A news website brings current events to its audience that can be told from a variety of angles. For example, some websites tell the news with a financial spin, or they offer a clear right- or left-leaning tone. Offering a unique point of view is one of the best ways to draw attention to your website over your competitors.
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Start a news website by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your News Website
- Form your News Website into a Legal Entity
- Register your News Website for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your News Website
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your News Website
- Get News Website Insurance
- Define your News Website Brand
- Create your News Website Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your news website. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our News Website Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening a news website?
The cost to get started are extremely low. Services like SquareSpace offer newcomers the chance to design, host, and maintain their website for pennies a day. You may also want to advertise your news website on related blogs or sites as well. Advertising costs vary from site to site, but usually average around $.15 paid to the proprietor of the site for every click.
What are the ongoing expenses for a news website?
Website owners may have to pay for the following:
- Advertising costs
- Website maintenance
- Writer salaries and fees
- Cost of travel/expert opinions
Who is the target market?
Online target markets can vary, but can include liberals, conservatives, investors, or intellectuals. Many busy professionals today are looking for easily digestible news that can be easily accessed and consumed.
How does a news website make money?
News websites usually make money based from those who advertise on the pages. Advertisers can post their products or services on the side of news stories, and then pay a fee every time a reader clicks on their ad or buys their product. The more interest the advertisers get from your audience, the more you can charge for each click.
Owners may want to consider putting up a paywall instead of doing advertisements. A paywall essentially asks your readers to contribute their own money for the stories. Paywalls can be dangerous because the news can be easily found online for free. However, there is a growing demographic of people who are tired of slow-loading sites because of all the advertisements on a page. If your content is addictive enough, using a paywall may be a smart way to make money.
How much can you charge customers?
How much you charge will be heavily dependent on your audience. The Wall Street Journal famously has a paywall, and they charge more than $400 for a yearly subscription. If you choose to use advertisers rather than charge your customers, you may be able to charge closer to $.50 a click or more if you can grow your audience.
How much profit can a news website make?
Runaway successes can be extremely profitable. The Drudge Report has extremely low operating costs, and may generate up to $15 million of profit a year according to some estimates. TheSkimm is another success that delivers news to their audience’s emails, as well as having a rich website filled with informative facts. Due to their subscriber list, they can charge up to $100 for every thousand impressions. With 1.5 million subscribers, their profits can be substantial. However, it should be noted that these are anomalies in this industry.
How can you make your business more profitable?
Increase your profits by selling your own related merchandise (e.g., T-shirts, hats, etc.) or by holding events for your audience. You may want to start your own convention where people can get together to discuss and review recent current events. News websites can start movements on either a local or a national level that can ultimately take a business to the next level.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your news website is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your news website were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
Ready to Turn Your Business Idea Into a Reality?
Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a reviews business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Trademark & Copyright Protection
If you are developing a unique product, concept, brand, or design, it is prudent to protect your rights by registering for the appropriate trademarks and copyrights.
Learn more about trademark and copyright protection
The nature of legal requirements in distance education is ever changing, especially in regards to copyright laws. Here is a frequently updated resource, which can help keep you aware of the legal requirements.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
Find out what types of insurance your News Website needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for News Website.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market a news website
Besides advertising on related websites, one of the best ways to promote your website is to create content that’s worth sharing. The more people share your content, the more likely it is that your website will show up in the top slots on search engines. You can also use social media sites like Twitter to post articles to interested parties under relevant trending hashtags.
How to keep customers coming back
Keep customers coming back with up-to-date, accurate coverage that gives the reader the right context. Many people today are looking for insight as well as information today, so offer them your expertise for a greater chance at making an impression.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
Owners should not only keep up with the news, but also want to influence and entertain an audience as to what’s going on in the world. Owners should also have some expertise. For example, a climate change scientist who wants to cover stories about political change in different countries. Starting a news website doesn’t have to involve flying to different places in the nation or the world, but owners should have some mobility and connections when it comes to getting a fresh take on a story.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at a news website?
A news website owner may have the following tasks in their day:
- Finding/writing stories
- Creating layouts/logos
- Soliciting advertisers
- Maintaining social media channels
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful news website?
Strong writing skills are imperative for getting started. Even if you hire a team of writers, you need to be able to spot talent and a strong voice before even putting up a Help Wanted ad. Websites are extremely competitive, and it takes a lot of drive and talent to make one stand out.
What is the growth potential for a news website?
Growth potential in a news website can be slow, especially when first getting started. Some people caution that no one should create a news website with the hopes of making money. Most people already have a trusted source for their news, which can make it difficult for them to switch brands. However, there are plenty of passion projects that have skyrocketed to success by building up a loyal online audience over time.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a news website?
Look for niches that currently are not being filled that also happen to fit your own ideals. For example, you may want to start a news site devoted completely to covering virtual currency. Writing for a very specific audience can be one of the best possible ways to distinguish yourself from other websites. Use social media and other free resources to try to build your audience, and advertise where you know your audience will be. For example, if you’re writing solely for investors, partner with an blog that gives advice about the best ways to optimize a portfolio.
How and when to build a team
Unless you’re able to get investors on your side before you open, you should probably not hire anyone until you have enough revenue to justify anyone on the payroll. However, you may be able to hire fledgling writers to help you get started without having to dip into your budget. Some writers who are looking to get started may be willing to trade compensation for a byline. The more exposure and samples your writers get, the more they can use that experience in their future endeavors. You can either pay them when the site begins to make money, or offer them a share in the company.