The reason I’m writing a post on how to set your business up for SEO success, is because the most common questions I get asked is “What do I need to do when I starting my business?” and “What is SEO?”.
Now I’m only a website designer so I don’t have all the answers. But when it comes to online marketing for your website, and from the perspective as an business owner myself, you can take these steps to set your business up for online success from day one!
The following 3 steps will set your business up for SEO success:
1. Research
Business Names
Before you do anything, research the business names you have thought of for your business. Why? There are a few reasons.
First, someone may have used it before you and has already bought the domain name, meaning you can’t have that domain name.
In other cases you may find your domain name is very similar to a dodgy website which could give your business a bad name or bad reputation.
This why research is so important before registering you business.
Domains
Research domain providers. You can purchase a domain from GoDaddy or Melbourne-based VentraIP. Although, you can also go directly to Wix, SquareSpace or Shopify, if you plan to use them for your first business website.
Also, while on the subject of online platforms, research which platforms suit your marketing budget for business. The intuitive “build-it-yourself” platforms are great for new business owners to get their business live.
As WordPress or a CMS platform would be best for businesses who are 2 years+ in business, as they allow you to customise your website to match your branding and allow you to add more features to help your audience.
Social Media
Just like your business name, is your business name available on social media? Search for it on Google or across social media platforms. Also, remember to research what social media platforms your audience use – are you marketing on the right platform?
2. Register Your Business
ABN & ASIC
If your based in Australia there are a few places you need to register your business name with before buying your domain or setting up your socials – and that is registering it with the Government.
First up is your ABN (or Australian Business Number). It’s free to register for all Australian-based businesses and allows the Australian Tax Office assess how much to charge you with tax per year.
Note, a recent condition has been added to eligibility for an ABN. This is to have a Super Fund. The ATO has provided resources to accommodate for this change. And if your anything like me and want to support female entrepreneurs, here are some great options to consider – Verve, GigSuper or FairVine.
Second is ASIC (or Australian Securities and Investments Commission). This is to register your business name and gives you the rights to use this business name in Australia.
Note, there is a small annual fee to register your business name – but if you’re for real about starting your business, you need to have this set up!
Domain
Next step is finding a domain name that matches your business name. Just like ASIC, you want to register your business, but online this time – which is essentially what a domain is here to do.
Purchase a domain from GoDaddy, VentraIP or direct from Wix, SquareSpace, Shopify, or a similar intuitive website creator.
If direct, jump right into the site build and design. Website creators like Wix and Shopify go through a step-by-step set up, so once on that rollercoaster don’t get off until it’s done (usually a couple of hours).
If you buy a domain from a provider like GoDaddy or VentraIP, they usually have information “how-to” documents to walk you through the set-up, to help you link your domain to your hosting service and website.
Or if your hiring a website designer/ developer send them these details so they can do this for you (because why do it yourself, when you’ve got someone who’s experience to set it up for you?).
Socials
Okay, now we’re all set up from a legal perspective, and have a domain name (*high-five*), lets lock in your social media platform names.
Go to the apps you want to promote your business on and start the registration process. Again, you want to make sure the name your registering for your social media channels is the same as your registered business name (this gives your business the SEO boost I was talking about earlier).
3. Get your website live
Don’t Overthink it
The final part of this process is to get all of this live! And the reason I highlight this is because I know this can be scary for some, and perhaps trigger perfectionism for many.
But the great thing about website’s are that you can add and edit it whenever you want. In fact, I encourage it. It’s fantastic for your website’s SEO, and the more value you add to your website, the happier your clients will be.
Get connected
When you have your a domain name registered, it’s now time to connect it to an online platform. When choosing the right platform to host your website go back to your research, and evaluate which platform suits your business needs and goals.
Once you’ve chosen a platform, start the set up process. All your business content (copy, images, blogs, styles etc.) and publish it live!
Yayyy, your website is live! This is a fantastic achievement and one that you should share. So copy the url (a.k.a your domain name) and paste it into your social media platforms ‘website’ location. Usually located under the ‘profile’ area. You can also share it in a post on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter, and share this exciting news with your community.
Be consistent
While in the profile location, review your company description. Are you sharing the same message as is on your website? Make sure this content is consistent on all your other online platforms.
This is great so your customers understand what you do, but it’s also great for search engines to understand what you do too. Once understood search engines will rank your business accordingly so you appear when your beautiful audience search for you in Google for your businesses products and services.
To set your business up for SEO success, make sure your business has optimised it’s content like your images or other content on your website, so your clients can easily and clearly make the connection between the two when viewing either platform.
I hope you now feel confident on how to set your business up for SEO success. Have you gone through each of these points to make sure your business has been set up correctly?
If you liked this blog post please share it with others who may enjoy it too. Also please come join me on social media via @nataliefaithwebdesigns on Instagram or Facebook. I share more great tips for your online business on these platforms. Speak to you soon!
