Starting your website is a lot easier than you think. I know. I've done it.

We all know just how important a work/life balance is to our wellbeing.

After many months of lockdown and quarantine, many of us have experienced working from home and increased workplace flexibility. And work flexibility is one of the best ways to improve your work/life balance. It's much easier to find time for yourself when you're not devoting time to commuting.

Naturally, many of us are seeking a way to make things even more flexible. So, the next logical move? Take the leap and work for yourself.

And it seems like many of us have had the same idea. Recent data from GoDaddy (the word's largest domain registrar) show that lockdown has triggered something of a family venture boom.

30 percent of us are starting or growing a business from lockdown. And 41 percent of those are doing it with a family member. And that's because getting your side hustle up and running is an amazing way to pursue a passion, make a little bit of cash of on the side and maybe even set yourself up with a career for the future.

So, how to get started?

Once you have your idea, probably the next most important step is getting your website up and running.

One of the first things that people will do when they hear about your business is Google it. Which means, you'll need a website. And this is where you will need a service like GoDaddy - I know, I've used it.

I actually have my very own side hustle -  a shared blog that I have with my partner. A personal space to write about our lives, travels and whatever else comes to mind. We came up for the idea one evening sitting in a small town square in Capri. The network connectivity in the area was terrible, but we were so inspired by our location and travels that we were determined to get our website up right in that moment.

We logged onto GoDaddy on our phones while sitting at tiny restaurant table under the lights of the piazza. We brainstormed names and each time were able to use GoDaddy to search if the domain name was available. We had a few in mind, and GoDaddy showed us what was taken and what domains were maybe a little too out of our price range.

By the time we'd finished our meal, our GoDaddy account was set up, our website name was set in stone and our domain purchased.

It's such a small step, but actually taking it was the starting point towards building our own online space - something we'd talked about for years. And it was easy enough that we were able to do it on a phone in the middle of an Italian island. GoDaddy will take your through, step by step.

 

What you need from a domain registrar

This is the service that will allow you to register and secure your website name. But it need to do more than that, because there's a lot more to securing a website than simply picking a name.

A domain registrar needs to be a one-stop. Especially if you're not particularly tech savvy - like me.

GoDaddy has all tools, products and support in one place. It's extremely user-friendly and even has 24/7 customer support over the phone. It has website and marketing templates and offers hosting for 99% of domains - but you can connect GoDaddy to wordpress or SquareSpace if you prefer. You can also use it to get your SSL certificate, which is what allows your website to be a 'https' rather than a 'http' - this is actually really important if you want to appear in Google search results.

GoDaddy is the world's largest domain registrar, with currently 80 million domains under management and 20 million customers - including me. 20 million people can't be wrong.

If you want to use GoDaddy, RUSSH has an exclusive discount code for 30% off - ENJOY30OFF

Next you'll want to read our guide on exactly how to get your business up and running. Including information about loans and capital. Go forth and make your dreams a reality.