, really — remember the same rule you’d apply when shopping out in the real world. If a deal seems too good to be true, there probably is a catch. For example, you may be enticed by a $0.99 domain. But before you hit “register”, you’ve got to read the fine print.
Related: The Top 11 SEO Best Practices for DomainsHere’s What a Good Domain Registrar Looks LikeIn case you’re feeling overwhelmed with all of these what-to-avoid tips, we’ve simplified it down to a helpful checklist. Here are 5 key things a good domain registrar will do so you can go forth and choose a scam-free domain provider. 1. No Hidden FeesEverything that you pay for — from initial registration to the costs of any services — should be out in the open and easy to understand during sign-up. 2. Great Privacy FeaturesAs long as your TLD is eligible, you should have WHOIS privacy included with your registration. The registrar should also never sell or share your personal data with any third parties. 3. Upfront PaymentQuality registrars will pay the registry upfront for the specific period of time you have registered your domain. Once you finish the initial registration, your domain should be active and your account settings accessible. 4. WHOIS Privacy Email ServiceA good domain registrar should offer an email service from WHOIS at absolutely no cost to you. This is different than a full-fledged email service like Gmail. It is an automatically generated, public-facing email address that routes messages to your real email address without exposing it to the public. 5. Great (Free) SupportA representative from your registrar’s support team should be prompt in responding to your queries and not overly persistent with advertising any additional services they may offer. And support shouldn’t cost you any extra dollars and cents. Related: The Complete Guide to New Top-Level Domains (TLDs)The Most Important Thing When Domain ShoppingIt’s actually pretty simple: Think long-term. Don’t settle for cheap gimmicks, flashy fonts, or insanely low prices. Consider how much having and maintaining a domain name is going to cost you down the road. You may not be getting a big discount at the start of registration, but you will certainly be saving money in the long run if you go with a domain registrar that is ethical, fairly priced, and upfront about extra costs and support. So are you ready to buy a domain name and get started on your new website? DreamHost is here to help. We’ve got everything you need to get your new site going, including simple domain registration and robust shared hosting plans. Check out our 400+ available TLDs today! The post The Many Hidden Costs of Insanely Cheap Domains appeared first on Website Guides, Tips and Knowledge. from https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/hidden-costs-of-cheap-domains/ These days, anyone can build a stellar website. Fun fact: There are more than 1 billion websites around the world, with new ones created every second. Among all that internet noise, your website and ideas deserve to stand out. And that means you’ve got to advertise! Fight to get your name and brand out there and then draw visitors to your site. But what if you’re on a budget? You’re in luck! Effectively promoting your new website can be done on the cheap. Experiment with these free and inexpensive website promotion ideas and watch the traffic roll in! Promoting Your Website?Make sure your website is fast, secure, and always up so your visitors trust you. DreamHost plans start at $2.59/mo. ![]() 1. SEO KeywordsWhen you are looking for the answer to a question or solution to a problem, your first resource is probably Google. Google searches can be a powerful source of website traffic – if you play your cards right. When your potential customers search for something on Google, they aren’t likely to look down past the top two or three results. So your goal is to get keyword searches related to your website to show up near the top. That’s where search engine optimization ( or SEO strategy) comes in. SEO is the science/art of increasing your website’s visibility in organic search engine results. You can do this by filling your pages with key phrases that people are likely to search for. SEO is a basic but essential method of bringing traffic to your website; without it, your website can get lost among the thousands of voices clamoring for your visitors’ attention. You can improve your website’s search result rankings by doing things like creating and editing quality content to include key search phrases and increasing your linkbacks – the number of links your website gets from other sites. Backlinks are especially important to your Google rankings, as they demonstrate the popularity of your website. Use Google AdWords keyword planner to find keywords related to your website and get stats on how often they are searched in your target market. Use this insider info to plan your content to draw in organic search engine traffic. Learn how to utilize this tool, and you may discover a few new keywords to power up your content. While SEO can be cost-effective — if you do the work yourself, you won’t have to pay anything for it — optimizing your website for search engines is definitely not a quick fix. It can take time to master SEO methods and to optimize your website, and it can take some time to build links, optimize pages, and determine which keywords bring in new visitors. You might consider hiring or contracting with an SEO marketing expert if your budget permits or invest your time in learning the tricks yourself. Related: 13 Simple Ways to Boost SEO on Your WordPress Website2. Pay Per ClickPay-per-click (PCC) advertising is another method to make Google work for you — albeit one that takes a bit of cash. Basically, instead of leaving your website’s search engine rankings to chance, you’ll create an ad and pay a fixed price for every click your ad gets when it shows up on a Google search or website. Your goal is to convert clicks into customers, hopefully seeing a strong return on investment. Google AdWords has no specific spending requirement, so you can easily keep within your budget and focus on your ROI. 3. Email MarketingEmail marketing is a tried-and-true tool for communicating with your customers and finding and retaining new ones. It essentially involves collecting the email addresses of any and every potential customer and then sharing content — newsletters, promotions, discounts, and information — as a way of building relationships. Email marketing can draw past visitors back to your website by sharing new content or promotions. The best part about this tool? An amazing average ROI of $44 to every dollar spent. ![]() Related: Build an Email List With Your WordPress Website in 3 Simple Steps4. BloggingIntegrate original, relevant blog content into your website. It’s a prime place to include SEO-optimized keywords and build a following of loyal readers who will come back for more. Include videos, photos, and graphics , and encourage readers to share posts they love. Once you’ve mastered your own blog , look to others in your niche market. Search out blogs that accept guest blogging pitches. Peruse their posts, take a look at their submission guidelines, and polish up a pitch to send over. If your pitch is accepted, make sure to include a link to your website in your bio to send traffic your way. Last but not least, leaving thoughtful and insightful comments on the blogs you follow, especially influential ones in your field, is a great way to get noticed by blog writers and their readers. Make sure you include a link to your website or share specific content related to the post you are commenting on. Related: From the Experts: 20 Great Blogging Tips for 20205. Create Your Own InfographicsInfographics are clickable and shareable. They are great sources of backlinks to your site, and they are can be simple to make on websites like infogr.am and Canva. When designing infographics and incorporating them into your site, keep your entire audience in mind; make sure the graphics are accessible to all users. 6. Reciprocal LinkingThe more sites that link to yours, the more important search engines will assume you to be — and the higher your website will rank in search results. Including a link to another site in exchange for them including a link to yours can build traffic and post search engine juice, particularly when done with reputable sites relevant to your business and content. Related: How to Create a Link Building Strategy7. RetargetingOne of the greatest frustrations for small online businesses is seeing the majority of their traffic leave without making a purchase. Retargeting advertising uses cookies to create ads on other sites that will lure your website visitor back to your website. After you’ve put so much into getting people to your business website, it might be worth the extra buck to get them back. 8. Signature BrandingCreate a fun, appealing, and recognizable signature for your email, blog posts, or even photos, videos, and shareable content. This is a great way to get people to recognize and understand your brand — and to draw their eyes to your URL. 9. Facebook AdsThe most effective advertising reaches people where they are most of the time. And for millions of Americans across all demographics, that place is their Facebook page. If you have a limited advertising budget for your website and are looking to generate a great ROI, a Facebook ad is a great bet. You can create a targeted ad that reaches users based on location, age, gender, interests, and even options like friends of current followers or people who like specific pages. Like Google AdWords, you can set a budget and either pay for clicks or pay when people see your ad. ![]() 10. Facebook Pages and GroupsIt doesn’t cost a cent to create social media accounts for your website or small business . Facebook groups and business pages will help you interact with your followers, build a community, and share your content. Put a little bit of green behind your posts to push them to the top of your follower’s feeds so you can make sure your voice is heard, and encourage sharing by offering competitions, discounts, or giveaways to any Facebook fan who shares your posts or tags a friend. And don’t forget to look beyond Facebook: Other platforms will also help you connect and share. It isn’t necessary to have an account on every social media platform; stick with the ones popular with your audience, and don’t be afraid to experiment with newer forms of social media. Your social media presence should be something that’s always evolving. You’re Cordially InvitedJoin DreamHost’s Facebook group to connect with like-minded website owners and get advice from peers and experts alike! ![]() 11. Instagram Story![]() Instagram stories appear continuously above users’ feeds. Create Instagram stories to engage your followers — make sure your branding is clear and your message succinct and memorable, as these posts are short and disappear after 24 hours — or use paid ads, which will appear alongside posts. Related: 17 Ways to Build a Massive Following on Instagram for Your Website12. Pinterest![]() Pinterest is the social network of things and ideas. If your website’s focus is artistic, crafty, style, or anything visual or DIY, you should have been on Pinterest yesterday. Create boards and fill them with pins to share your style, establish your expertise, and find your people – and promote your website’s content . If your audience gravitates to this platform, consider budgeting a little extra to promote your pins and build brand awareness. 13. LinkedIn
Related: How to Create a Company Page on LinkedIn to Promote Your Small Business14. Connect with Micro-InfluencersMaybe your business isn’t quite big enough for a celebrity endorsement. But how about a “mini-celebrity” in your field? Connect with micro-influencers — people on social media with a small circle of influence and high levels of engagement from their niche followers. Micro-influencers generally charge affordable fees for sponsored posts and may even choose to promote you for free if you send product samples. 15. Google My Business
Wondering How to Advertise Your Website?We've got content for that! Join our monthly newsletter so you never miss an article. ![]() 16. Bing Places![]() Google may be the big kid on the block, but, believe it or not, other search engines and directories exist, and people — maybe your potential customers — use them too. Don’t forget to list your business with Bing Places, another freebie website promotion tool. 17. Yellow Pages
18. Other Online DirectoriesEvery link helps, right? The internet is filled with free online business directories. Once you’ve checked off the ones we’ve already mentioned, go to town with any others. But make sure to never pay for a basic listing — even Google, where you will likely get more exposure, offers directory space for free. These sites will get you started: Local.com, Simply Worthy, eLocal, Manta, Insider Pages, and Moo-Directory. 19. Submit to Search EnginesWhen you create your website or add new content, within a week or so, it will be found and indexed by major search engines and show up in search results. If you are anxious to be indexed sooner (or want to check and double-check that your site is found), you can manually submit URLs for free to Google, Bing, and Yahoo (Yahoo uses the same Search Engine as Bing. Great news, submission to Bing means submission to Yahoo). If you want to submit to multiple search engines at the same time, including some of the lesser-used sites, a website like Submit Express will submit your website to dozens of search engines for free — and yes, Google is one of them. Here are a few more submission sites to check out: Entire Web, SubmitX, and So Much. Related: 7 Steps to Identify a Target Audience for Your Online Business20. Webmaster AccountsSet up webmaster accounts with both Google and Bing, ideally as soon as you set up your website. Doing so makes sure your site is indexed with them and will be included in their search results, and it will allow them to communicate with you about any problems or recommendations for your website. Also, there’s something satisfyingly ego-stroking about calling yourself a “webmaster.” 21. Yelp
22. BacklinksWhenever another site, especially an established site, publishes a link to your website, it’s more likely that your site will be found by search engines. Links back to your site are called, appropriately, backlinks. Just one link back should be enough to ensure your site is found, but the more backlinks, the more prestigious search engines assume it to be — and the better your rankings. An easy way to get a backlink is to make a comment on a popular blog, ideally a respected one in your field. Most blogs will let you include a link to your own site with your comment. 23. Quora![]() Like Yahoo Answers, Quora is a searchable online place for people with questions and people with answers to mingle. Follow, ask, and answer questions in your area of interest, and include the address of your blog in your profile and answer credentials. You can include links to your blog in answers you write, but do so with caution: Quora will block answers filled with links as spam, and blatant self-promotion will garner no respect (or upvotes). 24. Help a Reporter Out![]() Press coverage of your business will help get your name out there and establish you as an expert in your field. Get media attention by registering with Help a Reporter Out, a free database that connects reporters from legitimate outlets to sources they can interview for their articles. It’s a win-win: The journalists get the scoop and you get press coverage — plus a chance to link to your site if the story is published online. After you register, you’ll receive source requests relevant to your industry three times per day and can then pitch your expertise to the reporter. Related: How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy25. YouTube![]() Creating videos and uploading them to YouTube can spread your content (and links to your website) around YouTube itself — and from there, Google will index and make searchable your content. You can embed it in your blog and share on your social media accounts, and so can other users. Don’t stress about the pressure to go viral; while an admirable goal, a video doesn’t need two million views to be effective. Make sure the description links to your website, and include a call to action in the video — ideally one that takes viewers to your website. YouTube videos can also help you generate a bit of cash. Additionally, if you’re already making videos, consider creating ads to run with others’ videos for a potentially satisfying ROI. Related: How to Start a YouTube Channel26. Reddit![]() Reddit is probably the king of social bookmarking. The self-styled “front page of the internet,” Reddit allows users to submit stories, images, videos, etc., from across the internet, and other users can either upvote or downvote these submissions. While the site is a great driver of internet traffic, the Reddit community generally frowns upon users who only share their own content. Become an active user and regularly share and interact with other posts, along with posting your own content. Be warned: Redditors are a tough crowd so don’t be discouraged if your posts flop or garner a negative comment to two. 27. Digg
Digg can be a little bit tricky as it is dominated by a handful of influential users who control which stories make it to the homepage and which get lost in the crowd. If your story makes it, it can drive a huge amount of traffic. As with Reddit, it’s essential to become active on the network and avoid digging and submitting only your own stuff. 28. Product Hunt
29. Medium![]() While platforms like Instagram are great for photographers and fashion stylists, Medium is the platform for readers. Anyone can write and publish a story or blog post on Medium, and other users find, comment, applaud, and interact with articles and authors. Even if you have your own blog, networking and publishing on Medium (post unique content, not rehashes of posts from your blog) to increase visibility for your business and attract more traffic to your site. 30. Use Expert SourcesTo give your content an authoritative boost, contact and interview experts in your field. Your own list of five ways to bug-proof your garden may draw clicks, but up that to ten tips from a long-time organic farmer, and you’ve got a shareable post that lends credibility to your entire site. If your sources include well-known names that boast a sizable following of their own, you may draw their fans to your site. Let your sources know when you publish, and you may get a digital shoutout. The post 30 Inexpensive Ways to Promote Your Website appeared first on Website Guides, Tips and Knowledge. from https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/cheap-ways-to-promote-your-website/ Ever since she can remember, Michelle S. Loyd has loved writing — in all its forms. “Writing has always come naturally to me and is one of my favorite ways to pass the time,” she says. “I find myself taking notes and writing things down in the weirdest situations in preparation for a new article, post, or social media update.” It makes perfect sense that Loyd is now a freelance writer, social media influencer, and digital gamechanger. As the owner and founder of msloydwrites — a freelance writing, blogging, and marketing agency — she provides services for local and international brands. You’re Cordially InvitedJoin DreamHost’s Facebook group to connect with like-minded website owners and get advice from peers and experts alike! ![]() Finding a PathBut it wasn’t always that way. Before launching her own business, she worked for some of America’s biggest brands, including AAA, Verizon Wireless, and Apple Inc. “While it wasn’t my destiny to stay with any of these companies, my time at each company taught me a lot about the business world and customer experience,” Loyd says. “I also made a few lifelong friends along the way.” Ultimately, her heart wasn’t in her work, and she wanted to change that. “Since I love writing so much and I kept hearing from strong business leaders that you should love what you do, it finally dawned on me that I wasn’t doing what I loved,” Loyd says. “So, I changed my career and began freelance writing in 2016. Apple was the last company that I officially worked for before opening msloydwrites.” Her experience prepared her for launching her own business. The most important things she learned were how to operate a business in a virtual environment and use metrics to make business decisions. Loyd’s degrees also helped; she holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Southern Illinois University and a graduate degree in human resource management with a concentration in information systems management. Related: How to Create a Freelance Writer Website That Actually Gets You Writing GigsThe self-described “digital nomad” is currently based in the Golden Isles of south Georgia, located just south of Savannah, and considered one of the state’s best-kept secrets. “I’ve had the pleasure of learning more about the history of the area and discovering more about my roots and myself in the process,” Loyd says. “As an African-American woman, I have a deep interest in the history of South Georgia.” Many cities there have strong ties and date back to the original roots of American slavery. She was amazed to learn that in this part of the country, there are still direct descendants of the original West African Slaves brought over during the Atlantic Slave Trade called “Geeches” or “Gullah.” But her favorite part of the Golden Isles is the breathtaking ocean views from the barrier islands. At Your ServiceThrough msloydwrites, Loyd provides freelance writing and marketing-related services online. Clients use her services for everything from ghostwriting to blogging, Twitter marketing, and consulting. “My clients are small businesses, startups, and individual entrepreneurs who need help creating or enhancing their content marketing strategy,” Loyd says. “I create engaging content based on research and fact-checking that is targeted for each industry. I specialize in providing quality web content for blogs and social media sites that are focused on mental health awareness, psychology research and innovation, online therapy and telemedicine effectiveness, customer relations/customer experience, and small business consulting.” Lately, the bulk of her work has been on writing mental health and psychology-related content for leading online therapy providers and developing new affiliate relationships. “The topic of psychology and mental health has always been important to me,” Loyd says. “I’ve always wanted to be able to contribute to the healing of others as it relates to mental health. Even when I was young, I could see that not enough emphasis was placed on education, research, and developing realistic treatment options. As an anxiety sufferer myself, I know that living with mental health challenges can be difficult — even debilitating in some cases. As a result, I do my best to make sure I’m doing my part by sharing fact-checked education and resources for people suffering with chronic mental health symptoms. I try to create clear and factual content that helps people get connected with the resources and support they need to improve the quality of their mental health. I figure that helping on at least a small scale can make a difference.” Meet More Awesome Site OwnersSubscribe to DreamHost’s monthly newsletter for inside scoops, expert tips, and Q&As with successful online entrepreneurs. ![]() Social StudiesLike many other small business owners, Loyd uses her social media and marketing skills to promote her own business. She regularly engages with her followers on Twitter via updates, polls, and inspirational quotes, to name a few. “I’m an active presence on Twitter where I share, learn and network with experts, influencers, and other like-minded professionals,” Loyd says. “Talking to people who share similar interests and ideas makes it easy for me to organically find new leads and partners to work with. I use my social media platform and website to share relevant, engaging, and useful information with my followers and other like-minded professionals.” Pushing herself to grow and evolve her own business has had both professional and personal payoff for Loyd. “I’m a huge nerd,” she says. “So, outside of exceeding the expectations of my clients and inspiring others, the most rewarding part of my business has been getting to learn and experiment with so much new technology! It’s weird to go from being a customer to learning how a business works from the inside. I love all the apps, tools, gadgets, and widgets I get to play with at work now.” Related: The 7 Best Web Management Tools for Small BusinessesShe’s learned many lessons along the way with msloydwrites. “One thing I think that every business owner should know is a tip that I took from working at Apple, and that is: Even in business, you don’t have to know it all,” Loyd says. “It may seem strange to say, but we try to seem knowledgeable and keep so much information in our heads on so many topics, that we forget to leave room for learning new ways of doing things. This includes innovation and improvements. As long as the internet and Google are available and you know how to use your resources, everything you ever needed to know is available at the click of a button. Take it easy on yourself.” Host with the MostHaving the right tech and tools at her fingertips has been crucial to Loyd’s business expansion. “Speaking of apps and tools, DreamHost is actually one of the latest additions to my toolbox,” she says. “I initially started my blog on the WordPress.com platform and DreamHost was featured there. I always kept it in the back of my mind for when I was ready to host my own domain as my business began to scale. Once I learned the ins and outs of WordPress, I tried hosting with another provider.” While their hosting services were OK, the pricing was confusing, and they didn’t have nearly enough options to meet her needs. She became frustrated and remembered that years ago, she had told herself she would give DreamHost a try. She switched her hosting over to DreamHost and has been very happy with the service ever since. “I’m also my own webmaster, so simplicity in a hosting provider is mandatory,” Loyd says. “I’m satisfied with the price, integrations, and features, and I’ve had zero issues with uptime on my website. ![]() One of Loyd’s favorite things about DreamHost is the user interface because it’s clean and provides clear instructions on completing everyday tasks related to managing her website. Even transferring her domain and selecting a hosting package was a cinch. “The one-click WordPress install made it easy for me to deploy and access my self-hosted WordPress website in just a matter of minutes after setup,” Loyd says. “Easy-to-follow support guides help me navigate and manage hosting features of my DreamHost account as a self-service option. I’ve never had a major issue with my hosting-related services. DreamHost offers a solid hosting package at an affordable price. As long as things continue to progress with DreamHost as smoothly as they have so far, I plan to be a lifelong customer.” We’ll Support Your DreamWhatever your business goals, we’ll be right there with you, making sure your website is fast, secure, and always up. Plans start at $2.59/mo. ![]() Tech TalkLoyd’s website is, of course, an integral part of her business. “My website makes it easy for me to showcase my work, my personality, and to describe my business in a nutshell for new clients, customers, and people who just want to know more about what I do,” Loyd says. She also created her site to share updates, news, and business tips with writers, marketers, and other small business professionals to make it easier for them to succeed. “I’ve been working on the ‘community’ feature of the site that includes forums and chat rooms for writers, marketers, and small business professionals to meet and chat about some common business questions, issues, and tips,” Loyd says. “When it’s complete I hope to have a ‘virtual water cooler’ environment. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I do as much networking and shopping as I can online.” To keep her website fresh, she uses quite a few technologies and products. “I’m looking for a simple solution to integrate everything,” Loyd says. “I recently started using Salesforce essentials, which seems to be doing a really awesome job of bringing things together!” Other tools she uses are WordPress for blogging, Crowdfire, and Zoho Social for social media management, as well as Google Docs and Sheets for word processing, writing blog posts, creating documents, and easy file sharing. “I have a comprehensive list of resources on my website that talks more about the products and services that I use to power it.” Related: How This Writer Set up a DreamHost Site in Under an HourBack to the FutureLoyd aims to continue expanding both her business and her website. “I plan to keep learning, growing, sharing great content, and keeping up with the pace of technology as things change,” she says. “I hope that one day msloydwrites will be a source of information and inspiration for people who are looking for writing and content marketing services to increase their brand presence online. I also hope to become a central hub for other writers, marketing professionals, and small business owners to communicate and share information and best practices. It makes me feel great to be able to share relevant information and tips that can help another writer or a small business have an easier time. As long as I am inspiring people in one way or another through my work, I feel like I’m making a difference.” The post Corporate Gigs to Freelancer Freedom: How msloydwrites Made the Switch appeared first on Website Guides, Tips and Knowledge. from https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/customer-spotlight-msloydwrites/ Let’s face it, ladies. The tech industry has been a boy’s club for far too long. But times are a-changin’! Even though women have a long history in the industry, it’s taken decades to get a seat at the table. Today we’re developers, team leads, and CEOs. Of course, there are still miles to go in the march for equality. But with women around the world raising their voices to make tech companies more inclusive, it’s hard not to get just a teensy bit excited for the next generation of female go-getters. If you want to be a part of this positive change — and help other women succeed alongside you — you’ll need a game plan. We’ve got you covered. Looking beyond Sheryl Sandburg’s Lean In (required reading for aspiring women in any field), we’ve rounded up 10 must-read books, blogs, and more for women in tech. Add these to your reading list (or blog feed) for a dose of tech news, opinions, career and leadership advice, and solidarity from women like you. Related: The State of Women in Tech15 Must-Reads for Women in Tech1. Innovating Women: The Changing Face of Technology![]() “Where are all the women?” This is the question technology and entrepreneurship researcher Vivek Wadhwa considered at the TechCrunch Crunchies Awards in 2009 — at the nudging of his wife, Tavinder, who was the first of the two to notice a deep gender gap at the Oscars of the tech world. Inspired by that experience, Wadhwa joined forces with journalist Farai Chideya and set out to take a look at women in tech (and the lack thereof), the challenges they face, and why they are needed in the field in their book, Innovating Women. Yeah, our first women-in-tech book recommendation originated with a man. But don’t worry! Acknowledging that he wasn’t exactly qualified to speak from the heart on this issue (and wanting to avoid mansplaining), he crowdsourced funding and worked with female contributors, ranging from former Google VP Megan Smith to venture capitalists to startup CEOs to middle managers. A collection of stories, interviews, and essays from hundreds of leaders around the world in STEM careers, the book shares the experiences of various women in technology and entrepreneurship. It’s also a book about innovation and an exploration of the most creative (female) minds in the field. It shows what women are doing to close the gender gap in the field, what contributions women are making in their fields, offers encouragement and advice to women who want to enter and succeed in tech, and shares how women tackle an unbalanced work environment. It’s a great read if you’re looking for a feel-good book that shares inspiring stories and ideas. 2. Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur![]() If you’re a lady with an entrepreneurial itch, Girl Code is your book, whether you want to build a side hustle or the next social media empire. But don’t read for advice on how to start up a startup or how to create and run your business — author Cara Alwill Leyba digs a little deeper into the foundations of what makes a good entrepreneur, and specifically, a good and successful female entrepreneur. She takes a look at how to build confidence, brush yourself off after failure, ignore the haters, and avoid jealousy of other people’s success. Central to her book is the importance of women supporting other women in their goals and entrepreneurial endeavors.
The ultimate girl-power guide for entrepreneurs written with a “girlfriend-to-girlfriend” voice, Girl Code is full of helpful advice and support for your entrepreneurial endeavors. DreamHost Takes Inclusivity SeriouslyWe regularly report on diversity, accessibility, and representation in the tech industry. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter so you never miss an article. ![]() 3. The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took Measure of the StarsYou’ve probably seen (or read) Hidden Figures, the story of the Black women who worked as “computers” for NASA, running the math that powered the first rocket launches that sent astronauts to the moon. The Glass Universe runs in a similar vein: think ladies, space, science, and an unhealthy dose of gender bias. Author Dava Sobel highlights the sadly unknown and under-appreciated role of women in the history of science by exploring the lives and legacies of women who worked in the Harvard College Observatory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These students — math whizzes, astronomy buffs, physics majors — were among the few women at the time to have the opportunity to work in science and technology. Their contributions included groundbreaking work in studying, documenting, and photographing the stars in the night sky and lead to the creation of the first academic fellowships and research grants for women in the sciences. The struggles of these women in a male-dominated field — much more lopsided than it is today — will feel familiar. But more than that, this book will make you immensely grateful for all the brave women who paved the way for your generation and mine. 4. Hardball for Women: Winning at the Game of BusinessHardball for Women For example, an assertive man may be rewarded, while an assertive woman may be considered lacking in social skills. Because advice given to and by men may not always be helpful to a woman looking to advance in her career, author Tammy Hughes tailors leadership guidance specifically for women. While not specifically focused on technology fields, Hardball is written for women who work in male-dominated careers — or, at least, a male-dominated office. The author coaches women who want to get ahead in their careers and develop leadership skills to be aware of gender biases and how men and women behave differently in the workplace, and how to use that information to their advantage. Hughes aims to help women promote themselves and use language, verbal and nonverbal to be assertive and effective in communicating. Overall, this book looks at the challenges men and women face in working with each other and how they can work together to create a balanced workplace culture. 5. SheGeeks.net
For an introduction to her style and ethos, check out her post about inclusion in technology and browse around her Instagram and Twitter accounts. In 2009 Raven was named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Technology, and she’s worked in social media and more with General Motors, FastCompany, and TED. Check out SheGeeks for no-nonsense reviews of new technology, social media how-tos to beef up your online presence, and for easy-to-read articles you can forward to your non-techie friends (and hopefully help another woman spark interest in the field). Related: 30 Ways to Be an Ally for Women in Tech6. Women of Silicon Valley![]() Inspired by the on-the-street photos and meaningful interview snippets of Humans of New York, college student Lea Coligado set out to find the female powerbrokers of Silicon Valley. On “Women of Silicon Valley,” hosted on both Medium and Facebook, Coligado interviews women professionals in technology, uncovering surprising anecdotes and advice — and sometimes showcasing the good, the bad, and the ugly of the real world of women in tech. For example: Pinterest’s Tracy Chou described facing “blatant sexism . . . so outright as to be comical,” while Sara Mauskopf of Postmates described becoming the first woman at her company to have a baby: “Now that I’m pregnant, I am more driven than ever to make something of myself, if for no other reason than to prove it can be done . . . working with such awesome and supportive colleagues definitely makes my ‘trailblazing’ easier and enjoyable.” Quick-to-read Q&A profiles are posted regularly, so be sure to look through the archives and give Women of Silicon Valley a follow — and maybe submit a friend for consideration to be featured on the blog. 7. Women in Tech: Take Your Career to the Next Level with Practical Advice and Inspiring Stories![]() This book starts readers off with a sad statistic: in 1984, 38 percent of computer science degrees were awarded to women. Not too shabby for the “olden days.” But fast forward to 2010, and that number dropped to 10 percent. While other fields like law and medicine are attracting more women, the tech field, says author Tarah Wheeler Van Vlack, is failing. She blames (spoiler alert) a cultural unconscious gender bias, and sets out to do her part to make the tech industry more appealing and less mysterious for women. Women in Tech combines practical career advice and personal stories from female entrepreneurs and tech professionals to motivate, inspire, and show women what a career in the field is like and how to succeed in it. Guest writers include Brianna Wu of Giant Spacekat and Angie Chang of Women 2.0 (another women-in-tech blog worth a follow). Geared toward women who are considering jumping into tech, this book is a great read if you are just launching your career, or if you are looking for a boost further up the career ladder. Or you may want to get a few copies of this book to pass on to your mentees or women you want to encourage into the field. Bonus: this book started off on a Kickstarter campaign — it doesn’t get too much geekier than that! 8. The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage
Ada Lovelace, born in 1815, was the only legitimate daughter of the poet Lord Byron — and one of the first computer scientists. Her mother, determined to make sure Ada never became a head-in-the-clouds poet like her father, had her tutored solely and extensively in science and math. At age 17, Lovelace teamed up with Charles Babbage and envisioned a machine that can calculate and envision anything — numbers, music, words — and she even wrote a sample computer program for it. While the machine was never built, her notes were referenced by engineers creating the first computer. In The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, author Sydney Padua turns Lovelace’s story into an exciting graphic novel that’s mostly accurate — well, other than envisioning an alternate ending in which the duo succeed in building their computer, which never actually happened. This steampunk-esque novel is an adventure through the early history of modern tech — and while it takes liberties with reality (ahem), it’s filled with notes that keep you grounded in the “real” history. Interested in a more straightforward history featuring the pioneering work of Lovelace? Walter Issacson’s The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution frames a history of the tech world with Lovelace’s story, tracing its influence to the present day. 9. Tech Diversity Files![]() As a woman, do you ever feel a bit out of place in so-called “tech culture”? Tech Diversity Files is a blog about inclusivity in tech hosted on Medium with a handful of contributors, all looking to expand the vision of a programmer or coder as a twenty-something white male living off Hot Pockets and foosball. Women in the tech field might start with this article by entrepreneur, professor, and developer Rachel Thomas. The gender disparity in tech is not, she argues, a pipeline problem, but because it’s a field that can be genuinely hostile to women who make it there. She describes how she fell in love with programming — but not with “tech culture,” so much that she considered leaving the field, which “would have been devastating, but staying was tough.” Thomas continues: “I’m not the stereotypical male programmer in his early 20s looking to ‘work hard, play hard.’ I do work hard, but I’d rather wake up early than stay up late, and I was already thinking ahead to when my husband and I would need to coordinate our schedules with daycare drop-offs and pick-ups.”
Check out Thomas’s article for stats, problems, and solutions for both men and women to help close the gap — and make sure to poke around and follow the rest of Tech Diversity Files for conversation and stories about inclusivity in tech. Related: 3 Ways to Debug Tech’s Diversity Gap10. Recode.net![]() Where do you go for the latest in tech news? Mashable, Gizmodo, and Wired are great sources — and regularly tackle issues of gender and inclusivity in the field, and they feature female writers and bloggers. But if you haven’t already, add Recode.net to your list. While not specifically geared just for women, its founder and executive editor, Kara Swisher, is a powerhouse woman in the tech world. Swisher is a longtime tech journalist who previously wrote articles and a tech column for the Wall Street Journal. After leaving the Wall Street Journal, Swisher founded Recode as a source for tech news. She’s the tech writer most followed by other US techies, so adding her work to your regular reading list would put you in good company. And while not technically the written word, don’t forget to check out Swisher’s podcast, Recode Decode, for more news, interviews, and discussion. 11. Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change
As the former interim CEO of Reddit, Pao is also credited for forcefully trying to change the company’s status quo, banning revenge porn and unauthorized nude photos on the social platform and shutting down parts of Reddit over online harassment. Not only that, Pao helped found Project Include, an award-winning nonprofit aimed at promoting more diversity and inclusion in tech. Named “the face of change” by Time magazine, Pao is an author to follow if you want ideas on how to build a more inclusive future in Silicon Valley (and beyond). Related: The State of Women in Tech12. Pivot: The Only Move That Matters is Your Next One
A former career development program manager at Google, Blake uses the Pivot Method to show you how to find new opportunities and use what’s already working for you to guide your next career move. Want to eventually be your own boss? This book will guide you in transitioning from your current gig to a new, more adventurous opportunity — as long as you’re willing to pivot. Winner of the Axiom Best Business Books award in the careers category, Pivot led to the Pivot Podcast, listed by CNBC as a top career advice podcast and named one of the top 20 female-hosted business podcasts by Entrepreneur. These days on the podcast, you can find Blake chatting about the COVID-19 crisis in the series “Pivoting Around a Pandemic.” 13. STEMinist.com![]() Created by software developer Ann Hoang in 2010, STEMinist.com features profiles on women in — you guessed it — Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math. After reading an editorial in Glamour magazine in 1997 entitled “Women, wake up about computers!”, then 21-year-old Hoang registered for Computer Science 101 and taught herself how to build a website. The intersection of social justice and tech inspired Hoang to take action — STEMinist aggregates stories of women in STEM with the hopes to “increase the visibility of women in STEM; promote and elevate the perspective of women in these traditionally underrepresented fields; encourage younger women and girls to pursue careers in STEM; capture a social media snapshot of what’s trending for women in STEM.” Although there hasn’t been a new STEMinist profile in a couple of years, it’s still easy to get lost in the multitude of fascinating and insightful interviews with women from all over the country. Featuring everyone from student researchers to data scientists to engineers and entrepreneurs, these profiles highlight women’s top accomplishments, biggest inspirations, advice for future STEMinists, and lots more. 14. BlackWomenTalkTech.com![]() Black Women Talk Tech was founded in 2017 by Fundr co-founder Lauren Washington, Nexstar co-founder Esosa Ighodaro, and TresseNoire co-founder Regina Gwynn — with the simple goal of connecting Black women in tech. With more than 500 founders of business and tech companies and 10 chapters of national and international “mastermind groups,” this organization actively works to provide Black women the knowledge and tools it takes to build big-business brands.
Through a variety of events and initiatives, Black Women Talk Tech focuses on supporting Black entrepreneurs looking to grow in tech. In February, they held an immersive three-day conference called “Roadmap to Billions” and are currently offering COVID-19 resources and a relief fund for founders. Related: What it’s Like to Be a Black Woman in Tech — Q&A with Kaya Thomas15. Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology InnovatorsIt’s no secret: There needs to be more diversity in tech. In Women of Color in Tech, Susanne Tedrick offers practical advice and inspiring stories that will help you develop the tools and mindset you need if you’re a woman of color — whether you’re simply considering working in the industry for the first time or struggling to get ahead. By breaking down specific issues that may be challenging for BIPOC women, Tedrick proves that today’s tech careers can be fun — and aren’t limited to coding jobs — if you are able to build a professional network of reliable mentors who understand your goals and struggles. With the right guidance and support, it’s possible to overcome the obstacles that often prevent women of color from pursuing (and sticking with) careers in tech. Aimed specifically at BIPOC women, this book has great advice for female innovators looking to take their career to the next level. With the right communication, public speaking, and networking skills, Tedrick argues it’s possible to break through barriers and build a rewarding future in tech. Honorable MentionsHungry for even more reads, digital or otherwise? Check these out!
— Reporting by Sara Atwood and Ellice Soliven The post 15 Absolute Must-Reads for Women Working in Tech appeared first on Website Guides, Tips and Knowledge. from https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/must-reads-for-women-in-tech/ Silicon Valley is struggling with a bit of an image problem. That image? Straight, white, male. In 2018, women filled only 25% of all computing-related occupations — which is about the same percentage that we saw in the 1960s. For African-American and Hispanic populations, the representation in these fields is far below the national distribution. And at the intersection of race and gender, the state of women in tech is even bleaker: 65% of women in computing occupations are white, 19% are Asian/Pacific Islander, only 7% are African American, and 7% are Latina. In 2019, computer programmers are no longer high-school geeks, but meritocratic winners who wield considerable power in society. Engineers at Facebook — or more precisely, the algorithms they program — decide what news we see and what ads we get served. (If you think that ads aren’t linked to economic opportunity, think again.) Many formerly analog tasks — hailing a taxi, dimming the lights — now rely on code that only programmers can hope to understand fully. If women and minorities are left out of coding jobs now, that omission could have ramifications on the structure of our society for years to come. It’s clear by now that social and environmental forces contribute to the differences in earning potential for women and minorities, and that these forces also hold the same people back from careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). What needs to be done? Let’s take a look at how to debug the diversity gap. DreamHost Takes Inclusivity SeriouslyWe regularly report on diversity, accessibility, and representation in the tech workforce. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter so you never miss an article. ![]() 1. Give Every Student Access to Computer Science ClassesEarly exposure to skills is crucial for securing a job in one of the best-paid and fastest-growing industries around. Yet only 35% of high schools nationwide are currently teaching computer science classes. Some schools in the U.S. are exposing young people to the basics of programming, which serves to improve their familiarity and comfort with these subjects. But to open the doors of the tech meritocracy to the underprivileged, coding needs to be taught in public schools, as early as possible — even in elementary school. There are a lot of barriers to this. Because the public education system in the U.S. depends heavily on local control, it’s impossible to design and implement sweeping changes to curricula in one fell swoop. National standards like Common Core and testing-focused federal programs like No Child Left Behind often leave little room for enrichment classes or electives. In some cases, nonprofits and businesses are stepping in to fill the gap; for instance, this year Google pledged $25 million to support programs that help Black and Latino students have access to computer science education. But a charity initiative here or there isn’t likely to create broad-based change. Related: What it’s Like to Be a Black Woman in Tech — Q&A with Kaya ThomasIt also won’t be enough for schools just to offer coding classes: the coding gap will only close with specific outreach to marginalized groups. There is substantial data to suggest that a learned lack of confidence can discourage minority groups from choosing certain subjects in school. And one 2016 study found that boys and girls begin school achieving in math at similar rates, with a gender gap appearing as early as third grade — this is significant, as previous research suggests that early achievement in math predicts interest and confidence in the subject in middle and high school. Even more concerning, the study indicated that elementary school teachers perceive girls with nearly identical math scores (and classroom behavior) to be less proficient in math than boys. This unconscious bias contributes to female students lacking confidence and performing worse in future math classes. Unless teachers work to recruit girls and minorities to coding classes and overcome their own perceptions that girls aren’t as good at math, such biases will continue to keep their numbers in the tech sector low. 2. Expand the Scope of NonprofitsWe’ve certainly been entering the Era of the Nonprofit for the past few years, and nonprofits that aim to teach coding to women and people of color abound. (A few examples: #YesWeCode. Girls Who Code. Black Girls Code.) Lack of access to training isn’t the only issues these groups face. In the case of underprivileged youth, for instance, a major challenge is the limited access some of these underrepresented students have to computers. But the challenges extend beyond the physical, especially when it comes to connecting students with jobs that utilize their training. Limitations experienced in this realm — such as the absence of a professional network or an unfriendly corporate culture — can prevent any would-be software engineer or developer from thriving. Successful nonprofit coding programs will be those that succeed in the final stretch: job placement, hiring, and support during the transition. Related: 30 Ways to Be an Ally for Women at Your Tech Company3. Retain Diverse Talent in the WorkplaceIt’s not just a lack of candidates in the pipeline that’s keeping representation low; it’s also a lack of retention. Support needs to continue after coders become established in their careers. At 10 to 20 years into their tech careers, 56% of women leave the field, at a quit-rate double that of men. Why are they leaving? One small study found that the most common reasons women leave tech jobs are a lack of opportunity for career growth, poor management, and the gender pay gap. Older research cites poor workplaces including few opportunities for development and training, little support for outside-of-work responsibilities, and undermining bosses. Related: 6 Things Women in Tech are Tired of HearingA 2019 study published in Nature found that nearly half of women in science leave after having their first child, compared to 23% of men. Clearly, something needs to be done to better support parents in STEM fields, particularly working mothers. There are a number of ways to support and retain female and minority coders, starting with simply calling out their accomplishments and good ideas. Nonprofits that encourage professional networking, like Women Who Code, can certainly help women find their tribe in the industry, but in the end, it will be up to tech companies themselves to enact policies to retain female talent. The Reality of the Diversity Gap in the Tech WorldThe tech industry is booming, which, in theory, should mean more demand for programming labor. But with barriers to intercontinental communication quickly vanishing, more and more programming and web-design jobs based in the U.S. are being outsourced to lower-paid workers in other countries. In fact, computer programming jobs are projected to decrease by 7% over the next eight years in the U.S., even as the computer technology industry is expected to grow by 12%. Whether computer programming serves to be an equalizer or perpetuator of inequality in the U.S. may depend on how fast minority groups can participate and get a “piece of the pie,” so to speak, before the available opportunities shrink. Related: Fixing Tech’s Gender Gap — 10 Questions with Author Therese HustonThe bad news is that it’s looking like underrepresented groups will still have to try twice as hard for a shot at the same jobs, which is truly unfair. The good news is that people are more aware than ever before that the diversity gap in tech is a real problem. Ultimately, the U.S. education system will adapt, nonprofits will grow, and more female and minority students will find — and stay in — careers in computing-related tasks. After all, diverse teams are the only way companies will keep up with the changing demands of a world where computers are not going away. The post 3 Ways to Debug Tech’s Diversity Gap in 2020 appeared first on Website Guides, Tips and Knowledge. from https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/ways-to-debug-tech-diversity-gap/ Take it from me: Acquiring qualified leads for your business is anything but easy. A common strategy for attracting new customers is to develop a strong content marketing strategy, but that is often not enough. Just because people enjoy reading your content doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ready to hand over their hard-earned cash. (If it did, the content team at DreamHost would be cruising in Lamborghinis by now. Spoiler alert: We’re not.) So, while creating great content is critical to the success of your website, you’ve got to take it a step further and make cultivating leads an ongoing process — one that continues even after a visitor has left your site. By creating effective lead magnets, you can offer something valuable enough to your audience that they’ll be happy to give you their email address in exchange. Then using the best email marketing practices, you can nurture those leads until they turn into paying customers. (Googles the price of a Lamborghini Aventador. Chokes.) OK, ready to get started? In this article, we’ll discuss what makes a good lead magnet, why your business should invest in developing a sales funnel, and how to create your very own irresistible lead magnet to power your marketing machine. Let’s go! Let Us Support Your Lead MagnetsWhatever your goals, we’ll be right there with you, making sure your website is fast, secure, and always up. Plans start at $2.59/mo. ![]() Understanding Lead Magnets (And Why Your Business Needs Them)“Lead magnets” are incentives offered by marketers. They’re provided in return for an email address (or other contact information) from a potential customer. Email marketing has a return of $42 for every $1 spent. That’s a huge return on investment (ROI), and it makes a compelling case for including email marketing as a core part of your overall strategy. This is why lead magnets are so essential — they help you build up your email list more quickly. Lead magnets also give you a way to sell to your site’s visitors over the long term. On average, a visitor will spend less than a minute on your website. This is rarely enough time to convince them of their need for your services, but lead magnets provide you with additional time. The Qualities of an Effective Lead MagnetOf course, it’s not enough to simply create a lead magnet. To get the best return, you’ll need to design one for maximum effectiveness. A great lead magnet is:
The next step is to create a lead magnet that incorporates all of these criteria. Let’s take a quick look at what that involves. How to Create a Lead MagnetCreating a lead magnet can be an involved process. You’ll first need to understand what your audience is interested in. One way to do this is by reviewing your existing content to see what pieces have performed best or had the highest engagement rates. You can do the same for your competitors’ content by using a tool such as BuzzSumo. All you need to do is enter a URL and sort the results by the total engagement metric. This will help you better understand what your target audience cares about. ![]() Keep in mind that you’ll likely need to create separate lead magnets for each buyer persona or segment of your audience. Each one should be tailored to meet your audience’s specific interests and provide something they genuinely need. In other words, don’t forget to focus on quality. Related: How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy53 Awesome Lead Magnet IdeasAt this point, let’s take a look at some ideas for creating lead magnets. Almost any type of content can do the trick — here are 53 examples. 1. Checklists![]() Checklists are easily consumed and very actionable. They’re also easy to create. You can extract the main points from a few existing posts, and create a checklist from them. Then you can offer the result as a content upgrade. Related: How to Choose a Web Hosting Provider: A 15-Point Checklist2. Cheat SheetsCheat sheets typically condense important information into a few pages that can be referenced often. SmartBlogger’s “52 Headline Hacks” is a popular example of this technique in action. 3. TemplatesTemplates provide a starting point or outline with some base content for users to customize. A good example is Rosanna’s free marketing plan template for creative freelancers, which is gated behind a sign-up form. 4. Swipe FilesA swipe file is a collection of tried-and-tested ideas, as well as stellar examples of content that you can store for future reference. ![]() Here’s a handy article on how to create swipe files using tools such as Pinterest and Pocket. 5. ExamplesExamples are an effective type of lead magnets. Job seekers search for resume and cover letter templates, while business owners look for sample proposals. Examples can also be offered as content upgrades for relevant posts. 6. ScriptsScripts are valuable if you have an audience that needs help creating speeches, podcasts, and even films. For example, if public speaking is a skill you excel at, you can create a business presentation and offer it as a lead magnet. 7. Toolkits![]() People generally want to know what tools experts and influencers use. Your toolkits can function as lead magnets and generate income through affiliate marketing if you’re recommending third parties. 8. Resource listsWho doesn’t love resource lists? A digital marketer could create a list of books, tools, websites, and more that help them stay productive. These can be offered as content upgrades as well. 9. Calendars![]() When creating a calendar-based lead magnet, it needs to be relevant to your audience. For example, if you’re in the agricultural industry, you could offer calendars for rearing and planting seasons. If you’re in the fitness industry, you might design a workout calendar. 10. Plans/PlannersPlanners are typically created for very specific use cases. That includes meal planners for diabetics or vegetarians, workout planners for pregnant women, and so on. 11. Worksheets/WorkbooksWorkbooks are often effective for business planning or creating custom personas. They typically help your audience with something practical and specific. 12. Printables![]() A “printable” is a general term for any resource that can be printed. This might include checklists, cheat sheets, workbooks, and more. 13. Prompts and Inspiration FilesPrompts and inspiration files help users generate ideas. For example, if your ideal customer is a web designer, you can offer design inspiration visuals. If your ideal client is a writer, you can provide creative prompts. 14. CalculatorsCalculators are also useful as lead magnets. For instance, WebStrategies has a Digital Marketing Budget Calculator, which can only be accessed through an opt-in form. 15. GeneratorsFrom “lorem ipsum” to topic idea generators, these tools are often essential for productivity. You can create a generator that’s relevant to your business and offer it as a lead magnet. ![]() For example, Influencer MarketingHub has free generators for business names, Instagram hashtags, and more. 16. Web AppsWeb apps are useful if you have the technical chops required or can afford to hire a developer to build one. You could even offer your calculator or generator as a web app that users must log in to. 17. SpreadsheetsEven in this age of mobile apps, spreadsheets are still a killer lead magnet, useful for both personal and business use. If you’ve created a useful spreadsheet for yourself, such as a time or expenses tracker, you can offer it as a lead magnet. 18. RecipesAlthough there are tons of free recipes online, this type of content can still work well as a lead magnet if you offer curated content from across the web. For instance, you could let your audience choose what types of recipes they’re interested in via checkboxes. 19. Gated ContentPublishing platforms, such as Medium, gate the majority of their content behind a monthly subscription. To adopt this strategy, you might ask for an email address in exchange for access to the latter half of a blog post. 20. Tutorials and GuidesTutorials are useful for teaching specific tasks and tools. They can be in audio, text, or video series format. Similarly, you can offer definitive guides as educational lead magnets. They’re often used because they’re highly effective, especially for educating potential customers about a particular concept, product, or service. 21. E-books![]() E-books don’t fully satisfy our criteria for effective lead magnets. They are lengthier than a PDF checklist or an infographic. Regardless, audiences who prefer more detail than shorter lead magnets can provide will appreciate them. 22. ReportsReports require you to do research and aggregate data. However, you can also create them from existing research. If you market primarily to B2B businesses in an industry heavily reliant on stats and data, this can be one of your best-converting lead magnets. 23. InfographicsInfographics can be used to present dense topics in a visually-appealing format. You’ll want to include facts and relevant statistics. To get started, you can condense some existing blog posts into infographics. These can also be shared on social media to promote the original articles. 24. Educational VideosVideos are an effective marketing tool, as you can give your audience a close-up look at your products. They’re doubly effective if they can be made both informative and entertaining, and these days it’s not hard to quickly put together professional-looking videos. Related: How to Start a YouTube Channel25. Educational AudioYou can also offer educational audio content, for those who don’t have time to watch videos or read articles. You won’t necessarily need to create these from scratch since you can develop audio versions of existing videos or blog posts. 26. Webinars![]() Offers with time limits generally work well, as they play to your audience’s Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Webinars are a great example of this in action, as they can only be watched live at a specific time. 27. Event TicketsYou can offer free tickets for live events in exchange for your potential lead’s email address. To promote your opt-in forms, you can even use social media and business ads. Related: Lead Generation via Website Forms: Here’s How to Get Started28. Email Courses![]() Email courses do not need to be downloaded and can be consumed instantly. Typically, you’ll send automated emails based around a specific topic. Teachable is just one of many tools that can help you create email courses. 29. Free Book + Shipping OffersYou can give out physical books as lead magnets and have your receivers cover the shipping costs, too. This is a good way to determine who your potential customers are, since anyone willing to pay to ship a product they consider valuable should be more willing to purchase your paid content. 30. Sample ChaptersYou may not want to give out your ebooks entirely for free. In that case, you could simply offer sample chapters in exchange for email addresses and require payment for the rest. 31. Sample Audio/Video ClipsIf you have high-quality videos, you can offer sample clips from them. Audio clips are also viable as lead magnets, even if your product is a video. All you need to do is convert your video into audio, using an online tool such as Zamzar. 32. Free Coaching SessionsIf it fits your business model, you can offer free coaching sessions to your audience in exchange for their information. This works out well since your audience will already be expecting a pitch at the end of the session. 33. PDF VersionsAnother easy technique is to turn existing blog posts into PDFs and offer them as content upgrades. You can create the PDFs yourself using Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or a tool such as PrintFriendly or Beacon. 34. TranscriptsVideo transcripts may be more accessible for non-visual learners. They’re also useful for those in your audience who have unstable internet connections or simply prefer to learn at their own pace. 35. Summaries/Cliff Notes VersionsIf you have an ebook or another long piece of content, you can create a summary and offer it as a lead magnet. This isn’t restricted to just your own content. You can also create abridged versions of content written by experts and influencers in your field (just be careful not to plagiarize). 36. State of the Industry AddressesFor a unique twist, you can create reports and stats about current trends in your industry and then create a lead magnet out of them. This provides highly-valuable and up-to-date information. Keep in mind, however, that this content will need to be updated regularly to stay relevant. Related: The State of Women in Tech37. PredictionsIf your goal is to become an industry leader, one option is to offer insightful predictions about your industry. You can collect these predictions, include associated advice, and bundle it all together into a lead magnet offer. 38. Mind MapsMind maps make complex concepts easier to digest. They look a lot like visual outlines. While MindMeister is a tool specifically for making mind maps, Canva can also be used for this purpose. 39. AudiobooksEbooks take a long time to consume and don’t always perform well as lead magnets. However, you can turn your ebook into a more easily-consumable audiobook and use it to drive traffic to your site. 40. PresentationsSlideshare offers a lead generation tool for converting audience members into subscribers. ![]() This solution enables you to use custom presentations as lead magnets. Related: How to Build a Lead-Generating Landing Page with WordPress41. RoundupsA roundup is a list of tips, techniques, or recommended tools typically presented as an article or blog post. You can start by interviewing experts, asking for insights and advice. Then you can create a post by pulling quotes from the interviews and offer it as a content upgrade. 42. NewslettersSometimes, your email is the lead magnet. The Hustle is an example of a B2C company whose main service is sending relevant and entertaining emails daily with news from the tech and business industries. 43. Vaults/LibrariesIf you’ve created a lot of educational content, you can compile it into a dedicated page or archive. Then you can ask for an email address in exchange for a handy all-in-one download. 44. Quizzes![]() A quiz is a series of questions for your website visitor to answer. To get a result, they’ll need to enter their email address. Quizzes are fun and convert well, plus tools such as Interact make them easy to create. 45. SurveysSurveys can be used to solicit feedback from users who’ve been on your website a few times. Although they are more generally used for market research, they can also be implemented effectively as lead magnets, since many people will be happy to give feedback. 46. GiveawaysGiveaways help you get the attention of audiences who might have otherwise never looked your way. Using services like ViralSweep and Gleam, you can run giveaways easily. This generally involves offering some of your products for free in exchange for email addresses. Related: How to Run an Online Giveaway on Your WordPress Website47. Desktop WallpapersWallpapers can be inspiring, fun, or soothing. If you’ve made something really unique, you can offer it as an attractive lead magnet. 48. Membership Sites![]() There’s a reason exclusive memberships are so popular. They let you offer your audience the opportunity to join a community where they can access opportunities not accessible elsewhere. 49. Facebook GroupsFacebook groups can be used as lead magnets, just like with membership sites. They give you a great platform for building a community around your business. 50. Slack GroupsSlack has become popular in the last few years as a way for teams to communicate more effectively. It can also be useful for building communities around your brand and might work better than Facebook for certain industries. Related: The Beginner’s Guide to Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)51. Free TrialsGenerally, before you pay for a tool, you’ll want to test it out to verify whether the cost will be worthwhile. Software companies typically offer a demo or trial copy for this purpose. 52. CouponsLimited-time deals can be very attractive since no one wants to spend more money than they have to. ![]() If you’re offering a product, coupon deals will make it much easier to persuade consumers to buy from you. 53. Case StudiesCase studies are real-life examples of customer experiences with your products and services. They are especially useful when you’re targeting other businesses. You’ll need to ask your customers for testimonials first if you want to create case studies. Marketing Tips in Your InboxWhether you want to create a lead magnet, set up a Facebook ad, or supercharge a CTA button, we can help! Subscribe to our monthly digest so you never miss an article. ![]() The Perfect Lead MagnetAlthough email marketing offers a high ROI, it’s impossible to use it effectively without a strong base of subscribers. Lead magnets offer proven ways to increase your email list, ultimately leading to higher sales and greater profitability. As you’ve read in this article, there’s no end to the types of lead magnets you can create. There are checklists, cheat sheets, swipe files, calendars, reports, infographics, PDF versions, etc. All you have to do is select the option that best fits your business and audience and get to work! Ready to bring your lead magnet idea to life? Keep costs low with one of our shared hosting plans. With many robust features included — think free domain, SSL certificate, professional email address, and privacy protection — our shared hosting gives you everything you need to succeed online for as little as $2.59/mo. The post Your Guide to Lead Magnet Creation (53 Easy Ideas) appeared first on Website Guides, Tips and Knowledge. from https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/lead-magnet-creation-guide/ Every website owner wants to attract as many visitors as possible. However, few take the steps necessary to ensure their site can be used by everyone. There are millions of users out there who rely on sites being accessible, and if you don’t take the time to understand their needs, everyone will be missing out. Fortunately, accessibility isn’t difficult to implement. You just need to understand the underlying issues that can make a site hard or impossible to use by certain people. Once you do, you can take steps to avoid those mistakes and make your site welcoming to all visitors. In this article, we’ll look at what website accessibility actually involves and why it’s so important. We’ll also outline the most important accessibility guidelines and show you how to implement them on your site. Let’s get going! A Brief Introduction to Web Accessibility![]() Ideally, everyone should be able to use any website on the internet. It shouldn’t matter if they have a condition that affects their capabilities or what hardware and software they need to use. This is the main tenet behind the concept of web accessibility. The fact is that millions of internet users have special needs, disabilities, and impairments that can make it difficult or even impossible for them to use certain types of websites. By designing your site with these challenges in mind, you can ensure that it’s welcoming to as many users as possible. While there are a lot of disabilities and conditions that can affect the way people use websites, let’s take a look at some of the most common categories of impairments:
To work around these issues, many people use assistive technologies to browse the internet. This includes screen readers that vocalize the text on each page, speech recognition software that converts speech into text, Braille terminals, and even alternative keyboards that accommodate special needs. As such, it’s possible for almost anybody to browse the web. What’s more, you can make their experiences significantly better by designing your site with accessibility in mind. Create a Website for AllWith automatic updates and strong security defenses, DreamPress takes server management off your hands so you can focus on what really matters: building a site that can be enjoyed by every user. ![]() Why Making Your Website Accessible Should Be a Priority![]() As you can imagine, the benefits to the user of making your site accessible are huge. This is an important thing to do simply from a humanistic perspective, as it ensures that you don’t shut out people with disabilities. Of course, improving accessibility on your site provides you with a lot of benefits as well. Crucially, it immediately expands your potential audience. The math should be evident here. If more users are able to use your site, you’ve just grown your potential user base exponentially. This could put you one step ahead of competitors who may not have taken the same steps towards accessibility. By thinking in terms of accessibility, you can also benefit all your visitors, not just those who fit the categories we listed earlier. Many of the considerations involved in making your site more accessible will also improve its overall design and usability. Plus, you’ll be making your site more flexible and “future-proof” along the way. Finally, it’s important to note that many countries have laws regarding web and software accessibility. As such, you may be legally required to match specific accessibility standards. Thankfully, you’re not alone. The Web Accessibility Initiative project has been working since 1997 to help improve accessibility online. Be sure to check out the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, also known as WCAG, on their site. These guidelines specifically outline steps you can take to make your site more user-friendly. Similarly, WordPress has its own Make WordPress Accessible team that focuses specifically on the platform. There are also countless other community-driven projects, such as A11Y, that provide guidance and resources to help you create highly accessible websites. 10 Ways to Make Your Website AccessibleNow we’re going to look at a few ways you can make your website more accessible right away. First, we should mention that one of the most important things you need to do is choose the right Content Management System (CMS) to run your site on. When it comes to accessibility, few CMSes can top WordPress. As such, we’ll be referencing a number of solutions specific to the WordPress platform throughout this guide (although you can find accessibility tools for nearly any CMS). 1. Make Sure Your Site Is Keyboard-FriendlyThis step is also the most important. Put simply: for a website to be accessible, it must work without the use of a mouse. This is because many assistive technologies rely on keyboard-only navigation. As such, it must be possible to use all of your site’s major features via a keyboard and nothing else. This includes accessing all pages, links, content, and so on. The most common way of navigating using a keyboard is with the Tab key. This will jump between areas on a page that can have “keyboard focus,” which includes links, buttons, and forms. Therefore, your goal should be to ensure that all web content and navigation can be accessed using Tab. ![]() This is easy to test — simply use your own site without a mouse. If you find that you can’t access certain elements or that navigating is difficult, you can pinpoint those issues and address them. To help you out with this, WebAIM provides a handy guide for keyboard accessibility design. Be Awesome on the InternetJoin our monthly newsletter for tips, tricks, and how-to content to build your dream website! ![]() 2. Make Sure All Content Is Easily AccessibleIn addition to making your site keyboard-friendly, you also need to ensure that all content on the page is actually accessible. While this is usually not a problem, it can be an issue when a page contains dynamic content. In short, content is dynamic if it can change without the page it’s on reloading. This can become a problem if the site doesn’t inform assistive tools of the change. For example, many screen readers will only “read” the site as it appears when it first loads. As such, you need to make it aware when something shifts, or the user will miss the new content. One way you can do this is by using ARIA landmarks. These are tags you add to content in order to clearly define it on the page. You can tag dynamic content as a “live region,” which enables screen readers and similar devices to understand the content as it changes. ARIA is also useful for making navigation more straightforward as it lets users skip directly to specific content. This way, they won’t have to tab through every menu item just to get to your main content and can easily pass over other link-heavy sections. The same effect can be achieved using skip-to-main links, which are invisible links that let users skip menus. However, ARIA tends to be more flexible and efficient. The Make WordPress Accessible handbook contains a section on ARIA landmarks that you may want to check out. It’s also worth noting that all WordPress themes with the accessibility-ready tag will have ARIA landmarks added by default. 3. Add Alt Text to All ImagesWhen adding images to WordPress, you’ve probably noticed this field. ![]() Here, you can enter the alternative text for an image. This text acts as a replacement for the image if it fails to load. ![]() However, alt text (sometimes called alt attributes, alt descriptions, or alt tags) is also accessed by screen readers to “read” the picture. You can, therefore, use this field to describe an image, giving context to users who would otherwise miss it. As if that weren’t enough, alt text can also help you improve your site’s SEO, giving search engines more information to crawl. Just make sure to write descriptive summaries of each image, and try to include your keywords whenever it makes sense. 4. Choose Your Colors CarefullyWe often talk about color blindness as if it’s a, no pun intended, black-and-white issue. However, it’s more of a spectrum since different people perceive colors in unique ways (remember The Dress)? As such, you need to make sure the colors you select on your site contrast well to ensure that everyone can distinguish between various elements on the page. The most pressing issue is making sure text stands out against the background. Ideally, you should set a dark color against a light one, making sure that they don’t bleed into each other. Let’s say you want to use a blue color scheme. You’d want to avoid creating a palette where the shades are too similar in hue and saturation, like this: ![]() This is very difficult to read. Instead, a clearer color contrast works much better. ![]() There are plenty of online tools you can use to find and test color combinations. WebAIM has one, and we also like Contrast Checker because it gives you a score in real-time. The latter tool also enables you to switch to monochrome to get a rough idea of how effective any given combination is. 5. Use Headers to Structure Your Content CorrectlyAnother key task to make your site accessible is structuring your content by using headers carefully. Doing this will make your content much easier to understand and digest and improves flow. Additionally, clear headers also help screen readers interpret your pages. This makes it much easier to provide in-page navigation. It’s also simple to do as you only need to ensure you use the correct heading levels in your content. For instance, you should only use one H1 per page – usually as the page title. This can be followed by subheadings starting with H2, which can then be nested further with H3, followed by H4. These should always be used in order so you should avoid using an H4 directly after an H2 (and so on). 6. Design Your Forms for AccessibilityForms are a useful addition to most sites but must be designed carefully. What’s most important is to ensure that each field is clearly labeled. You should also aim to place the labels adjacent to the respective fields. While a sighted user can easily match a label to the corresponding field or option, this may not be obvious for someone using a screen reader. You should also aim to provide instructions and information in a clear way that the user can easily understand. To create accessible forms in WordPress, you can use a tool like the Caldera Forms builder. This is a plugin specifically focused on accessibility, which will make your job much easier. 7. Don’t Use Tables for Anything Except Tabular DataWhen it comes to displaying data, tables are handy. They make it much easier for all users, including those using assistive technology, to parse a large amount of data. To get the maximum benefit, however, you’ll want to keep your tables as simple as you can. In addition, it’s best to avoid using tables for anything but tabular data. For example, you should never use a table for layouts, lists, or anything else. This can be confusing to screen readers and similar devices. If you do need to create more complex tables, you can follow this guide from W3. It shows you how to code a table while maintaining accessibility standards. 8. Enable Resizable Text That Doesn’t Break Your SiteMost devices and browsers will enable users to resize text, which can be helpful for those with visual impairments. However, if you don’t build your site to support this feature, resizing text could break your design or make it difficult to interact with your site. A good practice is to avoid absolute units, such as specifying text size using pixels. Instead, use relative sizes, which enable the text to scale depending on other content and screen size. ![]() You should also never turn off user scalability as this will make it difficult for users to resize the text at all. To make sure your site meets these criteria, test your font sizes thoroughly by increasing the zoom level in your own browser. If you notice that content becomes difficult to read or navigate, you can check out this guide by WebAIM that discusses font size. 9. Avoid Automatic Media and NavigationAutomatically-playing media files have been a bane of internet users since the days of MySpace. As annoying as it can be to have music or videos start when a page loads, this is an even bigger issue in terms of accessibility. For example, figuring out how to turn off the media can be difficult when using a screen reader, while other users could simply be confused or even frightened by the sudden noise. You should, therefore, avoid including elements that start without the user first prompting them. It’s also best to avoid automatic navigation, such as carousels and sliders. This can be incredibly frustrating if the viewer needs more time to absorb all the information before moving on to the next slide or section. Related: Leveling the Web: 12 Questions with Accessibility Expert Gian Wild10. Create Content With Accessibility in MindFinally, we come to the core of your site: its content. While designing your site for accessibility is hugely important, you should bear the same considerations in mind when creating content. This means paying attention to relatively minor things, such as always fully writing out acronyms, to more important points, like making sure you give all your links unique, descriptive names and anchor text. If you’ve read through this entire tutorial, you’ll already have a clear idea of the potential issues that can cause certain users trouble. Keep in mind that — just as your site should usable by anybody — your content should be approachable and readable no matter who discovers it. Web Content Accessibility MattersMaking sure your site is welcoming to as many people as possible should be a top priority. There’s no reason to exclude anybody, especially since it’s relatively easy to avoid doing so. Not only will your users thank you, but you’ll also likely see benefits in the form of increased traffic and conversions. By taking the time to understand the possible flaws in your design and content, you can make sure your site is optimized for accessibility today. At DreamHost, our mission is to empower people to get online. That means we take accessibility seriously. If you’re ready to set up a site, consider DreamPress, our managed WordPress hosting solution. With automatic updates and strong security defenses, DreamPress takes server management off your hands so you can focus on what really matters: creating a site that can be used (and enjoyed) by everyone. Learn more about plan options today. The post 10 Ways to Make Your Website Accessible appeared first on Website Guides, Tips and Knowledge. from https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/make-your-website-accessible/ You’ve just set up your e-commerce site. The design is trendy, the product descriptions are top-notch, and you’ve set up the perfect payment gateway. You’re officially open for business — boom, mic drop, collar pop! Now you just sit back and wait for the orders to come in, right? Sorry, Charlie. Getting that first sale can be a challenge, even with a solid marketing strategy. Ideally, you’ll want to begin to market your offerings even before your store is launched. However, you can take many of the same steps to promote your shop after it’s up and running. All you need is a little patience and an understanding of which techniques are most effective and affordable. In this article, we’ll discuss 12 ways you can get that first sale on your e-commerce site. Let’s get started! Your Store Deserves WooCommerce HostingSell anything, anywhere, anytime on the world's biggest e-commerce platform. ![]() 12 Ways to Make Your First E-commerce Sale![]() 1. Reach Out to Your NetworkThe first people to be aware of your business will likely be family and friends, and you can solicit their help in getting that first sale. If your product genuinely solves a pain point for anyone in your personal network, sell them on the benefits of buying from you. This is not much different from promoting to strangers online. To get started, ask your immediate family and friends to try out your products. You could even provide free samples. You can also reach out to your personal network on social platforms like Facebook, where you’ll likely be connected to old classmates and colleagues. The key here is to know your products inside and out, be aware of what problems they solve, and sell people on their benefits. Make sure to follow up with anyone interested and take the time to thoroughly answer their questions. Related: 12 Marketing Strategies to Promote Your Local Business2. Start a BlogA blog offers a way to increase brand awareness and bring new traffic to your website. It’s also a platform where you can better expose your products to your audience. The more visitors you can bring to your site, the higher the probability you will make a sale. ![]() Some examples of content you can create on your blog include:
To improve your success rate, you’ll also want to do some keyword research. Organically working in some relevant keywords can help your posts rank higher in search engines. Related: How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy3. Build a List of Email SubscribersEmail marketing is a proven tactic for customer acquisition and retention. This means it can be a core part of your e-commerce marketing strategy. Signups for newsletters generally indicate interest in your brand. Therefore, an email list can generate one-off sales and drive repeat purchases from customers whose interest you’ll keep active by sending them regular (and relevant) content. Tools like Jackmail (which enables you to send automated emails) and Mailchimp (which provides email templates and tools for tracking metrics) can help you create and manage your own newsletters easily. Get Professional Email @yourdomainPromote your website with every message you send when you set up professional email with DreamHost. Plans start at $1.67/mo. ![]() 4. Solicit Help From Social InfluencersAs a new brand, it’s vital to keep costs low. One cost-effective strategy for getting your first sale is working with influencers – or to be more specific, micro-influencers. Micro-influencers give you access to small, targeted audiences who already have a connection with the influencer and trust them. These influencers actively cultivate engaged and loyal followers and can get your product in front of that audience with their seal of approval. This is a worthwhile investment because the costs involved are typically low. That also means you can work with multiple influencers to reach increasingly larger audiences as your budget increases. ![]() The first step to getting started with this type of marketing is to search for influencers within your niche. You can explore relevant accounts on social media to locate candidates, or use a dedicated influencer database like Socialbakers. Related: How to Build an Awesome Online Store with the OceanWP Theme5. Host GiveawaysEveryone loves free things. When you’re just starting out, you can use this simple fact to your advantage to create awareness of your business and products. Hosting contests and giveaways can bring much-needed attention and help you build trust with potential customers. You don’t have to start big, nor do you need to give out your most expensive products. However, you do need to be willing to offer a few starter products for free. Giveaways can help you generate interest in your brand, as you’re drawing the attention of both participants and winners to your paid offerings. Participants may also share your products or information about the giveaway itself with their friends and networks. Services like ViralSweep and Gleam help you run contests and giveaways online while keeping things simple and professional. There are also dedicated WordPress plugins you can try out, such as RafflePress. 6. Give DiscountsUnlike giveaways, discounts do not require you to give away your products entirely for free. Plus, discounts may make it easier to persuade a potential customer to buy from you. ![]() It can be difficult for new buyers to justify purchasing from your store at full price, especially when you have no established reputation or past customer reviews. Offering some of your best or most affordable products at a reasonable discount can be a strong incentive, reducing the risks and enticing visitors to give you a chance. Just remember that when setting up discounts, you’ll need to take production and shipping costs into account and make sure you don’t overextend your budget. It’s also a good idea to create sales with time limits, which play to visitors’ Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). Related: Word of Mouth: Why Customer Testimonials Work7. Simplify Your Site’s DesignBy simplifying your website’s design, you can make it easier for potential buyers to use your site without any hassle. This is key for turning interested visitors into e-commerce conversions (in other words, your first sales!). One way to simplify your site’s design is by reducing the number of products displayed on its pages. You want to ensure that your site’s interface is not cluttered, and that a visitor doesn’t have to jump through many hoops to find what they want. This is one reason to have a prominent search bar and clear menu options for easy navigation. You’ll also want to use a lot of blank space to help focus visitors’ attention on your Calls to Action (CTAs). That can mean removing distracting and unnecessary elements and avoiding the temptation to include too much information on each product page. Finally, keep in mind that mobile phones far surpass desktops and laptops for making online purchases. Therefore, you’ll want to ensure that your store is fully responsive. Related: WooCommerce Website vs. a Shopify Store: An In-Depth Guide8. Build Your Brand on Social MediaBuilding a brand makes it easier for existing customers to stay connected. It also helps potential customers find and learn about your business and the people behind it. To this end, you’ll want to create accounts on major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even TikTok. By using social media, you can tap into audiences that are already using those platforms. You can grab their attention and create positive feelings towards your brand while creating and sharing relevant (and engaging) content. ![]() Attracting an audience through social media is a topic worth several posts of its own. In short, you’ll want to begin by doing some audience research, and deciding what platforms to focus on. Then you can start sharing content and promoting your products, linking followers back to your e-commerce site. Also, don’t forget that many social media platforms have groups formed around specific interests and topics. Joining these groups can help you connect with relevant potential customers and generate interest in your band. A great place to start is by signing up for and posting on Facebook Groups that are centered on your niche or industry. You’re Cordially InvitedJoin DreamHost’s Facebook group to connect with like-minded website owners and get advice from peers and experts alike! ![]() 9. Market to B2B ClientsAn alternative way to generate your first sales is by selling to other businesses, rather than (or along with) directly to individual customers. Ultimately, your goal is to get your products into buyers’ hands, whomever they might be. This can be done by selling to wholesale retailers, either on a local, national, or even international level. Selling to businesses might not result in high profit margins, but it is a way to get your products in front of the right consumer audience. Once you have enough brand awareness, you can start to target customers directly. Related: How Your Online Business Can Nail Customer Service10. Refine Your Product DescriptionsYou’ll only make a sale if your site’s visitors understand your products and what benefits they offer. This means creating clear and detailed product descriptions. It’s important to include all the relevant details and specifications, as well as high-quality images and other media. ![]() Some users might research products beforehand and only visit your store to make a purchase. However, others will begin their buyer’s journey on your site and will be entirely dependent on the information you provide. You want to ensure that those users can learn everything they need to know about your products without having to leave your site to find more information. To make that happen, you’ll want to find out what questions your target audience is asking, and include those details for your products. 11. Streamline Your Checkout ProcessYou may have generated interest in your products, but people aren’t buying because they’re frustrated by your checkout process. For that reason, you’ll want to do everything you can to reduce cart abandonment. If users have to create an account or are forced to answer too many questions during checkout, they may decide it isn’t worth continuing. Each additional step is a chance for your customers to change their minds about following through on their purchases. One practical step to take when streamlining your checkout process is asking only for essential information, such as billing and shipping details. You may also want to include a progress indicator to let customers know how close they are to being done. Related: How to Choose the Right Payment Gateway for Your E-Commerce Website12. Attend a Trade ShowOf course, there are also ways to market your brand offline, such as by attending trade shows. You can likely find both regional and national events that are relevant to your niche and audience. There are plenty of sites that compile trade shows by industry and enable you to search for them, such as 10times, EventsEye, and TradeFairDates. ![]() At these events, you’ll get to meet both individual customers and wholesale vendors. You can drum up interest by offering free samples, exclusive coupons, or promo codes to any visitors who come by your booth. While it takes a little more work than some of the other options on this list, trade shows are an excellent way to get some exposure and start building relationships. E-Commerce Insights in Your InboxWhether you need help choosing a domain name, boosting your conversion rate, or creating a Facebook ad, we can help! Subscribe to our monthly digest so you never miss an article. ![]() Get Those Online SalesLaunching your online store is only the first step in starting an e-commerce business. Getting your first sale can be a real challenge. However, by taking a few well-proven steps, you can start your e-commerce store off on the right foot. One of the best strategies for getting those initial sales is to put a lot of high-quality content out there, via your blog and social media profiles. You can also host giveaways and offer discounts to drum up interest or look into less obvious options such as marketing to B2B clients and attending trade shows. If you’re looking to build or grow an online store, our WooCommerce hosting packages make it easy to sell anything on the world’s biggest e-commerce platform. Don’t hesitate to check them out! The post 12 Ways to Get the First Sale on Your New E-Commerce Site appeared first on Website Guides, Tips and Knowledge. from https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/ways-to-get-first-sale-new-ecommerce-site/ |