How to create a website for your business

#1 Why do you need a website?

First of all, you need to work out why you need a website in the first place. Should your end user be able to purchase a product? Or book a reservation? Or quite simply a hub of information about your business?

Identifying your purpose before you start the website creation process will mean that you are likely to be happier with the end result as it will actually be doing what you want it to.

Decide on a purpose, then have a think about what features you feel your website needs to be able to function that way. If you don’t have all the answers, don’t worry! Looking at your competitors websites or speaking to an industry professional (hey, over here!) can help point you in the right direction. 

#2 Set a budget

Once you know what kind of website you want to build, you need to think about costs and how much you are willing to spend. Website costs aren’t a one size fits all situation & it heavily revolved around what you need to have your ideal website. For example, if you are a smaller business with a smaller budget you may think about sacrificing some of the little details to begin with and ensure that you get your functionality sorted, and focus on other less important factors at a later date.

You should also think about the cost of other services that you might need to help build your website, such as copywriting or photography. Ongoing costs such as hosting and website maintenance is also something you should bear in mind and ensure you can manage once your website is live.

#3 Create a layout

We talked about writing a list of features in the first point, but have you thought about where you can expect these to appear?

Although a website designer will create your pages based off their experience, sometimes it is good to have some guidance from you to show what you are expecting on certain pages. Drawing out a really basic layout can help all parties involved get on the same page.

You will need to know the pages that are absolutely critical (such as home page, about page & contact page) and start with how you perceive those to look. You can then focus on the less important ones once you have an idea of what you like.

If you are opening an online shop, you will also need to think about how a product page will look, as well as how your users will navigate through your website to make their lives as easy as possible.

#4 Create your business website’s content

Content is very important in this search engine optimisation age. You should always try and build your website around your content as this is what you want your end user to be reading and looking at!

You will need written content relevant to each of your pages, as well as images to populate the pages such as logos or product shots. The best quality images tend to perform better as the end user can see and understand them properly.

If you need help with content writing or sourcing images, talk to us!

#5 Test & publish

Before a website is published, you should ensure that you have run thorough tests to make sure that the end experience is what you expected. This can help to minimise any teething issues when the website goes live (although the likelihood is that you will experience these anyway).

Once your website is published, you should ensure that you have an SSL certificate installed (tells potential new customers that your website is safe) and you are registered on Google to help get your website indexed faster. If you’re unsure talk to us!

#6 Market your website

Last but certainly not least, you need to market your website so that customers can find you!

Whether you are making use of SEO (search engine optimisation), social media marketing, email marketing or print – you should refer back to your website wherever possible so that you can easily be found.

Remember, the easier you can make your end users life, the more you are likely to be rewarded!

It’s also important to remember that marketing is only as effective as your analytics information and review. It’s important to monitor what is working and what isn’t and make constant changes to reflect this. In the famous words of our Creative Director Dan – “a website is never finished!”

#TLDR

Too long didn’t read? Here’s what you need to know:

1. Identify why you need a website in the first place – it will help with your goals in the long run.
2. Setting a budget can help you prioritise and keep things realistic.
3. Making a layout can help you put your thoughts down on paper clearly.
4. Collating content is the most important part of your project
5. You can never test your website too much!
6. You can never market your website too much!