In a digital today, serious business success is impossible without an online presence in which a business website plays a core role.
A startup should approach the creation of its first ever website responsibly as it is going to not only deliver a business message to the world, but also process orders, automate its business procedures, and serve customers.
Outsourcing your website creation to professional web developers is, of course, the best option possible, but it can easily eat a hole in your budget. Luckily, you can build own business website at much lower costs using website builders, and we will tell you how to do it. To comprehend the process, you don’t have to be a tech-savvy person. Just follow this easy 7-step guide, and you’ll get your fully customised company website running very soon.
1. Find and register your domain name
The domain name is what you’d like to stand in the address www.yourcompany.com instead of “yourcompany”. First, you need to check if the business name you created is available using domain search tools (like GoDaddy, Bluehost or a tool provided by a website builder). The .com extension is preferable, but if it’s not available, you can still go with .org or .net. Maybe you’ll need to adjust your business name to get it registered. Tips: include search words (or location keywords) your customers may use to search for your business. For example, www.plusappliancerepair.com is better than www.yourbigplus.com. After the domain name is selected and registered, you can move on to signing up for hosting.
2. Choose a host service and a platform
The hosting service provides you with a virtual place where your website will be hosted. If you are technologically advanced (know coding) and strive for unlimited options and functionality, you can go with one of the versatile hosting providers (for example, Bluehost, Hostinger, HostPlus etc.) and build a website on, for example, WordPress or Ning platforms.
However, if you are looking for an easy and intuitive drag-and-drop experience, opt for an all-in-one website builder. Its package includes hosting as well, so you kill two birds with one stone. Moreover, most website builders offer a wide range of plugins (social media, SEO), services (a shopping cart feature), templates, and apps for a full-fledged customisation and functionality, so worries about your website looking lame or soulless are completely idle. The pricing is reasonable and affordable, especially taking into consideration how much you save on web developers.
3. Pack your website with quality content
The Homepage, About Us, Our Products/Services, and Contact Us pages are the critical parts of your website that need 100% unique and high-quality copy that delivers your business message competently and clearly. Make sure the text is properly formatted and easy to read.
4. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly
Mobile friendliness means your website can be browsed on a smaller screen (a tablet or a smartphone) without causing distortions to the content and layout.
5. Create a logo
If your business still doesn’t have a logo, it’s time to get it designed because a logo has to blend well with the design of the whole website. If you cannot outsource logo design to a professional designer (the price on freelance platforms varies from $5 to $20), you can create an attractive logo yourself with help of logo design platforms like Tailor Brands, 99Designs and the like.
6. Design a website
The best tip here is to make sure the design centres around your customers, not your own satisfaction or artistic taste. The layout, page structures, images, colours, graphics, fonts, and copy have to be elaborated with your target audience in mind. Ask your customers for feedback and experiment until you achieve the perfect perception and user experience. Most important things to pay attention at in your web design are clear navigation, buttons with a call to action, and fast loads. You don’t have to worry though if you use one of the website builders as designing such a website with drag-and-drop editing features is as easy as playing a computer game.
7. Advertising and marketing
There is no point in creating a website if nobody visits it. That is why marketing your website must become your ongoing task in order to support your selling efforts. This is another reason why creating a website with the website builder is a winning decision as you get all marketing, monetization, and analytical tools in one place.
