Your domain name is the url people will type into their browser to access your site. Your domain can also be used as a professional email, like anything@yourdomain.com.

There are many domain name providers out there with different offerings and pricing styles. Sometimes it's best to bundle your domain with the hosting platform that you will make your site on, they typically have this option and make it easy for you to link the two.

Before you get too far, make sure the domain is available. Check easily by typing it into one of these

• https://www.name.com/domain/search/

• https://ca.godaddy.com/domainsearch/

Any domain checker will also try and sell you said domain or link you through to their affiliated site. If you aren’t ready to make the site, but want to lock down the name of your great idea, then consider reserving it sooner rather than later. Nothing worse than finding out someone already took that name or handle from you.

The first year of your domain purchase can be quite low, they try and reel you in with something crazy like a $2.99 first year. Check what the regular rate will become when your first year is up, I promise time goes by much faster than you think, expect this to be a regular payment for a looooong time. Budget $30-50 annually for your domain, security protection (of your personal information), and even more if you want to host email.

You don’t need to know how to code to run your website! There are so many tools out there that help us create websites, some will be easier than others—it really depends on what the site’s purpose is, and how much detail you want in designing it.

Find a specific site that you like, and start seeing how they made it. You can plug any website into https://builtwith.com and see exactly what platform, theme, and plugins they’re using.

You might have heard of some web builders like Elementor for WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, and more. What you need to look into are the base templates available on each platform and finding one that suits your brand.

Each will have its own learning curve, but generally, people can learn to manage the website themselves after it’s been made. If you ever run into an issue I’ll always just be one message away from fixing it.

My preferred platform, at the moment, is SquareSpace. I like its features and usability. I bundled my site and domain for a deal, they typically have 20% off codes floating around. Email me for my affiliate code.