An 8-Step Guide for Building Websites
You cannot run a successful business these days without an online presence. It doesn’t matter what type of business it is; you need a website. Whether it’s researching a product or a service or simply looking to find general information about a business, people turn to the internet. And if they can’t find you, chances are you won’t be gaining them as clients. So, how do you build a website that showcases who you are and drives traffic? A web design agency can help you build a website that’s attractive, efficient, and professional.
Although the idea of building a website can be daunting, especially when it comes to search engine optimization or an online shop, which is a little more complex and involves ecommerce website design, there are some key steps anyone can take when learning how to build a website.
Follow these simple steps for building your website.
1. Define Your Site’s Purpose and Strategy
Before doing anything, you need to have a clear idea of what your website is for. Defining the purpose and strategy of your site will give you the framework you need to build the right website for your business.
What are you offering? Is it a product or a service? Do you need an ecommerce website or just a simple site that highlights who you are and what you do? Answering these questions can help you get to the heart of your business and help you figure out the purpose of your website.
The purpose and strategy of an online blog or a brand-highlighting website will be different than that of an online shop or ecommerce website. Knowing the difference is important so you can build the site accordingly.
2. Research the Latest Web Design Trends
A good way to get ideas and inspiration for your website is to check out the latest web design trends. Google searches or a dive into social media platforms like Instagram or Pinterest can help you find the latest trends and give you some direction when choosing a web design that fits your business and your brand.
No one wants a dated website! Stay relevant and up-to-date with the latest, modern design trends. Of course, it’s best not to go overboard and use every single trend simply because it’s all the rage right now. Choose options that work best for you and are in line with your brand. A little goes a long way when it comes to design.
3. Choose Your Platform
There are several options to choose from when looking at platforms for your website. As with everything else, it’s best to do some research and figure out the pros and cons of each platform and see which one best fits your budget and your needs.
A platform like WordPress is free and great for ecommerce websites and SEO but does not allow you to purchase a domain or host, so you will have to do that separately. There is also a bit of a learning curve for beginners. Whereas a platform like Squarespace offers hosting and domain purchasing, is great for SEO but is a little less flexible and not as strong for ecommerce. And a platform like WIX is easier and more intuitive for beginners but lacks a little when it comes to SEO.
Knowing the differences between each of these platforms will ensure that you make the right choice for your website.
4. Select a Template / Theme
You can design your website from scratch, but with the abundance of customizable templates available, you can make things easier for yourself by choosing a template or theme that fits with your brand and your content. The template offers you a solid foundation to build on and you can customize it to make it uniquely yours.
The important thing is to choose the template and theme that best reflects your business and your brand. Having the right structure for your content is the cornerstone of a successful website. A template with a corporate feel won’t work for a more creative or artistic business and vice versa.
5. Decide on Your Branding
Many people forget or just scratch the surface of this step, but it’s actually an extremely important part of building a website. Your branding is everything. It’s what your business is all about; its core values and its story. And it influences everything from color palettes to fonts to what type of content you create.
It’s always best if your website and your social media accounts are cohesive. This is more easily achieved when they reflect your branding. Once you decide on your branding, you will have a better idea of what your website should look like and any design decisions will be easier to make with your branding as a guide.
6. Add in and Optimize Your Content for SEO
Once you’ve decided on your site structure and how you will set up your pages, you will need to add in your content. Make sure your content, both written and visual, is relevant, clear, and informative.
You will need quality content for the home page, about us page, and contact page. Use images and videos as well and don’t forget to write appealing text for your calls-to-action (CTAs). You should also consider including a blog section. Blogs are a great way for you to add new content regularly to your website and boost your SEO.
There are other ways you can optimize your site for SEO so you can rank higher in search engine results: choosing and registering a domain name, optimizing title tags and headings, and creating clear, concise descriptions of your pages that include target keywords.
Marketing Websites offers SEO services with a dynamic approach to getting your website to rank higher on search engine result pages.
7. Publish Your Website
Now you’re ready to publish your website! But before you do, make sure to check that it works on all the main browsers. Test all your pages and ensure that images load, links work, and everything runs smoothly. Also, make sure the website looks good and functions on mobile devices and tablets. Google looks at the performance of your site’s mobile version for search engine rankings.
8. Analyze and Improve Conversions
Finally, once it’s live, you should monitor your site’s performance with an analytics program. This can help you figure out which pages are successful or not, and which marketing campaigns are showing more conversions so you know where you need to improve.