Add functionality for your business Start measuring key metrics Test for bugs and compatibility issues Adapt to keep up with customers Build your website with the world’s best Define your vision for your website Before you can dive into website building, you’ll need to do a little bit of homework. You’ll want to begin planning what you want your site to accomplish. Is your goal to drive more readers to your blog? Do you want visitors to make a purchase? Once users hit your site, what do you want them to do? Asking yourself these key questions will help you define your website’s purpose. From there, you’ll also need to consider the website’s function, design and content. Function
Here, you’ll decide the main objective of your website. Maybe you provide a service, like consulting, and want to encourage users to reach out via a contact form. Perhaps you plan to sell products in an online store and need an e-commerce platform that allows users to view specific product pages. Or maybe your objective is to educate and create readership. Take some time to think about how your website can best serve your business and keep this function in mind as you begin to build. For example, suppose you’re a photographer and need to showcase your skill set. In this case, the main function of your website would be to display your work. On the other hand, if you run a communications agency, the main objective of your website would be the specific services you provide (public relations, content development and marketing, etc.). Join the world's work marketplace Find Talent
Design It’s important to have an idea about what you want your website to look like. Perhaps you’re looking to create conversations by showing users a portfolio of work. In that case, you might want a grid-like layout with templates that are easily repeatable to showcase new work. You might decide on-brand colors, logos, and specific imagery that ties into the overall look you’re hoping to achieve. Whatever web design you choose, make sure it’s flexible enough to serve your function and simple enough to maintain. It should also align with your brand’s personality. Content What type of content will you need to live on your new website? Creating a quick sitemap of the pages that you’re hoping to create and what needs to be on each is a great way to get organized. You can easily do this in Google Sheets or Excel. Once you’ve chosen your pages (for example, “Home,” “Blog,” “Testimonials,” “Portfolio,” and “Contact”), decide what information you want to put on each page. If it needs to be created, make that a priority. If you already have content, start compiling it.
Browse Project Catalog for more web development services. Purchase a domain name Next, decide on a domain name for your website. A domain name is the address visitors use to find your website. For example, if your business is “Sydney’s Catering,” pick a custom domain that easily describes your business. You can choose your business name, but you’ll need to do a quick domain search to determine if the name is available. It’s best to compile a list of possible domains before running a search. Domain registrars are accredited companies designed to help you buy and register a domain name for your website. While there are many domain name registrars, a few are Domain.com, Bluehost and GoDaddy. To see if the domain you’re hoping to use is free, run a search on a domain name registrar site. If the name you want is available, great! If not, keep trying until you find one that’s not already taken. Once you find a domain name, the registrar usually makes it easy to purchase it online, giving you access to your domain in minutes. Domain names typically cost somewhere between $10 and $15 annually. However, there are free domain name options available, usually included as a special offer to new users by the registrars listed above. Looking to set up a Website but not sure how much money it will take? Try the Free Website Cost Calculator tool to estimate costs associated with setting up a website.
ProblemsChoose a hosting provider Now that you have a domain name, it’s time to find a hosting company for your website. Choosing a hosting provider is important, especially if you plan on conducting business primarily through your website. Websites need storage space for files, images and content. Where is it stored? Web hosting provides a physical location for your website content. For this reason, it’s important to look for a hosting provider that offers enough bandwidth for the site traffic you anticipate receiving. If you plan on starting small, look for a plan with upgraded options that you can select at any time to boost your bandwidth. Security is also a concern when choosing a web host. If you want to keep your site secure and handle minimal updates on your own, select a hosting service that handles routine web maintenance and offers security features like an SSL certificate, which will ensure users are protected when accessing your business website. It’s important to research web hosting providers, as your website’s needs might be unique. When choosing a hosting provider, consider the amount of storage you need, the guaranteed uptime and budget.
While there are many web hosting companies, here are some popular hosting providers: HostGator: Easy, moderately priced and unmetered bandwidth with the option to use their website building tools Bluehost: Fast, reliable hosting solutions with advanced security add-on options GoDaddy: Offers a variety of hosting solutions for as low as $1 Hostinger: Fast and scalable hosting options starting at less than $2 a month DreamHost: Affordable, customizable hosting solutions Pick a website builder Now, you’re ready to select a website builder. There are many user-friendly platforms, so you’ll need to keep your function and website design concepts in mind when choosing a platform. Here are a few attributes to consider when selecting a website builder: Customization options: If you like to change your design often, you’ll need a website builder that is easy to change and customize. Finding a website builder with a lot of templates can help you redo the look and feel of your site without much overhaul. The good news is that you don’t have to know a thing about front-end development for different platforms—you can find a skilled web designer or web developer on a platform like .
Features: If you’re building a blog or portfolio site, make sure you find a website platform that offers easy-to-use portfolio and blog post options or widgets. If you’ll be adding videos to your website, find a web builder that makes it easy to add video code to your site. Lastly, if you want to sell products, pick a site that makes it easy to conduct online sales, like WooCommerce or Shopify. Usability: No matter your experience with website platforms, make sure you find a website builder that’s easy to use and update. Many builders offer free trials, so you can poke around and begin building, allowing you to find the most intuitive interface. SEO practices: Making a website is only half the battle—you also need to draw traffic to your site. It’s important to find a site that makes it easy to incorporate SEO tools, from meta descriptions and titles to keywords and tags. Price: Luckily, most website platforms are similarly priced or have free trial options, but remember to keep the monthly or yearly cost in mind when selecting a platform. Knowing the basics about website builders is a good start, but how do you choose one for your new website? Determine your goals. For example, if you’re a designer wanting to display your projects, choosing a website builder that is customizable might be your best option. On the other hand, if you run a jewelry business, you may want to look into a site with good e-commerce options and one-click shopping. Here’s a quick glance at popular website builders: Wix: Wix is a website builder designed for those who crave freedom. They offer a free website option with add-ons or other paid options. With the help of an automatic website creator, it’s much easier to use than other options. If you use Wix, you’ll need to take a more hands-on approach, though, as the platform is less structured than other options. Whether you’re into blogging, social media or design, Wix provides the perfect space to share your work.
Squarespace: Although not as intuitive as other website builders, Squarespace offers several add-ons, templates and tools. Plus, your website will always be optimized for mobile devices. This website builder is best for e-commerce and small businesses with lower transaction rates. Weebly: For those wanting an easy-to-use website editor, Weebly might be the perfect option. However, it might be limiting to those wanting to heavily personalize their website since they have fewer add-on and customization options. WordPress: We’re referring to WordPress.com, which is easier to use than WordPress.org, which is an open-source software, which can take some time to learn. A WordPress site is best for bloggers and writers, as the website editor is more limited in terms of design but can be very easy to start using. Shopify: This user-friendly website builder option is best for e-commerce stores. The platform was designed with product and sales descriptions in mind. Because of this, Shopify’s website set up process helps ensure you don’t miss any essential e-commerce-related steps. Select a website theme Now, it’s time to consider your website’s theme. This process can feel a bit overwhelming since many web platforms offer so many options. Here are some key components to keep in mind when choosing a theme:
Description A short description or company tagline should appear somewhere near the company name or logo. This is especially true of smaller businesses whose work is not so easily understood. A short phrase that outlines who you are and what you do will set the scene quickly for first-time visitors. Navigation Bar Whether to the side or across the top of the page, a navigation bar should be positioned to empower users to explore your site and find their desired products or information. CTAs A CTA, or call to action, can be anything from “create a login,” to “book a demo,” to “get on our mailing list.” It’s a convincing plea to users, begging they take some kind of action on your site that would involve later contact, and it is often coupled with some sort of incentive. Images Your website should be accompanied by some sort of header image or body image to provide visitors with a visual. These visuals can be ads for your new spring line, or a graphic designed specifically for your site. Images help retain attention as they are easier to process than an overwhelming amount of text. Images can be a slideshow or video; any visual media is better than a page of plain text. Related: Learn how to pick the best images for your website.
Internal Links The purpose of a website isn’t just to get people to your homepage. Rather, use your homepage to spur visitors to other parts of the site. Advertise relevant spring styles, or provide links to recent blog posts. Internal links get users to stay on your page longer, which increases the odds they’ll become a customer. Testimonials Consider including some of the wonderful things users and/or previous clients have said about you on your homepage. Review sites such as Yelp or G2 Crowd have a plethora of data from which to pull. If you don’t have enough data, seek out administrative rights to your company profile and ask users to write customer reviews. In the meantime, consider reaching out personally to people and asking if they don’t mind saying some kind words to be included in your testimonial section. TIP: Claim your G2 profile today to start getting more reviews that you can use on your site to highlight your happy customers!More and more, websites are utilizing live chat software as an opportunity to get in touch with site visitors and provide top-tier customer service. If you are using a live chat tool, make sure users are prompted to converse after they’ve been on the homepage or other internal link for a certain period of time. See the Highest-Rated Live Chat Software, Free → 1 Subscriber Opt-in Although newsletter forms can really be located anywhere on your site, they should start on the homepage. A lot of orgs will opt for a pop-up that encourages visitors to sign up for the email newsletter in exchange for an incentive, such as a discount. Newsletters can be set to appear as visitors are hovering over the X button, prompting them to action before they close out the page.
Website Footer Features The footer sits at the bottom of each page, providing links that help visitors navigate to popular site pages. website-footer-features 1 Tabs and Options At the very bottom of your homepage, and every page, should be a hyperlinked list of places where visitors commonly wish to navigate. Examples of these site locations are the blog, press stories, the company’s “about” page, careers, customer support, the FAQ, and whatever other site-specific links are pertinent to your users’ experience. 1 Social Media Icons The power of social media marketing cannot be overstated. In order to get visitors over to your Twitter and Facebook pages, include social media icons on the homepage, or on the footer at the bottom of each page.
Website About Page Features An about us page leads visitors to learn more about your organization. Although many of these elements can go on the homepage, you may prefer a page dedicated to users who wish to learn more about the organization. This can be a great place for a company to utilize brand storytelling. business-website-features Tip: "Is there an interesting anecdote about how the business started? Share it. A good story puts a human face on what might otherwise be a sales pitch or impersonal About page," advises Susan Greene, a copywriter who helps companies create better web pages. "Facts are important but stories get remembered and help you connect with your customers." 1 Map to Your Business A map and address leads users to your office or store location. This helps them understand where to find you. A larger company with multiple storefronts may also include a search for users to find a location nearest them. A smaller business just needs to include the one or two addresses it has.
Help1 Business Hours If you have a physical storefront, or if you’re only reachable at certain times, include this on your about page. Having hours clearly listed helps people know when you’re more likely to answer their calls or process returns. 1 Contact Info Contact information gives users a way to get in touch with you. Include a phone number and potentially a support or informational email address on your about page. This way, anyone who has further questions or who is experiencing issues with your product or service can make contact quickly. 1 Contact Form A contact form is another way of making your company available to users. Contact forms gather an individual’s information while giving them a message box where they can voice their concerns. 1 Biography A biography for your organization and its founders helps visitors better understand who they are doing business with. People love familiarity and feeling good about where they invest their time and money. A company bio can brighten up your about page with some storytelling and personal anecdotes.
Other Inner Page Features for Your Business Website The other internal links on your site will vary largely depending on what you’re selling and what tactics you enact to drive traffic. Below are some examples of internal pages and the types of features you’d need to include in a website update to make them successful and navigable. 20. Team/Careers A team and/or careers page is a marketing tool to show visitors who works at your company, what they’re interested in, and who you could work with if you were also to apply. 2 Teams and Employees Employee pages are often sorted according to who does what, meaning they’re listed in terms of who works in marketing, sales, research, etc. These pages include headshots or other team photos, with the employees’ names and titles. Teams will vary depending on how your organization is broken up and what teams you have.
team-page-features 2 Employee Bios Team biographies show the diversity of your organization in regards to their interests, backgrounds, and modes of thought. Including short bios for employees gives everyone a chance to make their own personal impression on the people coming to your site. 2 Media A lot of companies will include a video component to their team or careers page that includes interviews with real employees. This serves as great marketing collateral for when your company goes on a hiring spree. Video components also improve SERP rankings. 2 Feature Page If you’re a SaaS company, you’ll likely want to include a features page to show visitors how you stand out against your competitors. features-website-page 2 Functionality This is, quite literally, just a list of features your product has. What can it accomplish for other professionals? Be sure to organize features according to the specific categories they fall under. If your software product can update and organize customer contact information, list that under a contact management category.
2 Integrations Users are always wondering if a certain software tool is compatible with something they already use. Including integrations on the features page is a good way to address these questions early, as well as increase traffic to your website by including the names of popular tools. 2 Case Studies Case studies allow visitors to explore how your product or service has benefited the customers before them. Case studies are unbiased and have the data to back up the claims. Learn how to write a case study to help convert your business website's visitors into qualified leads. 2 Blog Blogs are great for any organization wishing to bring traffic to its site through unique content, or wishing to provide regular updates through published posts. Even if you’re not particularly a blogger, having a blog on your site can still gather attention. blog-features 2 Organization Blogs can be organized in a number of ways, but it matters that they are organized. Readers and visitors should have a clear understanding of how your blog is broken out and how they can find the content most relevant to their interests. \
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