Setting Up Your Website (for a new site)
We are thrilled to be working with you on creating a professional, powerful, well-designed website that clearly and effectively communicates what you do. We understand that a lot goes into getting a website set up, and at times it can be overwhelming. We are here to guide you through that process, and let you know everything you need.
The information below will outline everything needed to get your website up and running, including what needs to be completed on your end. Don’t worry—we will continue to communicate with you along the way, however this will serve as a checklist and guide that includes some basic information and background on each of the components needed to complete your site.
As you read and complete each of the items listed, please share your login credentials with us in the Passwords + Logins document in your Client Folder in Google Drive. We will need access to your accounts while we set up your website, but you are welcome to change the passwords after we’re finished. Please do not email or text your login credentials to us.
Securing Your Domain:
The first thing you will need is a domain (you may already have this.) Your domain is your website's address like yoursitename.com or yoursitename.org. Domains are purchased from a domain registrar like domains.google, GoDaddy or BlueHost. Some domain registrars also provide website hosting services, you you do not have to purchase your domain and hosting from the same company. You can also transfer domains from one registrar to another.
DesignGood recommends domains.google for purchasing your domain. Advantages include:
- Competitively priced
- Free domain privacy
- Interface is easy to use
- Easy to add a custom email address
Site-specific additional instructions:
1. Google Domains: please add us as a User on your account: When logged in to Google Domains, on the left panel go to Registration settings → Users (Domain permissions) → Add user → designgoodproject@gmail.com.2. GoDaddy: please allow us to access your account by navigating to your Account Settings → Delegate Access → under "People who can access my account", click "+ Invite to Access": Name: DesignGood Project, Email: designgoodproject@gmail.com, and select "Products & Domains"
Hosting:
Next you will need a hosting provider to host your website. An added benefit to working with DesignGood is that our team will get your hosting set up for you. It will be customized based on your business type - service or product based.
Hosting is essentially storage for all the files that make up your site and is needed to get your site live on the world wide web. When you pay for hosting, you are basically paying to keep the files that make up your site on a special type of hard drive called a server, which is able to handle requests from browsers (people) who want to see your site. We’ve chosen the below list of hosting partners for their reliability, cost and security.
If you are a service-based business, we will set up hosting your site through Webflow:
- Webflow also serves as your content management system in addition to your hosting provider
- The cost is $595 annually.
- Please note: there is a potential increase if your needs extend beyond the coverage provided in this plan. Examples include: if you need high security, extra high bandwidth, more than one content editor, file uploads in your forms, or >100,000 monthly visitors.
If you are a product-based business, we will host your site through Shopify:
- You can expect to pay$30/month (or $80/month depending on any additional, optional services)
- We will set up your hosting account when we move into the programming phase of your project—typically about 2-3 weeks before launch. When we get to this phase you can follow this link to sign up.
Note: There may be exceptions to using Webflow or Shopify, but we will discuss that with you specifically if it becomes relevant to your website.
Setting Up Your Email:
We strongly encourage you to invest in a custom email address for your new site, like info@yoursite.com or hello@yoursite.com
- A customized email address that includes your domain name is more professional and trustworthy.
- According to a GoDaddy poll from Feb 2016, “75% of consumers say an email address matching your domain vs. a generic email is critical to trusting a small business.”
- Custom emails can be purchased from a variety of sources online - GoDaddy, Gmail, Wix to name a few.
Please provide us with your new business email address(s).
Note: If you purchased your Domain through domains.google, adding an email account is easy. Expect to pay $5 per user per month.
Google Analytics & Google My Business
Click the above link for instructions and our thoughts around these two tools!
MailChimp or other Email Marketing Service:
We encourage all businesses to maintain an email list for current and prospective clients. Using a service like MailChimp or Constant Contact allows you to send out professional, branded emails—and allows your access to email marketing performance metrics. We feel using an email service is critical to growing your audience and driving traffic to your website.
Why Email Marketing?
- Email has a greater reach than any other marketing (and at a much lower price point)
- Email drives conversions—more traffic to your website which leads to more sales
- It's easily customizable—share news, sales and promotions with a quick update to a template
- Everyone is digital—email marketing goes straight to your audiences’ most common form of communication.
- Your email list is YOURS! Unlike other audiences and followings that might be owned by another platform, and controlled by unpredictable algorithms.
Our favorite mailing list service is MailChimp. If you would like to sign up (which we strongly encourage) please follow this link. It’s also free until you reach 2000 subscribers. After setting up this account please add your username and password to the Passwords + Logins document in your Google folder. For added security we also request either setting security questions as a verification method (if you have a free account plan), or you can add us as administrators in your account (paid plans only) so we can bypass the two-step identity verification. Here are instructions on adding DesignGood (designgoodproject@gmail.com) as an administrator: https://eepurl.com/dyimdf.
Third-Party Tools
If you are using a third-party tool to book classes, appointments or workshops (like Booker, SimplePractice or MINDBODY) we will need your account information so we can get this integrated into your new site.
All done!
As a reminder, please share your login credentials with us in the Passwords + Logins document in your Client Folder in Google Drive (we’ve also sent a link to this folder in the email accompanying this document). We will need access to your accounts while we set up your website, but you are welcome to change the passwords after we’re finished. Please do not email or text your login credentials to us.
We will be in constant communication with you during the design and setup of your website, but if you have any questions along the way regarding these accounts, please reach out to our team.