It's not too late, but it might be soon...

Summary

This video emphasizes the importance of having a website for various groups, including business owners, side hustlers, YouTubers, artists, and job seekers. It argues that a website enhances credibility, facilitates search engine optimization, captures leads, and allows for hosting and selling content directly. The speaker provides a step-by-step guide on setting up a website using Cloudways, highlighting its scalability and cost-effectiveness, and offers a special promo for viewers.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Everyone needs a website, from business owners to individuals with a side hustle, as it establishes an online presence and brand identity.
• 🛍️ For Amazon sellers, having a website can help transform a seller profile into a recognizable brand and provide a platform for direct customer engagement.
• 🏠 Property owners, especially those with Airbnb listings, can benefit from a personal website to bypass platform fees and offer a direct booking option.
• 🎨 Artists, photographers, musicians, and other creatives should have a website to showcase their portfolio and establish credibility with potential clients.
• 🏈 Athletes seeking recruitment and individuals in the performing arts can use a website to present a professional image and make their work easily accessible.
• 💼 Job seekers can enhance their professional profile with a personal website, offering a more comprehensive view of their skills and experiences than a resume or LinkedIn profile.
• 🗓️ The timing for creating a website is now, as immediate online availability is crucial for credibility and discoverability in today's digital age.
• 💡 The 'why' behind having a website includes establishing credibility, leveraging search engine optimization (SEO), capturing leads, and owning customer data.
• 🛒 A personal website allows for the hosting of all desired content in the preferred format and the direct sale of products or services without third-party fees.
• 🔧 The script provides a brief tutorial on setting up a website using Cloudways, emphasizing ease of use, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
• 🔗 Cloudways is highlighted as the hosting platform of choice for the video creator, offering features like free migration assistance and a free trial period.

Q & A

Why does the speaker claim that everyone needs a website?

The speaker claims that everyone needs a website because it establishes a professional online presence, allows for better search engine optimization, and provides a platform to showcase one's work or services, which is essential in today's digital age.

What are some examples of groups that the speaker mentions as needing a website?

The speaker mentions business owners, side hustlers, property renters (like Airbnb owners), YouTubers, athletes, actors, artists, and job seekers as examples of groups that could benefit from having a website.

How can a website help a business owner with a side hustle?

A website can help a business owner with a side hustle by providing a branded online presence that they own, allowing them to establish their brand identity, showcase their products or services, and potentially increase sales by driving traffic away from third-party platforms like Amazon.

What is the potential benefit of having a website for property renters?

For property renters, a website can offer additional exposure beyond platforms like Airbnb. It can provide direct booking options, allow guests to leave reviews on Google, and potentially reduce fees associated with listing on third-party platforms.

Why should YouTubers have a website according to the speaker?

YouTubers should have a website to expand their online presence beyond the YouTube platform. It allows them to showcase their work more comprehensively, capture leads, and potentially monetize their audience in ways that are not possible on YouTube alone.

What is the advantage of having a personal website for athletes, actors, and artists?

A personal website allows athletes, actors, and artists to showcase their portfolio and body of work in a professional manner. It makes their work easily accessible and discoverable by recruiters, fans, or potential clients, enhancing their credibility and visibility.

How can a personal website benefit job seekers?

A personal website for job seekers can serve as an extended portfolio that goes beyond a resume or LinkedIn profile. It allows them to demonstrate their skills, experience, and personality in a more detailed and personalized way, potentially making them stand out to employers.

What is the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) mentioned in the script?

SEO is important because it helps improve the visibility of a website on search engines like Google. This can lead to increased organic traffic, higher credibility, and better chances of being found by potential customers or clients.

Why is owning your customer list considered valuable in business?

Owning your customer list is valuable because it gives you direct access to your audience. Unlike social media platforms where visibility can be limited, owning your list allows for more effective communication and marketing efforts, leading to better customer relationships and potential sales.

What hosting platform does the speaker recommend for setting up a website?

The speaker recommends Cloudways as the hosting platform for setting up a website due to its flexibility, scalability, and the ability to upgrade server sizes as needed without overpaying for unused resources.

How does the speaker suggest starting the website creation process with Cloudways?

The speaker suggests starting with Cloudways by clicking on their provided link, choosing a server size, selecting a high-frequency server, picking a location, and installing WordPress. They also highlight the benefit of being able to work on building the website for free for the first 3 days before deciding to pay.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Importance of Websites for Everyone

The speaker emphasizes the necessity of having a website in today's digital age, regardless of who you are or what you do. They argue that even those who already have a website might not be utilizing it to its full potential. The video promises to cover various ways a website can benefit individuals and businesses. The speaker introduces the concept by addressing the five W's (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and a bonus question (How), setting the stage for a comprehensive discussion on the value of websites.

05:00

🏢 Websites as Essential Tools for Business Owners and Side Hustlers

This paragraph focuses on the critical role websites play for business owners, including those running side hustles. The speaker points out that many businesses lack a web presence, which they perceive as expensive or difficult to establish. The paragraph highlights the benefits of having a website for branding, showcasing products, and establishing a direct connection with customers, which can lead to increased sales and reduced reliance on third-party platforms like Amazon. The speaker also suggests that a website can help businesses, such as vacation rentals, to bypass fees charged by intermediaries like Airbnb, by encouraging direct bookings.

10:00

🎨 Websites as Portfolios for Creatives and Professionals

The speaker extends the argument for the necessity of websites to creative professionals such as artists, photographers, musicians, and athletes. They suggest that a website can serve as a professional portfolio, making it easier for potential clients or recruiters to view and assess one's work. The paragraph also touches on the benefits of having a personal website for high school athletes seeking to be recruited by colleges, allowing them to present a polished and comprehensive package of information, increasing their chances of success.

15:01

🔎 SEO and Lead Generation Benefits of Personal Websites

The speaker discusses the benefits of personal websites in terms of search engine optimization (SEO) and lead generation. They argue that having a website can enhance a business's visibility on search engines, leading to increased traffic and potential customers. The paragraph also highlights the ability of websites to capture leads through forms, allowing business owners to collect contact information from interested visitors, which can be used for follow-up marketing efforts. The speaker emphasizes the importance of owning one's customer list and the freedom to host all desired content on a personal website,不受限制 by third-party platforms.

🛠️ Building a Website with Cloudways: A Step-by-Step Introduction

The speaker provides a brief tutorial on how to start building a website using Cloudways, the video's sponsor. They guide viewers through the initial steps of setting up a server, choosing a plan, and installing WordPress. The paragraph emphasizes the flexibility and scalability of Cloudways, allowing users to start small and upgrade as needed without facing sudden price increases. The speaker also mentions the importance of choosing a server location close to the target audience for faster interaction and the use of a CDN for global accessibility. The tutorial concludes with the speaker verifying their email and launching the server for free during a trial period, encouraging viewers to start building their websites immediately.

Keywords

💡Website

A website is a collection of related web pages, including multimedia content, typically identified with a common domain name and published on at least one web server. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a website for various groups of people, including business owners, side hustlers, and content creators, as it serves as a platform to establish a digital presence and potentially increase visibility and credibility.

💡SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO refers to the process of improving the visibility and ranking of a website or a web page on a search engine's unpaid results, often referred to as 'organic' results. In the video, the speaker discusses the benefits of having a website for search engine optimization, stating that it helps in ranking higher on search queries, which can lead to increased traffic and visibility for businesses and individuals.

💡Business Owners

Business owners are individuals who own and operate businesses, ranging from small side hustles to large enterprises. The script mentions that business owners, regardless of the size of their business, can benefit from having a website to establish an online presence, showcase their products or services, and potentially increase their customer base.

💡Side Hustle

A side hustle refers to a part-time job or business that one does in addition to their primary job to earn extra money. The video script uses the term to highlight that even those with small-scale operations, such as selling products through Amazon, can benefit from having a website to create a brand identity and establish a direct connection with customers.

💡Brand

A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or services from those of others. In the context of the video, the speaker suggests that creating a website with a unique brand name can help differentiate a business or an individual from competitors and build a stronger identity in the market.

💡Airbnb

Airbnb is a platform that allows property owners to rent out their properties to travelers. The script uses Airbnb as an example of a service where having a complementary website can benefit property owners by providing an additional channel for bookings, potentially bypassing fees associated with the platform and offering a more direct connection with guests.

💡Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of documents, writings, or other 'works' that demonstrates the qualifications and experience of a person. In the video, the speaker mentions that artists, athletes, actors, and other professionals can use a website to showcase their portfolio, making it easier for potential clients or recruiters to view their work and assess their suitability.

💡Lead Capture

Lead capture refers to the process of collecting contact information from potential customers, typically through forms or other means of engagement. The video explains that having a website allows individuals and businesses to capture leads by gathering email addresses and other contact information, which can be used for follow-up marketing or business interactions.

💡Cloudways

Cloudways is a cloud-based hosting service provider that offers managed servers for web applications. The speaker in the video mentions Cloudways as the hosting platform they use and recommend for building and hosting websites, highlighting its scalability, ease of use, and the ability to start for free for a limited time.

💡WordPress

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) used to create and manage websites. In the script, the speaker provides a brief tutorial on setting up a website using WordPress through Cloudways, indicating that it is a user-friendly platform suitable for creating a variety of websites, from personal blogs to business sites.

Highlights

A website is essential for maximizing its potential, regardless of what you're using it for.

Business owners, including those with side hustles, need a website to establish a web presence and brand identity.

A website allows Amazon sellers to transform their seller profile into a branded entity.

Rental property owners can benefit from a personal website to list properties, capture leads, and reduce reliance on platforms like Airbnb.

Websites provide a platform for athletes, actors, and artists to showcase their portfolios and increase visibility.

High school athletes can use a website to create a professional package for college recruiters.

Job seekers can differentiate themselves with a personal website that goes beyond a resume or LinkedIn profile.

A website offers higher credibility and professionalism compared to social media profiles.

Search engine optimization is significantly enhanced with a personal website, improving local and general search rankings.

Websites enable lead capture through forms, providing a direct line of communication with potential customers.

Owning a website allows for complete control over content presentation and format.

Selling products or services directly through a website can be more cost-effective than using third-party platforms.

Cloudways is recommended for hosting websites due to its scalability and performance.

Cloudways offers a free trial period for building a website before requiring payment.

The video includes a tutorial on setting up a website with Cloudways, emphasizing ease and affordability.

The importance of owning and controlling your customer list is highlighted as a critical business strategy.

A step-by-step guide on launching a website using Cloudways is provided, showcasing the user-friendly process.

Transcripts

I can confidently say with almost zero

reservation that you need a website and

you need it right now that may sound

like something you would hear at the

beginning of an advertisement but I

promise you this video is going to do

you a huge

favor many of you watching this video

may already have a website and that's

awesome but even if you have a website

you might not be using it to the fullest

of its potential in this video I do want

to cover all of these different ways or

at least some of the really valuable

ways that you can use a website to help

benefit you no matter what you're using

it for now again I made a bold claim at

the beginning of this video that you

need a website I don't care who you

share this video with if you share this

video with your grandmother she probably

needs a website in today's world and in

order to help validate that claim I'm

going to answer the five W's and the

bonus question which we all know is how

right who was when where why how all

right so let's get started who needs a

website the reason I feel so confident

saying that you probably need a website

is because I can right off the top of my

head in a matter of literally a few

seconds came up with a decent list of

different groups of people who

absolutely need a website and this

doesn't even include the many other

people who don't fall in any of these

categories who probably would still

benefit substantially from having one so

first Group business owners now you

might think okay well yeah of course

businesses should have a websites and

you might be surprised to find out how

many of them don't because it feels like

something that's either really expensive

or really hard and so they just don't go

about doing it but when I talk about

business owners I'm talking about all

types of business owners I'm including

people that have a little side Hustle No

matter what you're doing as a side

hustle you would benefit from having a

real presence on the web that you own so

even if you're just getting products and

selling them through Amazon literally

fulfilled by Amazon you're ordering them

from overseas and sending them to Amazon

and shipping them out now you have a

seller profile on Amazon great but

that's your only web presence What If

instead of just a seller profile you

turn that into a brand you created a

website with that brand name and you

established something about yourself the

specific types of products that you're

looking for what it is that you have to

offer think about the biggest names that

you're up against on Amazon as a seller

and and go check them out how much of an

online presence do they have they've

probably built out their presence on

Amazon but there's a good chance that

they also have their own website and if

they don't well that's an opportunity

now for you to one up them another

example of this that absolutely you

should have a website if you have a

rental property we live in the day of

short-term rentals people are making a

lot of money with their airbnbs right if

you own an Airbnb what if you had your

own website also list that home on

Airbnb of course because Airbnb is going

to bring you a whole bunch of traffic

but what if you also had that same

information and maybe more on your own

website when someone comes to stay at

your property what if you have

information for them right there so that

they can leave you a review on Google in

addition to Airbnb and what if they can

bookmark your website you help make it

easy for them to find where your website

is and then next time they're coming

through the same area they can just book

straight through you what percentage is

Airbnb taking of the listing fee and

they're charging all sorts of other fees

that I found out from some friends of

mine that you might not even know about

as the owner of the house you can

control that a lot more by trying to

steer those people through your website

as often as possible but then of course

continuing to use Airbnb VRBO and any of

those other services in the way they're

intended and the real value that they

have which is bringing people to your

home in the first place again talking to

a friend of mine I was amazed to see how

many like vacation rentals exist in

various places all around the world that

not only don't have a website but they

aren't even listed on Airbnb you

literally would only find them it seems

if you were driving through the area or

knew somebody who knew about these

properties that's crazy you can have a

website I'm going to show you very

easily in this video by the way how

we're going to set it up that's that's

the how part but also if that's

something where you're like I don't have

time time for this that's something that

we're offering here as well at income

school so I can set up an Airbnb listing

for you like your own website with its

own domain like if your house is called

like the Cozy Abode I can get you the

Cozy abode.com or something very similar

to it and we can get your website up and

running and we can do it fast and pretty

dang cheap because it's really not that

complicated I'm going to show you at the

end you're going to be like why are

people paying so much for websites the

next group of people who need a website

YouTubers if you're on YouTube you have

a YouTube channel and you're like trying

to make money or something or even just

trying to get famous you should have a

website now why well that's another W

question we're still on who okay let's

move on then what about athletes actors

and artists really anybody that has a

portfolio of content or information that

other people would want to see that

includes artists is a huge group right

photographers musicians um composers of

music and anything else I guess

podcasters you should have a website so

that you can showcase the work that

you're doing now a lot of people are

going to set up their website using um

one of these very simple drag and drop

Builders and for a portfolio site you

can probably get away with that okay but

you can do so much more by doing what

I'm about to show you okay as a little

aside here I was talking to some other

friends the other day who um are parents

and they have high school age children

and it is amazing to me things have

changed changed so much since I went to

high school um but we're athletes who

are trying to get recruited especially

by like division one schools you like

have to put together a very professional

package of information to hand off to

potential recruiters otherwise you like

don't even have a shot so you're putting

together your highlight reel and you're

putting together a bunch of stats and

just information about you and all sorts

of stuff that you're putting into kind

of a portfolio to hand off to them what

if it was a website then it would be

something that they could easily find

and that you could easily send them to

and it would make you look super dope

all right the last group of people I'm

going to mention here is what about

people who are seeking a career if

you're looking for a job yes you can

have a LinkedIn but what if you had your

own website that could showcase a lot

more than what you're going to show on a

resume but also even more than what you

can show on LinkedIn yes the social

media is great it is designed for

networking but on a website you have

complete flexibility to include all

sorts of video content all sorts of

written content and to just showcase

everything that you want if you're

seeking a job working for a company put

together your portfolio put together all

of the information that you want to make

available and that could be the thing

that really makes you stand out so we've

covered who right so let's move on to

question number two question number two

is what what do we need answer it with

me a website the what is a website we

can move on to question three when when

do we need a website answer it with me

now now we need a website now we live in

a day and an age where information is

just there's so much of it right and if

your information is not available or for

whatever it is that you're trying to

share with the world again we just went

through a ton of examples if it's not

readily available to share or they could

even find it if they were to go search

for it on the internet if it's not

available it might never get found okay

so now let's move on to the next

question which is where where well I'm

going to build it with cloudways now

cloudways is actually the sponsor of

this video and you might think I'm just

sharing all this information with you

because they're sponsoring it so they

told me I had to actually no I haven't

run the idea for this video by them at

all yet but they're sponsoring it anyway

and the reason that I'm working with

cloudways is because they are who I use

to host websites 100% of the websites

that I own and build for myself and for

clients I do on cloudways we'll talk

more about cloudways and the how behind

it when we get to that question okay now

we got to talk briefly about the why

I've touched on this a bit that your

information needs to be out there and

available and yada yada yada but there

are some very specific benefits that you

get by having your own website versus

just having your information available

on other social media platforms the

first one is a higher level of

credibility on one hand like I

definitely trust a photographer that has

their own website where on that website

they can showcase the portfolio of the

work they've done a whole bunch of work

gosh that's great to see I can see if

their style is a good fit for me but

also a lot of times it's really handy if

I can also interact with that

photographer through the website it's

through their website that they're able

to provide me with the photos that they

took oftentimes utilizing a third party

service but it's kind of managed through

their website and so it puts it all in

one place it can be through their

website that I pay them it feels

substantially more professional and

there for more valuable versus someone

who just does photography out of the

back of their car and is like here just

ven me this amount of money it's just a

higher level of professionalism that

makes me feel like I'm being taken care

of so there's credibility but there's

another piece that goes beyond that and

that is search engine optimization let's

say you have a local business and you're

like yeah you know what though I've

joined a bunch of Facebook groups for

businesses I get Word of Mouth spread

around so I got a marketing agency

working for me and they even set up a

Google my business list so I'm showing

up on Google Maps sure I'm number seven

on Google Maps if you search from you

know like my block but I mean that's

good enough right first of all no that's

probably not good enough uh you'll

probably get some traffic from that but

second of all you want to show up better

even as a Google Business listing have

content associated with your business

when you have a website not only can you

feature a whole bunch of information

about your business but you can create

content written content video content

all sorts of content that in and of

itself can rank on Google for a lot of

different search queries a lot of

questions people are typing into the

internet and that's going to help you

rank for all of those but all of those

are also going to help strengthen your

Authority so that you rank better even

on the map and also for non-map related

searches just general searches for

whatever service or business that you

have in your area on that local search

you need to have content and you can't

have content if you only have a Google

Business listing at least you can't have

very much content and no a social media

profile isn't going to do basically

anything for you when it comes to that

the same is true for a portfolio you

know if you're an athlete trying to get

recruited if you're an artist if you're

an actor having your portfolio available

on your website makes it a lot easier to

find for people rather than trying to

get the search engine to help people

find you through some sort of other

social media platform or even through

maybe there's an agency doing this for

you and you just have a listing on your

agency's website again your own website

boosts you up that much more from a

search engine optimization standpoint I

mean don't get me wrong if you have your

listing also with an agency their

website can rank well it's just you're

just shuffled in amongst all of the

other people with that agency so have

your own website in addition to that

okay the second reason is if the first

one wasn't enough the second reason is

that you can capture leads so again if

you have a reason why you want people to

see your stuff to come to your content

whether you have a business or you're

seeking a career you can have your

contact info of course on your website

but you can have that anywhere but what

you can also do is you can use forms to

capture leads you can get information

from people so they can provide you

their email address um maybe their phone

number for SMS text messaging and that

gives you the chance to follow up with

those people and try to do further

interactions or business or whatever it

is that you're trying to do when people

come to your website and they follow you

there you own that contact when they

follow you on social media there's no

guarantee that they're going to see

anything that you post going forward own

your customer list it's one of the most

important things you can do in business

own your customer list and you can do

that on your own website way better than

you can on any platform okay and then

the next piece is that you can host all

of your content all of the information

that you want in whatever format you

want so it doesn't have to fall within

the box of LinkedIn or next door or any

social media platform you can have all

the information that you need in the

order that you prioritize it in then if

you have anything to sell you can sell

your stuff right there on your own

website and you can do it way cheaper

than when you use a third- party

platform again there's a lot of

platforms out there for selling stuff

and some of them will even say yeah it's

free we're just going to take a cut you

know it's Airbnb you can list your house

it's it's totally fine we just get to

keep like I don't know 15% or something

like that you're the one renting your

house you're the one making it available

for them you're the one that owned it

and had to pay a mortgage for it and

they get to keep 15% that's crazy it's

not crazy because they're doing your

marketing for you but if somebody wants

to come stay at your home again for a

second time or if somebody finds you

through a Google search instead of

through an Airbnb search you get to keep

that

money isn't that awesome okay I've

briefly got to show you how we get

started because this is so inexpensive

and honestly really quite easy now this

isn't going to be a super in-depth

tutorial we've already gone on for quite

a while but I want to show you at least

the first steps to get started so number

one you're going to click my link in

either the description or I'll pin a

comment in this video by using my link

yes it does support this Channel and I

greatly thank you for that okay but once

you click that link you're going to end

up here on cloudways and we can just go

ahead and get started now check this out

uh right now they're running a promo so

you can get 30% off your first 4 months

and if you have a website hosted

elsewhere which I guess is kind of okay

but you want to move over to cloudways

cuz it's just awesome you can migrate

your website well 10 of them for free

and these are migrations that they help

you with you can actually use their

migration tool to do it yourself as many

times as you want I do it all the time

and it's actually really easy but

they'll help you with 10 of them which

is super cool so you can click this

button upgrade now or whatever uh even

if you're not with them just click the

upgrade now and what that's going to do

is it's going to apply the coupon code

so you automatically get this awesome

deal then we're just going to put in

some information so I click Start now

and I'm going to go with digital Ocean's

good vulture's good and they're both

really affordable okay now when you're

just getting started and you're building

up this site from the very beginning go

ahead and go to the smallest size server

that you can save the money and then the

cool thing is with cloudways I can

upgrade the size of my server as needed

so you never need to pay more than you

need to with a lot of Hosting for

websites they're going to do what's

called shared hosting and you're going

to pay a certain amount for your first

website but then as soon as you hit a

certain traffic level they're like oh we

got to upgrade you so now it's going to

go from $3 a month to $25 a month and

the next thing you know it's $100 a

month you're never going to get that

kind of stuff with cloudways okay the

one thing I am going to do though is

choose a high frequency that's just a

server that's it's better it's going to

be faster and it doesn't cost much more

and by much I think it's like an extra

dollar a month then I choose the

location so this is $16 a month I choose

a location now I want to choose a

location that's reason going be close to

me because that way my interaction with

that server will happen as quickly as

possible then we're going to use another

tool later on that's called a CDN that's

essentially going to spread out the

hosting of this website all around the

world so that way people that are

accessing the website can access it from

a server that's relatively close to them

it's super cool now if you want to save

as much as possible digital ocean does

have an option the 1 gab if you're going

to do this I would go with the 1 gab

premium it's a couple a month cheaper

but vulture is awesome now what we're

going to do is we're going to install

WordPress and so what type of website do

we want it's going to be WordPress it's

just the latest version and then I name

it I can name the server that I'm

putting it on and here's the cool thing

we set up this server but if we want to

we could actually add a second third as

many websites as you want to the same

server and then again it's just only

once we're using all of the resources

only then do we need to upgrade to the

next tier and the tiers are much closer

to together again than what we normally

get with shared hosting okay so we're

going to name it we'll just leave this

your server project now this is just for

your organization and so you don't even

need to worry about it if you don't want

to you can create a project if you want

but all right so like I said high

frequency we're to start with 1 Gigabyte

Seattle and now there's one step I need

to do before I can actually click this

launch button and that is to go verify

my email so I'm going to go check my

email click a verification code and then

we'll be right back here's the email I

click login and activate and then can

launch it now this is one of my favorite

things about cloudways I can do this for

free I haven't even given them any

payment info yet for the next 3 days I

can work on building my website for free

before I even have to decide if I even

want to pay for it pretty awesome so I'm

going to launch it for free now we have

a website set up now there's more steps

obviously because we haven't put any

content on it this is going to take a

few minutes it's going to do its thing

and then we need to start designing and

building out this website now I have

another video where I walk through all

of this I even walk through the these

steps we just saw in more detail and so

I'm going to go ahead and put that video

here for you to watch if you want to go

build your website right now cuz when do

we need a website now that's right so go

create your website and you can thank me

later and I'll just say it right now

you're

welcome you're welcome

[Music]