Do I need to register my own domain?
If you do not yet have a domain, do it on your own. Whoever registers your domain owns it, and you should own your domain for your own good, always. Unfortunately, relationships end, sometimes poorly, and you don’t want to lose your domain or lose control of your domain. It’s really easy to register, takes 5 minutes, and any registrar would be happy to walk you through the process if you need support. (Click here to register your domain now).
If you already have a domain, and own it, great, nothing more to do!
If you already have a domain, and someone else owns it, feel free to be in touch with us to discuss options, or reach out to the owner and ask about transferring it.
What is hosting?
This is the rent you pay for keeping your website online. It is important to have a host you can count on, so your website is reliable and secure at all times.
How do I know what host to count on?
We always update our recommendations based on our experiences, and currently, we suggest BlueHost for start up sites. If you’re interested in self-hosting a WordPress website for your small business (we recommend), then use Bluehost. Not only are they recommended specifically by WordPress.org, they offer 24/7 support with staff who will be able to answer any of your WordPress questions or concerns. You get a free domain, a free SSL certificate, their interface is user friendly, and you can install a WordPress website with just one-click. You also have 30 days to change your mind and request a refund if you’re not satisfied. Follow these simple steps to sign up now.
Can I just use a free WordPress theme?
Please don’t. For so many reasons. If you book time with us, we can rant about this for a while. Free themes are limited and restrict customization, offer little to no support, and are usually not updated. The WordPress themes that we recommend are a one-time cost of $60-$120, are mobile responsive, SEO optimized, come with free updates and theme support from the developers, are simple to setup and customize, and will likely still cause some headaches, but will set you up for success. Well worth the small investment.
Can I use SquareSpace or Shopify or Wix to make my business website?
Of course you can, but we don’t recommend it any of these platforms for many reasons. WordPress is great for a simple blog as much as a full corporate website. WordPress is more versatile, more customizable, and overall costs are less. The SquareSpace, Wix and Shopify platforms may seem more beautiful and more user-friendly for a beginner, but WordPress offers MUCH better value and efficiencies in the long run. The most common complaint we hear is that WordPress developers can charge enormous fees to set up and maintain a WordPress website, but you don’t need a developer to build a Borden Formula simple branded website – by the time you take into account the many limitations and sales tricks that SquareSpace, Wix and Shopify employ, and take monthly pricing into account, we recommend spending some the time upfront to learn to navigate. You can do it on your own, in under and hour! The WordPress themes we recommend come with great theme instructions and FREE support so you can easily do it on your own. Trust us, we can only tell you about this because we count on it all ourselves, and we’ve helped so many clients save money, save their sanity and give them control over their online presence.
Can I have a “Shop” on my WordPress website?
Yes, of course, you can have anything you want with WordPress! We recommend using WooCommerce. It’s secure, reliable, and free (also what we currently rely on)!
Why did you create The Borden Formula?
The Borden Formula is the result of years of doing branding and business development, and needing to get our clients online, looking professional, at a very low cost….quickly. After many headaches, much research and trial and error, we created a solution– and such a simple one.
We began by creating websites for our own projects that were just as good, if not better than anything a developer was building for us at the time, in terms of small budget sites. Best of all, they were a fraction of the price we were paying to have someone else do the work, and after understanding the process, we could complete a website in under an hour! We knew if we could build a great website following these instructions, anyone could. We are really proud of our learning, and even more proud to share with you.
Are you website developers?
Absolutely not – more like problem identifiers and solution finders and sharers. Our solution is affordable, quick and easy to build and customize, works as a simple landing page to a full robust website, is mobile responsive, and SEO optimized. You don’t need to learn, read, write or understand code or technology to build a Borden Formula website.
We continue to build new websites following these same, simple instructions, we’ve had many clients build their own websites using our formula, and many people we haven’t yet met or made contact with have successfully built their own Borden Formula websites too.
If there’s something above and beyond our capabilities that we, or you, want to add to a website, then that is where to spend with a developer. Save your budget for the things you can’t easily do yourself.