08 Jan How to start your own website – Part 2
Posted
in Getting started
If you have read my previous piece on starting your own website, then not only will you understand why it is so important, but you will also know that getting a domain name and organising hosting are your first priorities. After you have completed these tasks, what are the next things you should focus on?
USING YOUR WEBSITE AS A LINK AGGREGATOR
When you are building your first website, you may be tempted to build everything you dream of into it on day one. Although you can outsource the building and maintenance of your website in the early stages, I think it is good to be as hands-on as you can possibly be. Building websites is not what it used to be; my first website cost thousands of dollars, and a highly specialised tech person. Now, by using platforms based off WordPress (Sidenote: NOT WordPress – they are not adult-friendly), it is a case of just using drag and drop blocks, with available templates providing a bit extra in the way of structure.
With your website’s first iteration, think of it like your own personal link aggregator. Linktree and AllMyLinks are link aggregators, so if you already use one of these, think about designing the landing page of your website in the same way. Have all your current links set up so that visitors can click on them and be taken to your sites. Using your website’s home page as a link aggregator protects you from any issues with Terms of Service (ToS) changes on existing platforms. However, current link aggregator sites such as Linktree have said they are committed to continuing to support adult content creators. we know that this can change. Having full control over your own site is your insurance policy.
DON’T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT HOW IT LOOKS
One of the things that may stifle you working on your website is worrying about getting it looking nice. Although aesthetics are important, getting it up and working should be your primary goal. It does not need to have the height of features and all the added extras when you first start. The good thing about building your site yourself is that you can change things as you go. If you decide you would like to try a different colour scheme or layout, this is something you can work on without having to pay someone to do something that you may not like in the end. We know that websites run by individuals have upgrades and changes, especially in the early stages. Don’t allow perfectionism to stop you from starting.
One thing to keep in mind is to make sure your website functions on desktop as well as on mobile. Traffic from mobile devices continues to increase every year, so making sure your site works fast and effectively on mobile devices is important. The platform you use to build your site should give you the option to preview the site in mobile, and give you important analytics to its performance on different devices.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO INCORPORATE A BLOG
Most websites now have blogs as part of their setup. Why? There are several reasons as to why incorporating a blog on your site is imperative. It is a great way of connecting with your visitors and directing traffic out to content hosted elsewhere, and it is a cornerstone of developing your site’s search engine optimisation (SEO). Optimising your site in this way is how it will become at the top of search engine results, and blogs provide key components that will increase the rank in searches.
You may not think you have anything to contribute with a blog on your site, but you are wildly underestimating what you can produce that will add value. More on that another time!
Rem Sequence is an Australian adult content creator, blogger and internationally published alt model. She has a background in psychology, philosophy and political science and has worked in health and sex education, youth work and trauma counseling for almost two decades.
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If you have read my previous piece on starting your own website, then not only will you understand why it is so important, but you will also know that getting a domain name and organising hosting are your first priorities. After you have completed these tasks, what are the next things you should focus on?
USING YOUR WEBSITE AS A LINK AGGREGATOR
When you are building your first website, you may be tempted to build everything you dream of into it on day one. Although you can outsource the building and maintenance of your website in the early stages, I think it is good to be as hands-on as you can possibly be. Building websites is not what it used to be; my first website cost thousands of dollars, and a highly specialised tech person. Now, by using platforms based off WordPress (Sidenote: NOT WordPress – they are not adult-friendly), it is a case of just using drag and drop blocks, with available templates providing a bit extra in the way of structure.
With your website’s first iteration, think of it like your own personal link aggregator. Linktree and AllMyLinks are link aggregators, so if you already use one of these, think about designing the landing page of your website in the same way. Have all your current links set up so that visitors can click on them and be taken to your sites. Using your website’s home page as a link aggregator protects you from any issues with Terms of Service (ToS) changes on existing platforms. However, current link aggregator sites such as Linktree have said they are committed to continuing to support adult content creators. we know that this can change. Having full control over your own site is your insurance policy.
DON’T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT HOW IT LOOKS
One of the things that may stifle you working on your website is worrying about getting it looking nice. Although aesthetics are important, getting it up and working should be your primary goal. It does not need to have the height of features and all the added extras when you first start. The good thing about building your site yourself is that you can change things as you go. If you decide you would like to try a different colour scheme or layout, this is something you can work on without having to pay someone to do something that you may not like in the end. We know that websites run by individuals have upgrades and changes, especially in the early stages. Don’t allow perfectionism to stop you from starting.
One thing to keep in mind is to make sure your website functions on desktop as well as on mobile. Traffic from mobile devices continues to increase every year, so making sure your site works fast and effectively on mobile devices is important. The platform you use to build your site should give you the option to preview the site in mobile, and give you important analytics to its performance on different devices.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO INCORPORATE A BLOG
Most websites now have blogs as part of their setup. Why? There are several reasons as to why incorporating a blog on your site is imperative. It is a great way of connecting with your visitors and directing traffic out to content hosted elsewhere, and it is a cornerstone of developing your site’s search engine optimisation (SEO). Optimising your site in this way is how it will become at the top of search engine results, and blogs provide key components that will increase the rank in searches.
You may not think you have anything to contribute with a blog on your site, but you are wildly underestimating what you can produce that will add value. More on that another time!
Rem Sequence is an Australian adult content creator, blogger and internationally published alt model. She has a background in psychology, philosophy and political science and has worked in health and sex education, youth work and trauma counseling for almost two decades.