So you’re thinking about creating a website, but you’re not sure where to start. Without a checklist of things you require to set up a website and website KPIs, you are likely to get stuck even before you begin. But, worry not. In this post, we’ll share with you the 5 essentials of building a website. So, without much ado, let’s get into it.
1. Name
This seemingly simple step can be one of the most difficult for many people embarking on their web-building process. While coming up with a site name doesn’t require a lot of intensive work, it certainly needs you to make difficult creative decisions and in some cases, compromises. It’s no surprise then, that many people will get stuck in this part of the process and end up being unable to move forward.
When choosing a name for your website, there’s a lot more you should consider than simply how catchy it is. While finding an appealing name is a good thing, you need to also look up available domain names when deciding on a name for your website.
You don’t necessarily have to register the exact domain as the name you want for your website. However, getting your website name and domain name to match makes it a lot easier for returning visitors to find you again. So it’s worth trying to think of something unique for which you can register the domain without having to use unusual spellings.
2. An Intuitive Design
Every site you visit on the internet has a basic web design that was created by someone. When a site’s design is natural and effective, you may not give it much thought. However, this is because someone else took the time to come up with an intuitive layout during the design process to ensure users have the best experience possible.
There are several options you can explore when designing your website. If you have a budget for building your website, you can recruit a web designer to create something appealing that meets your standards or hire companies such as San Francisco web design. who will help and advise you in the designing your site. Alternatively, you can design it yourself using templates and an easy-to-use design interface on a website builder.
Finally, you can try to learn web design and build yourself a website from the ground up. A caveat to this latter option is that it can be difficult to do if you don’t have prior experience. However, if web design is a skill you’d like to develop, building your first website provides you with hands-on practice.
3. High-Quality Web Content
Just like site design, you likely don’t give much thought to the work that goes into composing all of the words on the pages of websites and blogs that you visit. But somebody put in the effort and time into creating all that content, and it’s a step you must also take if you want your website to be successful and competitive. This is yet another part of the process where enlisting a professional may be worthwhile, particularly if you aim to sell products or services on your website.
Seasoned website copywriters understand how to create compelling and relevant content for businesses to capture the attention of the target audience and drive more traffic to the client’s website. If writing isn’t your strong suit, you’ll likely waste a lot of time and mental energy on results that aren’t as good compared to if you employed a professional who knows what they are doing.
4. Google My Business
Google My Business is a free business listing service provided by Google that allows you to provide photos and detailed information about your company, such as its location, services, and products. Establishing a GMB profile is an excellent way to raise your visibility across Google services. Your Google My Business account indexes your information such that your business’ details shows up in different areas including Google Maps, Google Shopping and Google Search
It is worth noting that Google My Business is only available to companies that have customer contact. This category includes businesses with a physical location (such as a restaurant or store) as well as businesses that provide services by meeting with clients in other locations such as electricians and plumbers.
Having a GMB account can significantly boost the credibility of your business. This is because it allows past customers to leave comments and reviews about your business which other people can see and respond to. If you receive predominantly favorable reviews, Google will increase your rating thus giving you a competitive edge and helping you win over new customers. This is why creating a Google Review Link and sharing it with your customers is so critical when promoting your business online.
5. Google Analytics
Setting up Google Analytics for your website is a straightforward process which should be one of the first things you do once your site is ready to go live. This invaluable tool provides you with detailed information on how your website is performing. This includes the number of visitors on your website, how they found your site, whether they return, as well as the demographic they belong to.
Google Analytics data will let you know if your marketing strategy is effective and which tactics have the greatest impact. It will provide you with information about the different types of guests visiting your site and how they are interacting with it. For instance, which visitors are likely to take action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a mailing list, and which users are more likely to log off the site within a few seconds and never return.
The information you derive from Google Analytics will clue you in on the adjustments you should make to your website and overall marketing strategy to succeed in your business goals.
A Final Word
While the process of building a website has its unique challenges, it is much easier to devise a strategy for moving forward if you understand the fundamental elements. Of course, once your site is up and running, you’ll have to deal with a whole new crop of challenges. Nevertheless, it’ll be satisfying to see your traffic increase exponentially as your website takes off.
