Don’t proceed unless you understand why you want a website. Understanding the general aim of the site is critical, whether it is to promote products, give services, provide information, or sell items online.
Once you understand why you need a website, you can set clear and quantifiable goals. Nicola Stewart explains.
“Whether your website’s goals are to increase online sales, generate leads, raise brand awareness, or drive foot visitors to a physical store, having defined objectives will help you achieve them.
“With those goals in mind, you can then plan out the customer journey. Identify important touchpoints from the moment a visitor lands on your site to when they perform a desired action (such as completing a purchase or filling out a contact form).”
Don’t proceed unless you understand why you want a website. Understanding the general aim of the site is critical, whether it is to promote products, give services, provide information, or sell items online.
Once you understand why you need a website, you can set clear and quantifiable goals. Nicola Stewart explains.
“Whether your website’s goals are to increase online sales, generate leads, raise brand awareness, or drive foot visitors to a physical store, having defined objectives will help you achieve them.
“With those goals in mind, you can then plan out the customer journey. Identify important touchpoints from the moment a visitor lands on your site to when they perform a desired action (such as completing a purchase or filling out a contact form).”
Don’t proceed unless you understand why you want a website. Understanding the general aim of the site is critical, whether it is to promote products, give services, provide information, or sell items online.
Once you understand why you need a website, you can set clear and quantifiable goals. Nicola Stewart explains.
“Whether your website’s goals are to increase online sales, generate leads, raise brand awareness, or drive foot visitors to a physical store, having defined objectives will help you achieve them.
“With those goals in mind, you can then plan out the customer journey. Identify important touchpoints from the moment a visitor lands on your site to when they perform a desired action (such as completing a purchase or filling out a contact form).”
Each website is made up of numerous main components.
The domain name is the unique address that visitors use to access the website.
Hosting is where the website’s files and data are kept and accessed by users.
Web pages: The website is made up of web pages that are created using several programming languages (including HTML and JavaScript). These web sites may contain text, photos, videos, and other information.
Navigation menus and links help users move between pages and sections.
Other interactive features: Depending on the website’s purpose, it may include features like forms or an online store.
When building a website for your small business, you won’t need to worry about some of these components. There
Your domain name is your website’s address. It’s what customers use to find your company online and go to your website. Purchasing and registering a domain name is one of the most crucial steps in creating your own website.
A domain name establishes your website’s professional and memorable online presence. When selecting a name, choose one that is easy to remember, relevant to your brand or business, and ends with a popular extension such as.com,.co.uk,.net, or.org. This will increase visibility on search engines and attract the appropriate audience.
“You can also choose whether you’re happy to be publicly listed as the owner of a particular domain or would rather keep it private.”Finally, determine whether you can transfer the domain at a later date if you decide to move your website to another platform.”
GoDaddy, Bluehost, Namecheap, and 123 Reg are some of the reputable domain name registrars. You can search for available domain names and buy the one that best suits your needs. Usually, you’ll have the option to renew the domain name every year, or register it for several years to give your brand some long-term security.
When registering, consider the initial cost of the domain name and the fees you’ll pay to renew it.
A web hosting provider is a company that offers the infrastructure and services required to make websites accessible via the internet.
They often offer technical help, security features, and domain name registration services. Essentially, they host websites on their servers so that people can access them and ensure that the websites run smoothly at all times.
When evaluating hosting providers, take into consideration the following:
Pricing: Can you afford this specific hosting service? Storage and bandwidth are other crucial features because they affect how your website runs and performs.
Performance and reliability: A slow or unreliable hosting provider can have a negative impact on user experience and SEO rankings.
“There’s also a lot to be said for using a hosting provider that specialises in your platform (for example, WordPress),” Rachael shares. “The knowledge is there and the servers are set up to perform well for that particular platform.”
Scalability: If you plan to grow, you’ll need a hosting solution that can handle more traffic and data. The control panel should be user-friendly and allow you to manage your hosting account.
Customer assistance: “Look for real-person support, either through live chat or phone,” Nicola advises. “Also, analyze the provider’s overall customer service. Check that they are available and responsive 24 hours a day, seven days a week to deal with any concerns that may arise.”
Where is it: “If you’re trading in the UK and only need to be visible in the UK, choose a UK-based host with UK-based data centres,” she says.
Sustainability: “Ideally, use a host with green credentials,” adds Rachael. “That means they’re working efficiently and helping you to limit your business’s carbon footprint.”
Nicola adds, “It is critical to recognize the carbon footprint associated with your website.” Larger websites require more server space, which means they consume more electricity.
“To be as energy-efficient as feasible, reduce the size of your website and its impact on the server and the environment. You can use an online carbon calculator to determine your website’s carbon impact.
A staging site is required if you manage your website but lack advanced technological expertise. “It gives you a safe environment to test redesigns, WordPress updates and plugins before applying changes to the live site,” Nicola tells me. “This helps reduce risk and allows for troubleshooting.”
The quickest and cheapest approach to create a website is to use online website builders like:
Squarespace
Wix
Weebly
WordPress
Shopify
These platforms all have user-friendly interfaces, configurable pre-made templates, and drag-and-drop functionality that make designing and building a website simple.
They also provide reasonable pricing plans that include all-inclusive features including hosting, domain registration, and customer support. These website builders allow you to construct a professional and visually appealing website in a matter of hours, without the need for technical skills or a large budget.
Rachael has some recommendations for website builders.
“I believe in investing for the future and selecting a website platform that is not overly restricted and can expand with your business.
These platforms all have user-friendly interfaces, configurable pre-made templates, and drag-and-drop functionality that make designing and building a website simple.
“As far as website builders go, Wix has significantly improved its SEO functionality in recent years.” Squarespace is a popular website builder with a huge user base, providing access to freelance developers who are familiar with the platform.If you need a dedicated e-commerce platform but can’t afford the large brands, ShopWired is a solid option with a professional support team.”
Website builders are designed to allow anyone to construct a website without requiring any coding, web development, or web design knowledge.
You begin by selecting a template from a list of pre-designed alternatives that you may tailor to your own needs and corporate branding.
After you’ve chosen a template, you can easily add text, images, videos, and other content with drag-and-drop editing tools. This makes it easy to move, resize, arrange, and delete components from the page.
Website builders typically use a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, which allows you to preview how your website will seem to visitors. This visual editing technique makes it easy to construct a professional-looking site with little effort and allows you to make modifications to your website at any time.
It is critical to evaluate several major criteria.
How easy is it for you to use? As previously said, most website builders are intuitive and user-friendly. But be sure it’s a good fit for you, especially if you have limited technical skills. Responsiveness is also important, as your website must appear attractive and work effectively on a variety of devices.
What you can obtain for free: Always check the website builder’s free elements (such as layouts and photos), as these can help keep costs down.
Payment Options: Choose a website builder that provides flexible and secure payment options for any additional features or premium plans.
Website builders include a variety of “plugins” that you may use to add functionality to your website. These add-ons are intended to enhance your site’s functionality and improve the user experience for anyone who comes.
Plugins can contain SEO tools, contact forms, image galleries, security measures, and more. There are both free and paid premium plugins available, allowing you the option to choose based on your budget.
When using plugins, keep in mind how long it takes for your website to load. Too many plugins, especially those that are not well-optimized, might cause your site to slow down. Balance functionality and load time by just installing necessary plugins and constantly reviewing and uninstalling those you no longer require.
Consider using free plugins whenever possible. However, you should be willing to spend more for premium solutions if they dramatically improve the performance of your website.
Nicola says:
“Consider establishing a mood board to guide your brand’s appearance and vibe. Use tools like Pinterest to find inspiration, concentrating on terms that reflect your brand’s identity. Identify patterns in colors, shapes, pictures, and imagery.”
Use tools like Adobe Color to create color schemes that are accessible, contrasted, and legible.
If possible, utilize your own photos and images on the website. Avoid utilizing stock pictures to substitute photos of your actual product or service because it can undermine confidence.
Invest in a photographer or practice utilizing your phone camera to capture photographs that highlight your offerings. A good photographer’s cost will often start at £600.
Paying for premium stock pictures is the second-best alternative, simply because free
Once you’ve finalized your design, it’s time to add the copy and information that will entice visitors and keep them on your website. Again, Nicola has some suggestions on how to make this work:
Capture attention:
Use eye-catching headlines and pictures on your website to pique users’ curiosity.
Consider integrating unexpected or unique features to help your content stand out and become memorable.
Examine competitors’ websites to see what you can do differently to stand out and do the unexpected.
Tell stories.
Compelling stories help to humanize your brand. Share tales, customer success stories, or the journey your company has taken.
Use relevant personalities and events to elicit emotion and establish a connection with your audience. Create a hero (your product!) because every story has one!
Use visuals, such as photographs or videos, to enrich the storytelling experience.
Inspire action:
Communicate the value of your product or service and how it answers your target audience’s demands or pain areas.
Include compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) that urge visitors to take the next step, whether it’s purchasing something, completing a form, or subscribing to a mailing list.
Try closed-ended questions like “Save your seat and register today for our next event” or “Do you want special access? Sign up here” or “Don’t miss out, get your amazing deal!”
Highlight the advantages and outcomes that users can attain by interacting with your company.
homepage.”
Once you’ve used the website builder to develop and publish your website, you should set aside money for ongoing maintenance.
Regular maintenance entails upgrading plugins and programs, as well as content, to keep the site current and relevant. You may keep technical upkeep simple by selecting services that work with the website builder you’ve chosen.
Make sure you understand what your recurring expenses are. Some websites are built on free software with paid hosting, domain, and maintenance fees, while others are “all-inclusive”.
Research the platforms extensively, as it is usual for a small business to become irritated or outgrow a simple website builder package.
There is no need to have a “Home” option in your homepage menu. People are accustomed to using their company logo as a link back to the beginning.
Be careful not to encourage spam emails or form submissions. Consider what measures you can put in place to reduce spam as much as feasible.