Many small business owners avoid building websites for their companies because they think they aren’t tech-savvy enough, too expensive or don’t have the time. The truth is that you don’t necessarily need to know how to build a website for a business.
A website for your business can be affordable and simple to create. You might also find that a website without professional design can cost you more time and money than you think.
Entrepreneur estimates that nearly half of all small businesses in America do not have a business site. However, it is vital to create a business website in order to inform your audience, enhance brand recognition, explain the value proposition and drive sales.
A site doesn’t require you to have any technical knowledge. You don’t need to know how to use any particular program to make your website professional and easy to share news about your company.
These are our ten steps for building a successful small business website.
1. Select the right domain name to host your site
The right domain name will bring you many benefits. It will make it easier and more memorable for clients to find you.
It is important to have a memorable domain name so that visitors can easily identify your site as trustworthy. Additionally, your website will increase your Search Engine Optimization. This means that it will attract more visitors.
A good domain name must be:
- Keep it brief
- Be sure to make it easy to spell
- Use legal extensions like .com
- Avoid using numerals and hyphens
- Make it memorable
- Make it SEO-friendly
You should also make sure that your domain name allows for growth. Do not be too narrowly focused on your niche. That could limit your options for the future. With our development services, we can help you pick the best domain name to suit your site.
2. Secure and stable web hosts are your best choice
A host is a company that provides technology and support for your website so it can be seen on the Internet. Hosting your website yourself can prove costly, so it is important to hire a hosting company.
A shared web host is the most affordable option, depending on your budget. This means that other websites will also share the server.
Another option is to choose a dedicated host, which will be more costly but also come with your private server. This would allow you to avoid having to compete with other businesses that might slow you down.
The following are some options for web hosting services
- Dream Host
- Rocket.net
- WPEngine
- Kinsta
3. Define your business clearly
Visitors will quickly become confused if they don’t know what your website does, or even who you might be. It is important to tell them who you are and what you do.
It is a great way to express yourself and your business. These content will help potential clients connect with you and become your loyal customers.
You should include a section dedicated to business ideas on your website so that your customers fully understand who and what you do.
4. Look for a Content Management System that is good
A Content Management System, a web application, will help you create, edit and manage digital content. Although different CMSs may have different features, all will offer the same basic functions: web-based publishing, content format management and media library.
Be sure to choose a CMS that is cost-effective, user-friendly, extensible, and affordable. WordPress is one of the most widely used CMS’s. There are many plugins available that will allow you to analyze and track your website’s traffic.
5. Select a reliable platform for e-commerce
It’s not easy to pick an e-commerce platform. While you can hire a web developer for your business website, it is possible to also use an already-developed ecommerce platform to save time and money. You should consider the following:
- Pricing and payments
- SEO friendliness
- Integrations
- Customer service
- Mobile friendliness
- Scalability
- Security
6. Engaging website user interface (UI).
The user interface describes the experience of using a website. Your website can be converted into buyers by having a great user interface.
Ease of navigation and UI features are key indicators that you understand and care about your target audience. Visitors will feel more comfortable, have more content, and be motivated to work with you on improving their user experience.
7. Optimize your site for search engines
It makes it easier for people who search for your website to find it. Your website will be highly optimized for search engines, which means that you will rank well in search results.
You should include the following to achieve strong search engine optimization:
- Speedy loading
- The perfect website coding
- Security with an SSL Certificate
- Keyword implementation and search
- Mobile optimization
8. High-quality content should be regularly created and published
A great way to improve search engine optimization is to consistently create and publish high-quality content. Because search engines favor content that is current and varied, this helps to improve your search engine optimization.
Consistent content will give your customers the branding they desire and need. You can do this by creating a content calendar that reminds your to post content to your site.
9. Use analytics
If you can determine whether your website is working, it will be more likely to be successful in the long run. After you’ve built a website with the above tips, it’s time to evaluate its effectiveness.
Here are some elements that you can track using analytics:
- Number of page views
- Visitors to our website daily, weekly, or monthly
- Bounce rate
- Your site visitors spend time on it
- Crawl mistakes
10. Make a plan for maintaining your website
You are now ready to launch and manage your small business website. It is important that the website not only be created but maintained.
It is essential to ensure that it is maintained in order to keep your website safe and to rank well on search engines. Every element must remain current at all times. Make sure to keep your website current with new content.
Bottom line
Although it can seem complicated and tiring to create a website, it is possible. It is important to have a website for your small business.
It will help increase brand awareness and help attract more customers. It is crucial to have a strong online presence if you wish to reach a wider audience.
While outsourcing a website designer can be costly, it is possible to save time and money by using a platform like WordPress. WordPress offers unlimited customization options. There are over fifty thousand plugins.