Tips for Building Your First Business Website

by Monika Beck | Featured Contributor

Every new or existing business needs a professionally done and optimized website. For people who have never owned a website before, the procedure for starting one is usually seen as a daunting task. The following are tips for designing and coming up with your first business website.

Have a Clear Goal

Each and every business is unique due to the fact that they address different customer needs. Do you need your first business website to be an avenue for individuals to purchase your products? Then you have to design it around that goal. A website without a clear purpose has no benefits. It only serves to waste money and time.

Your Own Content Matters

Before you start building your website you should be certain about what you want it to say. According to George Meszaros, Webene’s CEO, a website without great content is just a pretty face. Whether you plan to hire an editor or someone to polish the content of your website, you should still be in charge of the website content.

Clearly state Purpose

What is your business about? How do you help your customers? That is what your website should be about. Your website is a tool for your visitors to find the information they are looking for. Make sure that the crucial points about your business are clear and easy for visitors to find.

Inform your customers What You Can Do for Them

You should try and read your website’s content as a visitor. Describe how you help your customers. Give them examples. Talk about the process. Show case studies. Answer every possible question about your solution. New website owners should focus on the benefits they can provide to their customers and clients.

Use calls to Action

What do you want visitors to do once they are on your website? It is important that you are very clear about what action you want people to take. Call to action is an approach that enables clients to better understand your goals and objectives. Do you need them to subscribe to your newsletters? If that is what you want, it is important that you include a sign up form on your website.

Add a Page Hierarchy

All business websites incorporate  a variety of pages. You may opt for a simple website format that usually includes a homepage, a contact page and an about page. You can also choose a website that has a main services page which provides a general view of the different services that you provide. These are some of the things to consider before coming up with a site or hiring someone to design a website for you.

Draw Inspiration

Are you uncertain of how you need your first business website to look like or how you need your content to be arranged? All you need to do is to look around for sites that interest you. Do not copy, but look to be inspired. Searching for outside motivation can offer you some assistance with getting an idea of what you need from your new website.

Professional Website versus Personal Accomplishment

Small enterprises that are faced with financial constraints are likely to opt for the DIY route to come up with their website. Some businesses have used this route successfully. However, it can be troublesome for new business owners. Customers, on the other hand, don’t care what a business owner went through to come up with a website. All they care about is a professionally done website. Therefore, no matter how much effort you put and you end up with an unprofessional website your business is likely to be negatively affected.

Own Your Domain

It is recommended that every business obtains an actual domain name. A few suppliers offer free domains that are accompanied with extensions. A domain that goes like yourbusiness.com is easier to remember than yourbusiness.wordpress.com. It also appears more professional. Your domain should be easy to spell and memorable.

Build Your Site on WordPress

There are many ways to build a website. A proven website platform is WordPress. All things considered, WordPress is the best one out there. It contains a variety of customizable options. WordPress makes a great starter website and it will grow with your business.

Consider the Future Growth of your business

If you plan to develop and expand your business rapidly, think carefully before picking a low-cost website host. You might chose a free or low cost hosting solution that works today, but it will limit your growth in the future. In the event that your business outgrows these platforms, changing and transferring your contents to another host is a headache.

Get a Designer You Admire

If you are looking for someone to design your website, look for someone whose work you like. One of the most ideal approaches to do this is by looking at the websites that interest you. Look for its designer and make contact. Start a conversation about having your website built.

Ask for Samples and References

When you have a couple of names to choose from, assess their previous works and ask for references.

Examine Pre-Made Themes

Not all business owners have the required resources to contract web designers. There are lots of pre-made themes that can be purchased online. This however requires a person who is very hands-on. Themes that you buy require a lot of work on your end. Try to find a theme that goes well with your brand.

Avoid Free Themes

Free themes are not as secure as those ones that have been purchased. You don’t have to spend a lot to obtain secure themes. There are good themes that are cheap and can guarantee security to your website. There is also better support with paid themes.

Include a Face

A photo of your team or your CEO is one of the basic and most important components your website should have. Customers need to see a face that they can associate your business with.

Recount a Personal Story

Another approach to make your potential clients feel closer to your business through your site is to tell your story. This may include stories about the founder of the business or what motivated creation of the business.

Set Up Easy Contact

Each and every business website, whether big or small, should show multiple ways to contact the company. This may include phone numbers, email addresses, physical address and if possible a map guide. The more ways you offer individuals to get in touch with you, the more likely they are to interact and associate with your business. In case you have not provided your email address, make sure that there is a contact form. Visitors can use this form to send messages or ask questions about your product or service.

Make Text Easy-to-Read

Visitors should be able to read all the text in your website since this is where they obtain information. You should not change your fonts to fancy letters thinking that it is cool. It is not. A website should have easy to read font.

Include Great Images

Images and pictures add value to the information on your website. Such visual elements may include team photos, pictures of your products or services etc. You should not overwhelm your visitors with unrelated pictures. Every image you add to your website should have a purpose. These photos and images should also be of high quality.

Include Customer Testimonials

Client testimonials are crucial components to include in your website. If your business is new, try and offer some free or highly discounted services just to get a few testimonials first. Just a few positive words from customers can go a long way in boosting your credibility.

Include Video Elements When Possible

You can include video testimonials. Other types of videos that describe your product and are relevant to your business can also be included. You should ensure that these videos are of high quality.

Demand a Mobile Site

Regardless of the type of content you choose to incorporate on your site, ensure that the site can be easily accessed from mobile devices. Having a site that isn’t supported by mobile devices drives away potential customers.

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Savvy web designer with a twist – Monika Beck with Webene – San Diego, CA.

Monika Beck is passionate about website design, web programming, ecommerce, and building businesses. She is a serial entrepreneur and the cofounder of Success Harbor a website dedicated to help entrepreneurs succeed. Success Harbor interviews successful entrepreneurs and publishes topics relevant to business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Monika started Success Harbor with her cofounder in order to ease the life of entrepreneurs through original research, tips and unique content. Monika is also cofounder of Webene, a website design and online marketing firm based in San Diego, CA. Webene specializes in mobile-friendly responsive websites built on the WordPress platform. Monika loves playing classical music on the piano.

Monika Beck

Savvy web designer with a twist – Monika Beck with Webene – San Diego, CA.

Monika BeckMonika Beck is passionate about website design, web programming, ecommerce, and building businesses. She is a serial entrepreneur and the cofounder of Success Harbor a website dedicated to help entrepreneurs succeed. Success Harbor interviews successful entrepreneurs and publishes topics relevant to business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Monika started Success Harbor with her cofounder in order to ease the life of entrepreneurs through original research, tips and unique content. Monika is also a web designer and cofounder of Webene, a website design and online marketing firm based in San Diego, CA. Webene specializes in mobile-friendly responsive websites built on the WordPress platform. Monika loves playing classical music on the piano.