HOW TO BUILD A WEBSITE IN 9 STEPS

Your website should represent your business in the most positive light possible and make you stand out from the crowd. Having an effective website is a critical part of operating a successful business, but how exactly do you ensure you have a site that performs well for you?

The difference between a poor site and a great site can be the difference between a company succeeding and failing so you want to get it right. Ultimately, a business needs a website that drives traffic, ranks well in searches and maximises sales.

The complexity of building a website depends largely on the business requirements, functionality and the flexibility required. Building a basic website can be straightforward, however more intricate sites may need significant resources and time.

Using these 9 steps will improve your website and allow you to enjoy the results.

1. Set Goals for Your Business Website

The first thing to consider when embarking on creating a website is what it is you want to achieve with your website. This should include the short and long-term purpose of the website. What experience do you want to provide to your visitors?

Using your goals to guide you through building your site will help with its success. For instance, if you are an ecommerce company then a strong focus on selling products is a point to prioritise.

2. Select a Content Management System (CMS)

The platforms available to build a website vary greatly, from very basic to highly sophisticated. The CMS that suits you will depend on your business needs, so it is worth doing some research into what they can offer. Website builders let you focus on the design and content of your site, without having to worry too much about the technical side.

If you are unfamiliar with web design, or just want the best website possible, we recommend you speak with one of our consultants at Web Force 5. With an experienced and dedicated website development team, we specialise in a range of platforms including Adobe Commerce, Shopify, BigCommerce and WordPress. In addition, Web Force 5 has developed Continuum, an incredibly powerful but easy to use website content management system that is intuitive and contains all the functionality you could want.

3. Choose a Host

This decision also revolves a lot around your goals and needs for the website. Listing what your requirements are will narrow down your options to those that are most suitable. Loading speeds, uptime scores, customer support, the level of security and reliability are some of the important factors to consider when researching a host to use for your website.

4. Select a Domain Name

The unique domain name you decide on is a reflection of your brand, so it is a big decision. If it is available, use your company name, or add in your location or slogan if you need to. Importantly, your domain name should be relevant to your business, keep it as short as possible so it can be remembered, and you may want to keep business expansion in mind so don’t make it too restrictive.

5. Plan Your Website

Each of the pages of your website are important so the detail on each must be functional and effective. The layout, the amount and type of content, navigation and overall user experience must be top notch.

Brainstorm ideas for the design - how do you want your visitors to feel once they reach your landing page? Keep it clear, uncluttered, relevant, professional and enticing.

6. Design and Build Your Website

The design and construction of your website doesn’t need to be carried out by teams of people spending hundreds of hours on it. Our website developers help you craft the perfect website for your business so it will look and function effectively, as well as meet your goals for success. As the business owner, you have the option to be involved as much or as little as you like.

Content includes text, images and videos and it can all be added easily with the right CMS. Templates are incredibly helpful with the visual layout, so take your time exploring options before choosing a layout. Provide excellent user experience, include call to actions and use high quality images.

7. Publish Your Website

A vital step before making your website live to the world is to review it and test it thoroughly. This includes testing on both desktop and mobile devices. Once you are happy with each of your web pages, then it is time to publish!

8. Promote Your Site

Once your website is live, search engine crawlers will archive your page for appearance in search engine results but for the best visibility you will require a targeted approach to promotion.

Using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), email marketing, Google Ads and social media marketing, your website will soon be attracting attention.

9. Maintain Your Website

Regular website maintenance is vital for many reasons, including having fresh, up to date information available to engage both new visitors and existing customers. Stay on top of fixing error pages and monitor any suspicious activity to protect against potential viruses and hackers.

Web Force 5 is able to assist with website design as our website designers are dedicated experts who pride ourselves on creating websites with amazing results. We can access all the resources you need to provide a customised website for your business, at an affordable cost and will provide ongoing support.