Congratulations on wanting to create your own website. And by the fact that you are here, it means you aren’t just looking for just another site on the web. You are looking for a perfect website that can bring you readers and sales.

It is rare to find people like you who are constantly looking for the best ways to build a website.

And in this article, I want to reveal a checklist you will use to create your own website.

Why checklists (create your own website)?

Well, first I love checklists.

They make complex situations manageable by breaking the huge tasks into small pieces you can easily complete.

The thing is:

Checklists have this way of nicely laying out everything you need. Think of it as a roadmap. Without a roadmap, your chances of getting to your destination are slim.

I know how it feels when creating your own website, especially if you have never done this before. You feel completely lost and have no idea where to start.

This ends today.

One more thing:

When creating a website, there are some things you think you need and then there are things you actually need.

Here, I will reveal what you actually need and what you don’t need. Such that, you’d spend less time spinning your wheels because that never gets you anywhere.

Let me make this clear right off the bat.

If you are looking to create a website where you don’t accept any form of online payments, don’t need any sort of online booking, or a membership site, then this checklist is for you.

#1 – Get a domain name

A domain name is the address people will be using to access your website. As such, it is often the first thing you need to create your own website.

Because without it, you don’t have a website.

How do you get a domain name in South Africa?

Well, there are two ways you can get a domain name

One, purchasing it. And no, it doesn’t cost thousands of rand. See the prices of domain names here.

Two, get a free domain name when you order a web hosting package. That’s right, every hosting plan on Truehost.africa gets free .co.za domain name.

Also, you will need to pick the best website name, use this article to guide you on how to do that exactly.

#2 – acquire web hosting

Web hosting like a home to your website. It is where your website files will be stored.

Web hosting comprises servers, special computers tasked with storing website data and making retrieval easy for anyone requesting it using your domain name.

And that is why a domain name is vital: it links your website with the hosting servers.

Now, running a server is a tedious job that needs a lot of resources and manpower. Luckily, you don’t have to do it from your home. There are web hosting providers in South Africa that can do that on your behalf and at a small fee.

All you have to do is choose a web hosting package that suits your needs.

With that in mind, here is an article showing you some of the cheapest web hosting packages in South Africa.

#3 – get a business email address

If you are serious about building a sustainable online business, you will need a professional email address.

Tell me something:

Which of the following emails would you reply really fast?

“[email protected]” or

“[email protected]”

The first one looks like it belongs to a spammer out here to disturb your peace. I know that sounds judgemental, but that is how people think. I sure do too.

If you want to create your own website, earn trust, and build credibility, start with a business email address.

How?

Simple.

Either get a G Suite in South Africa or use your own domain name.

#4 – decide on website building software

You will need a software to create your own website.

Lucky for you, there are several popular web builders you can choose from:

• WordPress
• Wix
• Weebly

Also, if you don’t want to hire a web developer, we have a free website builder in South Africa.

It will help you create a professional site even if you don’t know how to code.

#5 – choose a website template

A website template is a ready-made website design you can easily use to create your own website in South Africa.

If you are using our site builder, you will have access to hundreds of premade-website templates.

This way, you save thousands of rand you would have otherwise spent on hiring a web developer.

Here is a guide on how to use a website builder.

#6 – get high-quality images

There is a magic way to build a beautiful website without a designer, can you guess?

It is using unique and high-quality images.

That’s right.

High-quality images will make your new website look 100X better.

And if you are not a professional photographer like, you will need an alternative option to source the images.

Here are some places you can check:

• Pexels
• Unsplash
• 500px
• GettyImages.com
• Pixabay

#7 – Get Google Analytics account

To be able to grow your website to thousands of visitors, you first need to understand how they interact with your website.

You need to know things:

• Number of visitors
• Top pages and posts
• How long the readers stay on your site

These and other data come from Google Analytics.

With such data on your hands, you can easily plan and adjust when need be.

For example:

If you find that a certain post on your website receives a lot of attention, you can replicate the post to come up with more like it.

What to do next

Here is what you should do now:

Get a web hosting package (comes with free domain name) and start building your website now.

Best domain registrar in South Africa: Step by Step Guide in 2020

Are you looking for the best domain registrar in South Africa?

Well, you are in the right place.

In this article, here is what you are going to learn about:

• How to pick the best domain name (tips with examples)
• How to register your domain name on Truehost South Africa (Step by step with pictures)
• Why we are the best in domain registration
• How to get a FREE domain name in South Africa

With said, I assume that you have already picked a domain name because you couldn’t be looking for the best domain registration in South Africa if you hadn’t, right?

Or better yet, you are researching as you prepare to build your website in the coming days.

How to pick the best domain name in South Africa

It doesn’t matter because I want to walk you through the process of picking the best website name.

And yes, it is such a big deal.

Here is the thing:

You can’t just wake up one day and pick a domain name out of nowhere. And I will show you why in a moment.

But for now, let it stick that you need to sit down and think about your website name.

Why does it matter?

Here are some of the reasons why:

• Brand visibility

Your website name is your chance to represent your brand. Here is what you don’t know, the domain name is what readers see first when they visit your blog.

For that reason, you need to build a positive first impression

• Almost impossible to change a name

It costs a huge amount of money and resources to change a website name.

If you don’t get it right at first, you don’t have a second chance of renaming it (unless you register a completely new name with the best domain registrar in South Africa).

So I guess what I am saying is, don’t rush thinking you will change later if it doesn’t fit.

• Boosts SEO efforts

If you get your domain name right, it can be a plus when the time comes to optimize the website for search engines.

There is what we call Exact Match Domains (EMD). This is when you use a keyword representing your niche on the domain name.

A niche is a topic or industry you want to serve.

For example, if you intend to build a website targeting people looking to lose weight, your website name could be something like WeightLossTips.com.

Do you get the point?

As such, when someone searches for weight loss tips, there is a higher chance of your website showing up in the SERP’s first page, thanks to that keyword on your domain name.

And now you are thinking, why isn’t everyone doing it?

Pay attention

Well, it turns out, Google does not ‘like’ such names because people started abusing it.

As a result, they made an update to their algorithm that discouraged people from using such techniques. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. It still works.

Now that you understand why you need to pay attention to the kind of website name you pick, here are some tips you should consider during this process.

Tips to consider when picking a website name in South Africa

Tip #1: pick a name that is easy to type

Remember, a huge percentage of your readers will have to type the website name to access your site.

Tell me this, if the name is something unheard of and hard to type, will they succeed?

I don’t think so.

Picking an easy name is #1 step to having online success. Such that your visitors won’t have to struggle when typing the name.

Tip #2: use keywords

We have talked about this and said that keywords help you rank better. For this reason, you should use keywords that describe your business in your domain name.

For example:

If you are running a plumbing business in Johannesburg, you can use PlumbingInJohannesburg.com.

That sounds better and easy to type.

Tip #3: Avoid the use of hyphens or numbers

You know, things like Domain-Name.co.za or Domain2.com.

You see, whenever people hear the name, they don’t know whether you mean a numeral (2) or two. Or, they can sometimes forget to type the hyphen and end up on a completely different website.

Do you want that to happen?

That is what I thought.

Stick to words only!

Tip #4: think about the domain extensions

Look at this example:

Truehost.africa

The first part is the domain name of one of the best domain registrar in South Africa. And the last part is the domain extension.

In fact, there are hundreds if not thousands of domain extensions you can use.

However, I suggest you stick with the most popular ones like .com, .org, .net.

Here is a tip:

If you are targeting an audience from a certain country, use country-specific extensions like .za for South Africa. Others include, .UK for the United Kingdom, .KE for Kenya and so on.

There are other domain extensions. For example, .biz, .me, .co etc.

Use these tips to brainstorm several name ideas. At least a list of five possible website names.

Why?

Domain names sell really fast.

As a result, you may find your chosen name already registered by someone else. In such cases, don’t worry because all you have to do is go back to your list and pick another name.

Once you have your list ready, here is a step by step on how to register a domain name in South Africa:

How to register a domain name in South Africa

This is a guide on how to register a website name with one of the best domain registrar in South Africa.

For this guide, I will be trying to register RegWebsiteName as my hypothetical ‘website name’ just to show you how to do it.

Step 1: Visit https://truehost.africa on your browser

Step 2: Type in the name on the search bar as shown below. Then click Search & Register Domain Name to continue

You will be taken to a window where you can search to see if the name is available or it is already registered by someone else.

Step 3: Hit search

• 

If the domain is taken, you will get this message.

And it means you cannot register it because it belongs to someone else now.

But if it available, you will get this message

Step 4: You can proceed with domain registration by clicking Add to cart if you want the .com extension. If not, select the preferred domain extension

Choose one based on your needs and budget.

Now, since this guide is to only show you how to register a domain name with the best domain registrar in South Africa, I won’t delve into how to add a web hosting plan. There is another guide showing you how to do that.

To continue, click add to cart.

Step 5: Click on Checkout

You will be taken to the domain configuration page. This is where you can review your domain name and even add some add-ons if you need them

Additionally, you can use custom nameservers here if you want. But by default, your domain name will use our nameservers

If you are satisfied with what you are seeing, click Continue

Step 6: review and checkout

Here, you can have a look at what’s in your cart: the website name

Choose the currency if you didn’t earlier

Use the promotion code if you have one here

Step 7: Billing details

This is where you create an account if you don’t have one already. Provide your valid names, phone number, and a valid email address.

Remember to use your primary email address. Because we will use it to send details about the domain name after a successful registration

And provide your valid billing address

Create a strong and hard to guess password. Better yet, click on Generate to get the safest password

Step 8: domain registration information

What information would you want to be shown when you register the domain name?

You can choose to use what you have already provided above. Or provide an alternative. Use the box below to do that

Step 9: Payment method

This is where you select your preferred mode of payment. We have two methods: Bank cards and PayPal

Step 10: Join our email list

Consider joining our email list by turning on the button. Here, we share exclusive content and deals you can’t find anywhere else. And don’t worry, you can unsubscribe any time

Step 11: Additional notes

Do you have any other information you’d like to be included in your order? Well, go ahead and enter them here

Final step

Step 12: Checkout

See your order summary here (top right corner of your screen)

And click Checkout.

On the next page, you will be guided on how to complete the payment of your domain name in South Africa.

Know this:

The instructions you get are based on the payment method you chose earlier. Complete the process and check your email (one used to open the account) for registration details as well as the payment receipt.

Why is Truehost the best domain registrar in South Africa?

Well, to brag but, we are actually the best. Just look at some of the benefits you get:

• If you already got a domain name, you can transfer it for FREE to us
• One of the best and exclusive domain prices in South Africa
• A safe and secure system where you even get a 2FA to keep hackers away
• You get a special discount when you buy domain names in bulk
• A team of experts in standby waiting to help you 24/7

These and much more are why we are the best domain registrar in South Africa.

Moving on, earlier, I had promised to reveal how to get a free domain name in South Africa.

Well, it is time.

How to get a free domain name in South Africa

If you are looking for free domains in South Africa, there is only one way you can get it.

And that is to purchase a web hosting package.

Yes.

We are that good.

Besides offering the cheapest web hosting packages in South Africa, you also get a free .co.za domain name with every package you buy.

As if that is not enough, if you purchase a hosting package and you don’t like it, don’t fret. Why?

Because we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

You also get things like free SSL which is crucial nowadays, thanks to Google’s algorithm update favoring secure sites on the search results pages.

Final thoughts on domain registration in South Africa

Registering a website in South Africa can’t get better than this.

Imagine enjoying one of the best domain registrar companies in South Africa. A seamless process with no headaches.

And on top of that, cheapest domain prices you cannot find anywhere else.

What are you waiting for?

Register a domain name here now.