With the various applications out there designed to streamline website creation, it’s never been easier to build an attractive, effective website for your business. However, planning is still a must. If you pick the right tools and build your site correctly, you will receive a nice return on your investment. If you don’t, your website will sit out on the inter-webs collecting cyber dust, and you will find yourself frustrated that it is not bringing you any new business. Below are some must-dos when preparing to create your website. If you already have a site, but are not happy with it, these suggestions will help you re-evaluate what you can do to improve your situation.
Understand a Website is a Journey, Not a Destination
Often I will see a business create a site and then forget about it, like it’s just another box to check off. Understand that you will need to take time to update your website continually with new information and an occasional change in design to keep it fresh. Ignoring your site is like buying a brand new car and then never changing the oil or even washing the thing. Pretty soon, it will run and look poorly. So be ready to maintain and monitor your website so you can get the best performance long term.
Decide What Your Website Needs to Accomplish
One of the most important questions to ask yourself is why you need a website in the first place. True, it is common practice these days for a company to have one, but as the old saying goes, you shouldn’t do something just because everybody else is doing it. So why do you need a site? I would say the biggest distinction is whether you are creating one to serve an already-existing customer base or creating one to find new business. If the former is true, you need to consider how the website will enhance your customers’ experience and make it even easier for them to do business with you. If it’s the latter, you need to do some serious due diligence regarding search engine optimization (SEO) so you can rank highly when people search for your product or service. You will need to look at the level of competition for your search terms and have a plan on how to make your site rank higher than competitors. You may also want to price out paid search advertising. It’s an added cost but will help you be found in search, particularly if there’s high competition.
You’ll also need to decide whether your site will have an eCommerce component. If so, there are decisions on how you want the store to work and what merchant service you will use to receive payments. These decisions should all be made before you begin construction.
Select the Right Tools
Tools to build your website range from all-inclusive website builders, to open-source platforms, to building something totally from scratch. The latter is very rare. Even when developers build custom sites, they will use already-created pieces of code. A website-builder can be very cost-effective, particularly if you’re creating a simple brochure site, but it may even be a good fit for more complicated sites – though what you can do will always be limited to what the particular service has made available.
I have found that open-source platforms, like WordPress, provide the best of both worlds. In them you get powerful platforms that are always being improved upon by communities of developers. You are able to customize your site in an almost unlimited variety of ways, and major hosting providers like Bluehost can install them for you with a click of a mouse.
Decide on DIY or Hire
Depending on your technical skills and the time you have, it is possible to create and maintain a site on your own. However, if you are like most business owners, time is scarce and you would rather focus your efforts on the things you like to do – the reasons you started a business in the first place. Even if you are considering building your own website, I would recommend still calling a web developer to talk out your plan. It is always wise to get advice from someone with experience in the area.
If you want to hire out your project, make sure your developer provides you with a detailed plan that is consistent with your goals and samples of what the end result will be. Make sure the developer lists out the tasks to be performed as well as time and cost. And be certain there are no unanswered questions on what services are really being provided. For example, don’t just assume the developer will provide SEO services if it is not explicitly stated on a contract (I will delve into working with your developer in a later post).
As you focus on these important areas of preparation, you will be well on your way to a fantastic website that will meet your specific needs for years to come.
Questions? Contact me!