Today let’s talk about the challenges and good practices of building a solid website for a Forex Brokerage. I will post all links below.
Full disclosure here, none of the products or services mentioned in this video are in any way sponsored. Our product is a CRM and that’s what supports this channel.
In this video I won’t go into much detail about the design aspect, but instead highlight everything else that goes into making a site trustworthy and secure. I will also assume that you have already sorted out the CRM / Backoffice side of things, this way we focus on the marketing front-end client-facing Brokerage website.
So step one: let’s buy the domain name. Some other time I will make another video on Brokerage naming but today we will just buy the domain.
Our domain registrar of choice is Namecheap.com Though for some more exotic domain extensions we also use 101domain
Now. The domain registrar will likely try to sell you addons. Hosting or email service. Stay away from those. You may also be offered ‘Domain Privacy Service’ which keeps your/your company address/phone numbers obfuscated. This may be offered for free.
FREE SEO TIP FOR YOU: You may want to keep the information on domain ownership private and that’s your choice. BUT if the address mentioned on your domain public profile matches with the company address ON YOUR WEBSITE – you will get a nice bump from Google.
Alright. Next step.
Let’s get hosting. Here at Kenmore Design we will host and back up your site at no additional cost as long as you use our CRM.
Though, we are all for diversification of tech providers so if you prefer to host your website yourself, here are 2 options:
- Linode is our top choice. But you will need some Linux admin skills to set it up.
- If fiddling with the Linux command line is not in your plans, sign up for HostGator. It is beginner-friendly and reliable enough for the purpose of simple site hosting. Just don’t get the cheapest option!
Remember to keep things backed up. The internet is not a friendly place 🙂
Next we need to point our domain to the website host. But let’s do it the right way.
Have you heard of Cloudflare? Cloudflare is a Content Delivery Network. It will protect YOUR website from DDOS attacks, SSL encrypt your connections, hide the IP of your server and will speed up your page-load. AND ITS FREE. There are also alternatives such as Akamai or CloudFront. But we definitely prefer Cloudflare.
So, generate the nameservers in Cloudflare and point your Domain to these nameservers. Now your DNS controls are in Cloudflare.
You will need to point A records for your website to your host and CRM / Traders Room to theirs. Then MX records for email. Keep the orange cloud ON – it means your CDN is on. The CDN will distribute your website globally, which means it will speed up and improve page load in regions far removed from your host geographical location.
Speaking of email, sign up for Google Workspace or Zoho Mail. You can set up email for all your employees and partners, they made it very straightforward.
Next. What are the choices for Website Content Management?
By the looks of it WordPress will remain the de-facto leader, It has a free website theme library and a lot of plugins.
If you choose our CRM we will also provide you some WordPress friendly plugins like Your own Live Currency Ticker, Margin and pip calculators, Live and Demo registration Forms, Forex Newsfeeds, Multi-Language Support, and some others.
If not WordPress, then Wix.com or Squarespace. But these are not exactly Content Management Systems, they are proprietary website builders, So Just be aware you WON’T be able to migrate out of these.
Keep in mind that you will need a mobile-friendly website – ideally with a BLOG. If your template does not have a blog, you will need another WordPress instance for the BLOG. Keep the blog under the same domain. Setting it up on a subdomain hurts your organic SEO.
Speaking of WordPress Templates, there are many attractive themes you can buy on https://themeforest.net/ Also Keep in mind that Kenmore Design can also offer a few simple templates that can be deployed for you within days.
If you need a logo or any graphical materials – check out Fiverr.com it’s a freelancer marketplace that offers all kinds of web-related services at a very low cost or hire a professional designer.
In conclusion, if you are looking for more CUSTOM design or want someone else to really take you through all of the above steps than you should hire a dedicated Web Design Company, they don’t have to be focused on Forex Industry ,just introduce them to us or your CRM provider, just like we do they will communicate directly on things they need from each other.
I usually recommend hiring someone local to the geography of you target audience. The Web Design market is saturated and very competitive, usually offering very reasonable rates everywhere in the world.
With our help and guidance, you will be able to quickly gain a solid client base and develop an excellent reputation.
Kenmore Design has representation worldwide and we are looking forward to seeing more of you in 2022!