A website consists of different parts that, when put together, communicate the company’s vision and mission. Things to consider are the functionality, appearance, navigation, and coding integrity of a website. For a first-timer, these could be overwhelming. The challenges to having a website built do not end there. Developers and designers need to work together to produce a website that can meet the needs of search engines, engage clients, and stimulate conversions.
Here are things to consider when building your first website:
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Choose the domain and host
A great domain name is one that says a lot while revealing too little. The domain name should be memorable to anyone who comes across it while still reflecting the brand’s voice. Consider how it is spelled. Find a name that is crucial to your brand, incorporates your SEO techniques, has an easy-to-remember spelling, and has a brand identity to gain more customers.
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Build a strategy
Creating a website strategy is an important part of the pre-building phase. When you have a strategy laid out, you and your team will have an easier time turning this vision into a reality. Decide on what it looks like and how it can help you achieve your goals. To come up with the best strategy, here are some questions that you need to answer:
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Who is the target audience?
Taking the time to figure out who your audience is and what they want out of the product or service that you are offering will make it easier to decide the look and features of your website. Building the customer profiles will help you to gain an understanding of your market so you have a website built that serves them.
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What are your goals?
Figure out why you are creating this website in the first place. A website strategy is necessary but it will not serve its purpose if you have not laid out the goals and objectives. Are you looking to increase product sales? Do you want to outline featured products? Do you wish to have an online business card?
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Does it function on all devices?
Websites should work on all devices. You can find the best internet providers in Saskatchewan and still have a website that underperforms. Most people now use their mobile devices to access websites. Make sure that you have a responsive site that visitors can smoothly browse.
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Select the backend services (Content Management Software) to use
It is impossible to build a website without a functional program for your backend because it will affect the user experience directly. If the backend is not strong, the website will not have that wow factor. Some of the top CMS used by many are Magento and WordPress.
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Make the design clean
An important thing to remember during the development process is that you need to create an appealing and clean website. You can attract visitors with an out-of-the-ordinary look, but you also have to make sure that it is functional and focuses on the brand.
A good design helps viewers focus on the value that you are offering instead of distracting graphics and text. For example, if your business is providing sympathy flowers delivery in Toronto, you would want it to be more minimalist — focusing on the various choices of floral arrangements.
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Establishing the customer journey
Once you have established your goals and set up a clean website, you need to decide the type of journey you want customers to experience when they visit your website.
You need to impress your visitors the first time that they visit. Give them an invitation, welcome them, and tell them all that they need to know from the start.
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Make the website usable
Websites are expected to be easy to use, entice the customer, and encourage business. Usability is increased by clearly displaying the product and service information. Make sure that the website has all the features the customer would need to navigate easily.
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Establish the call to action
Place calls to action on your website to encourage the customers to contact you and make a transaction. These words should demonstrate that the business wants to develop a relationship with them.
Make sure that the calls to action are appropriate to the level of engagement of the customer. It can change according to the page they are in. For example, if they are on the landing page, offering them a pop-up form for subscribing to a newsletter is a good idea. If they are nearing the check-out page, you can change the CTA to have them answer a feedback survey form.
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Make loading times short.
If websites don’t load quickly, they are likely to be abandoned. Always conduct tests to pinpoint loading time issues and have these fixed before the site’s official release.
A website that has a short load time gives customers the information that they want immediately. Periodically evaluate your website’s load time as well after launch to increase customer retention.
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Maintain an active blog
An on-site blog keeps customers updated on the latest events, products, and industry-related information. Keep a blog on your website to pool together all of this information. Encourage readers to read and interact with your brand by regularly updating your blog.
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Develop an SEO-friendly code
Even before launching your website, make sure that you have developed search engine optimization-friendly code. This acts as a guide for search engine spiders. Choose a CMS that can offer plug-ins for simplifying the code-cleaning process and increasing your search engine rankings.
As soon as you plan to have a website built, you will need careful planning. Your team of website developers and designers should work together to create a website that not only looks good but also provides an excellent user experience so you can fulfill your business goal.
