While traditional marketing techniques like TV and print ads are still relevant today, your business still has to consider the fact that consumers are using the internet to shop for the things they need or want. This makes the perfect case for building a website for your business.
Why Create a Website for Your Business?
Whether you are selling clothes or offering cleaning services to homeowners, it’s important to leverage the internet for promoting your business and engaging potential customers. According to Statista, 4.57 billion people are using the internet and this number will keep on growing in the post COVID-19 world. Sure enough, by 2021, more than 230.5 million people will be shopping online in the United States alone. The best way you can make your business relevant in today's wired landscape is to create a great website for promoting your products or services, growing your sales numbers, and improving customer experiences.
Here are a few tips to help you create one that gives you the best of these benefits.
1. Draft your objectives
Consider a website a major project. You will be spending time, money and effort on it, so it’s best you plan it out carefully. You wouldn’t want to waste precious resources and energy on a website that won’t provide long-term benefits to your business.
You will have to decide whether your website should be focused on brand awareness or sales growth. Once you are able to identify your main goals, it will then be easier for you to set up manageable targets and come up with a clear-cut plan on how you can achieve these targets.
For example, if you are aiming to increase your profits, you can create an e-commerce website customers can easily use to shop for your products. On the other hand, you can spend more time and energy creating informational content if your goal is to raise brand awareness.
2. Choose a CMS and hosting service
Once you have laid down your plan, you will need to find a content management system or CMS to start building your website. A CMS is basically any platform that lets you design and publish content for your website. It’s basically a canvas that lets you transform your ideas into reality.
A chief example of a CMS is WordPress, which happens to be a favourite among business owners because of its user-friendly interface and the many customization possibilities it offers. Aside from creating an account on WordPress or any other CMS, you also need to give it extra layers of security and access custom tools that help provide unique customer experiences.
Choosing a good hosting service goes a long way in giving your website extra protection against malware attacks and boosting your search ranking (which we will discuss later). Make sure to shop for hosting services that make it easier for you to manage your website, provide you with enough data storage to support content creation, and give customer service available 24/7.
It’s often best to find a local hosting service so as to better engage your immediate market. If you are in Australia, for instance, you can always compare hosting services based on pricing and features. You can check 28Msec for everything you need to know about choosing the right hosting service in Australia.
3. Select an awesome design
Choosing a CMS and hosting service is only half the battle. The real challenge begins when you design your website. Web design can be a complicated process, especially if you don’t have a brand identity for your business yet. The best way to get started is to align the appearance of your website with your brand presentation.
What colours dominate your brand? What personality does it project to customers? What visual elements suit this personality? Answering these questions should give you a good idea of how your website should look like and how it can attract the right customers. Aside from this, you also need to make sure your website is visually appealing. Mismatched colours and cluttered content will only turn off your customers. The safest way you can approach this is to follow the “less is more” principle. Minimalist websites that are easily viewed through mobile devices have become a standard in this fast-paced world.
4. Opt for faster loading speeds and navigability
You will also need to make sure that your web pages load fast. The longer your customers will have to wait, the more likely they are to exit your website. The best way you can optimize your loading speed is to lighten the load on your CMS. This means compressing files such as images or using a hosting service that’s focused on speed enhancements.
It’s also important to make it easier for users to find the content they want. For this, opt for an easily accessible navigation menu with submenus for each category. You also need to include a search bar that can help customers find what they are looking for. Improving your website speed and making it easier for users to know their way around can bring positive benefits to your business.
5. Optimize your website for the search engines
Building a website doesn’t end with having awesome features. You also need to make it searchable. After all, customers who actively search for the products or services you are selling are more likely to end up making a purchase.
Be sure to spend ample time on keyword research. Look for words and phrases your business will rank. As you list down high-value keywords, make sure to include these in the content of your website. Moreover, you will need to insert these keywords naturally in every blog or sales content you write. Don’t forget to add relevant links. Search engine optimization or SEO is a complex process to begin with, so be sure to read up on guides that can help you make your website easily found.
In Summary
A website is an investment in and of itself, so you will need to focus your resources and energy in building one that best suits the needs of your business. Building a website that works makes more accurate data valuation that helps boost your data assets further. The cost might be considerable, but by following the right steps, you can provide your business with opportunities for thriving in the modern world.
