Having helped a number of people set up websites using WordPress, I would recommend it instead of GoDaddy's own site builder.
WordPress is very well established with over 61% share of the CMS (Content Management System) Market , it has a huge community and a very simple plug and play interface to add extra features.
If you go down the WordPress route, I can In Shaa Allah post some instructions to get you started, basically outlining the different steps needed.
SubhanAllah, alhamdulillah. MashaAllah, nothing comes easy.
Alhamdulillah, it took me quite some time to adjust the template to my liking and now... well, off to the laptop to see before I get too worked up.
Don't waste time or money on SEO. Work on contents. Wordpress will take care of SEO itself. For google to take your site seriously, you must have links on other domains (sites). That's why people register on here and try to post links with hardly any information. As long as the link is there, they've built reputation.
Paid SEO = 80% scam
Adwords will get you visitors but it will not increase page ranking on search engines
Masha'Allah, excellent help brothers. JazakAllah khayran to you all.
A question I have now is: given that the service (small business) can only be offered in a specific location, do I need to worry about page ranking on search engines (viewed worldwide) or should I focus on getting visitors through tools such as AdWords (I believe this is targeted based on location and that would really serve my purpose). Alhamdulillah, yesterday I set up LinedIn and Facebook pages for the business with very basic information but neglected to link back to the website from FB - will do now insha'Allah. Insha'Allah social media will help get the 'word' out too.
About the website itself: alhamdulillah, masha'Allah, I created a simple and clean website that was to my liking and took me a fair bit of tweaking to get 'just right.' Nice, but what's the point if I'm the only one looking at it! So, insha'Allah if there is no other way to do this (keeping the site as-is on Website Builder) - the planned next steps are:
(1) painstakingly save the contents (copy/paste);
(2) call GD support and switch from Website Builder to WordPress;
(3) choose a WP theme and paste all the contents onto new pages on WP.
Insha'Allah, once I get through the first 2 steps, I will post again for assistance as needed.
What would those with experience suggest:
(1) keep as is (to avoid hassle) and simply focus on getting traffic to the site; or,
(2) keep as is but continue to look for ways to optimize page rating on Website Builder; or
(3) switch to WordPress, continue working on getting traffic to site but also get a higher page rating.
SubhanAllah, I wondered why some in the same field were writing articles and keeping blogs. It just seemed like a lot of relatively unnecessary (at least in the short-term) work. Alhamdulillah, it makes sense now. Not only might it be beneficial in the long-run, it gives the client confidence but also boosts page ranking and opens the door for others in the field to want to cross-advertise (increasing traffic to the site).
Alhamdulillah, the deed is done and I have copied my website content and switched from Website Builder to Managed WordPress. Insha'Allah I will tinker around with it tonight and tomorrow but might need some help. Insha'Allah I will post here before Ramadan and have the site up within the next day or two, before Ramadan.
Insha'Allah, after Ramadan, I will try to collate the helpful tips and steps in a single post for those who may find themselves in a similar situation in the future.
JazakAllah khayran to everyone who posted and offered assistance, and those who assisted with du'aas. May Allah Ta'aala reward you each and every one of you and your families abundantly - both here and in the akhirah - with all that is good and preserve you all in good health and the highest of imaan. Ameen.
JazakAllah khayran for the suggestion. Alhamdulillah, I created LinkedIn (li) and Facebook accounts linking back to the site and I'll look at some others as well. The audience I am targeting is, for the most part, a single profession.
Alhamdulillah, neither the site nor any social media links contain images of animate beings on my part; however, nearly everyone has a picture of themselves on li.
Insha'Allah, the intention is to generate halal income.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
We apologise but you have been denied access to report posts in this thread. This could be due to excessively reporting posts and not understanding our forum rules. For assistance or information, please use the forum help thread to request more information. Jazakallah