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Website Best Practices, Friday 15: Small Business Tips

Let’s get back to the basics. I’m dedicating today’s post to helping you make the most of your website. In these two Friday 15 lesson spotlights, we’ll teach you about 1. choosing that perfect domain name for your website, and 2. tips to develop a game plan to make sure your website helps you achieve your business goals.

Sit down, grab a cup of joe, and enjoy these Friday 15: Small Business Tips to help your business succeed online.

Lesson Highlight: Choose the right domain name for your business

A domain name is your online address. It’s important to think carefully before selecting a domain name for your business website because this is how people will find you on the web.

Domain names usually start with a “www” and end with an extension like “.com” or “.net.” This lesson covers tips for choosing the words that fall in the middle, like www.OrganicCity.com. Some highlights:

Choose a domain that is on the shorter side, easy to spell, and easy for people to remember.

Choose the “.com” extension if available. It’s usually easiest for people to remember.

Once you register a domain, don’t let the registration expire. You can register a domain for a year or more. But, if you forget to renew, someone else can register it, and use it for their own website.

Through the Get Your Business Online offer, you can get a domain name free for one year by creating a website. Just visit: www.gybo.com.

Want to learn more? Check out the full video lesson here.

Lesson Highlight: Designing your website with goals in mind

Before creating your website, make a list of your business goals. The list might include things like “sell this super-cool toy” or “fill every table at my restaurant, every night we’re open,” or “start booking appointments through my website.” Whatever success means to you, your website should be an important tool in helping you get there.

This lesson talks about how to make your website part of your marketing strategy, not simply an online brochure. Even if you have a website already, this lesson can give you ideas for improvements. Even simple changes, like putting your phone number at the top of each page, can make a big difference. You’ll also learn about Google Analytics, a free tool for tracking and measuring success.

Learn more by watching the video lesson here.

Check out these lessons, and view more tips for growing your business online at >www.gybo.com/friday15.

Don’t forget to sign up to receive new lessons directly in your inbox, and make it a habit to grow your business online with Friday 15: Small Business Tips.

If you missed our March blog post about hashtags, check it out here.

On behalf of the entire Get Your Business Online team, I wish you great success growing your business.

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Whitney Lemon – Friday 15 Host, Google Small Business Engagement

Whitney hosts Friday 15: Small Business Tips, Google’s series to help small businesses succeed online, in 15 minutes or less. Friday 15 is part of Google’s Get Your Business Online program, providing small businesses with a custom domain name and web hosting- free for one year.

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