Web-First: Build A Business Website For Success

• Understand your target audience: Who are you trying to reach? Consider their demographics, interests, needs, and online behavior. Conduct market research or analyze existing customer data to gain insights. Creating buyer personas can be extremely helpful.

Choosing a Domain Name

Your domain name is your website’s address on the internet, and it plays a crucial role in branding and discoverability.

• Keep it short and memorable: Aim for a domain name that’s easy to spell, pronounce, and remember. Avoid hyphens or unusual characters.
• Reflect your brand: Ideally, your domain name should incorporate your brand name or a relevant keyword that reflects your business.
• Consider your target audience: If your business primarily serves a local audience, consider including your city or region in the domain name.
• Choose the right extension: .com is the most common and widely recognized extension, but consider other options like .net, .org, or industry-specific extensions (e.g., .shop, .tech) if appropriate.
• Check availability: Use a domain registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains to check if your desired domain name is available.
• Example: A local bakery in Austin might choose “AustinsSweetTreats.com” or “AustinBakery.net” depending on availability and preference.

Choosing a Website Platform

Selecting the right platform is critical for building and managing your website effectively. Consider the features, flexibility, and ease of use offered by different platforms.

Content Management Systems (CMS)

A CMS allows you to create, manage, and publish content without needing to write code.

• WordPress: The most popular CMS, known for its flexibility, extensive plugin library, and large community support. It’s suitable for blogs, business websites, and e-commerce stores (with the WooCommerce plugin). Approximately 43% of all websites on the internet are powered by WordPress.
• Joomla: A powerful CMS suitable for complex websites with custom requirements. It offers advanced features for user management and content organization.
• Drupal: Another robust CMS favored by developers for its security and scalability. It’s a good choice for large organizations with specific needs.

Website Builders

Website builders offer drag-and-drop interfaces, making it easy to create a website without coding skills.

• Wix: A user-friendly platform with a wide range of templates and features. It’s suitable for small businesses and personal websites.
• Squarespace: Known for its beautiful templates and ease of use. It’s a good choice for visually appealing websites, portfolios, and online stores.
• Weebly: A simple and affordable website builder that’s easy to learn. It’s suitable for basic websites and blogs.

E-commerce Platforms

If you plan to sell products online, consider dedicated e-commerce platforms.

• Shopify: A leading e-commerce platform with a comprehensive set of features for managing products, processing payments, and handling shipping.
• BigCommerce: A scalable e-commerce platform suitable for large businesses with complex inventory and sales processes.

• Design a clear navigation menu: Make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for. Use descriptive labels and limit the number of menu items.
• Use breadcrumbs: Help users understand their location within the website and navigate back to previous pages.

• Choose a color scheme: Select colors that reflect your brand and create a visually appealing experience. Consider using a color palette generator to find complementary colors.
• Select high-quality images and videos: Use professional photos and videos to showcase your products, services, or brand personality.
• Use typography effectively: Choose fonts that are easy to read and visually appealing. Use different font sizes and styles to create hierarchy and emphasize key information.
• Maintain consistency: Ensure that your website’s design elements (colors, fonts, images) are consistent across all pages to create a cohesive brand experience.

• Focus on your audience: Write content that addresses their needs, interests, and pain points. Use clear and concise language.
• Highlight your unique selling proposition (USP): What makes your business different from the competition? Clearly communicate your USP on your website.
• Use persuasive language: Use strong verbs, positive adjectives, and calls to action to encourage visitors to take the desired action (e.g., contact you, purchase a product, sign up for a newsletter).

• Conduct keyword research: Identify the keywords that your target audience is using to search for your products or services. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush.
• Incorporate keywords naturally: Include your target keywords in your website copy, headings, meta descriptions, and image alt tags.
• Create high-quality, original content: Search engines reward websites that provide valuable and unique content. Avoid duplicate content and plagiarism.
• Build backlinks: Earn links from other reputable websites to improve your website’s authority and ranking.