Not every aspect of your web presence will be free. However, the basics such as domain name, hosting, and email marketing software only cost about the same price as a trip to the grocery store for a family of 4. That’s per YEAR.
Here are some low-cost and free resources to get going with your web presence and start content marketing:
You need a blog if you want to self manage your website and upload content on your own. For that you must have 1. a domain name and 2. hosting.
I recommend Network Solutions for hosting and GoDaddy for domain names.
After you activate your hosting, you must immediately install WordPress. WordPress is where all of your website’s pages, posts and content are kept.
(Most hosts can help you with installation, OR you may find a one-click WordPress install inside your web host’s main control panel. Reach out to me if you need help with this after purchasing your hosting package. Make sure to have your customer login handy so I can help you right away.)
2. Start collecting email addresses:
Use a permission-based manager to build your list. I love Aweber and so do my colleagues. You can do things like give subscribers full control via email, segment your lists by niche, set up autoresponders to offer free opt-in gifts, run fun challenges, send out an email newsletter and much more.)
This is where those little subscriber sign-up forms comes from, in case you didn’t know. They come with a handy blurb of HTML or Javascript code that I or you copy into your site’s pages to make the form show up.
3. Find awesome free images to use in your blog and marketing:
Pexels.com, Unsplash.com, many more
4. Design e-books using this open-source layout program:
Scribus.net – which functions a lot like QuarkXpress if you were a user of that program back in the day, which I was. Of course, you can also create ebooks in MS Word or Publisher.
5. Sell e-books:
Paypal and E-Junkie.com provide a seamless, hand-off experience that allows your web visitors to purchase and download ebooks from you via email. (You have to use these programs together or the buyer won’t be able to download their product)
If you want to get high end with your course (ever buy one of the courses from Daily Om, for example?) I would go with a professional, all-in-one course creation software such as offered by Ruzuku. I did their free trial and it’s honestly incredible.
6. Design beautiful, high quality graphics at the touch of a button:
Take a shortcut to creating beautiful, professional quality graphics – yes, even your company logo. Canva offers beautiful, customizable templates and they’re even customized to fit blog header and Facebook banner specs.