Nowadays, websites have become an essential part of how you present yourself or your company. If a company does not have a website, it will not be able to sustain. . A lot of individuals are also creating their own websites, to put up their CV, their work, etc. No matter the purpose, if you’ve decided to get a website, this blog is for you! Unfortunately, building your own website is harder than it looks. We’ve all cringed at web pages that looked like they came straight out of the early 2000’s and we’ve all left a web page that took more than 2 seconds to load. These are two examples of things that can go wrong when building your website without the right resources. Fortunately, our team at MC acts as a true partner in your website journey starting with the following pointers to make sure you’ve got everything you need to get started.
1. Determine the primary goal/objective of your website
So you’ve decided to get a website? Great! First thing to determine is… why? Why do you need a website? We mentioned earlier there are company-owned and individual websites, and they both have two very different objectives and within both categories, there are a multitude of goals. For example, some websites are created to solely present the company, whereas other websites, like Google, their main service is done through their website. Some common goals and objectives include:
Selling products/services online
Getting an online presence
Highlighting portfolio work
Building a community
Whatever your goal or objective is, it’s extremely important to understand it before starting the process. It will make all the following decisions easier.
2. Check to see if your domain name is available
Finding the name for your business is one of the toughest parts. Even if you’ve found the perfect name, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will find the domain name you are expecting. In fact, one of the most frustrating things when creating a website, is spending hours and days on it to find out at the end that you cannot use your name or your company’s name as the domain because it is way too expensive or because it is already taken. Moreover, there are things you definitely want to avoid like adding numbers at the end of your domain name, or special characters since people tend to forget those. You want to keep it simple and easy to remember. For example, a domain name like www.mcportfolios2.com is not ideal, it’s even unacceptable. Not only does it not look professional, but, it also makes it harder for the audience to find your website. Therefore, you should always check if your planned domain name is available, and if not, try to find an alternative that sounds just as catchy.
3. Integrate your branding
I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but your website is often the first impression the audience will have of your company. Hence, your website’s design should resemble you, tell your story and be consistent with the brand you have established for yourself or your company. There are plenty of things to consider; the template that you will use (some are modern, some are minimalist), the color palette, the overall look and feel. It’s important for your website to easily be associated with your brand and this is all done through proper design and graphic balance.
4. Using the right content (home, about us,...)
Content seems like the easiest part, right? Just to be clear, it isn’t. It is extremely important to find the right person for this job. You will need to reflect on what message you want your audience to take from reading your webpages and it has to be clear, concise, and adapted to your target audience. Think of how you will want to organize that content as well. Finally, it is extremely important to integrate SEO keywords to optimize that content and increase its visibility in relevant search results.
5. Think about which hosting platform to use for your website
There are plenty of platforms to choose from when creating your website; Wix, Wordpress, Shopify, Squarespace and so on. Some platforms are easier to use if you graduated from Computer Science and know how to code whilst other platforms are more tailored for designers and autonomous entrepreneurs. Each platform is relative to the goal/objective of your website, your coding and design knowledge, and whether someone will be helping you manage it or not. Thankfully, most platform offer a free trial so our suggestion is that you try out different platforms and see which one fits you best! You can always consult expert advice, we are happy to guide you in the right direction.
6. Plan your launch strategy ahead
If you want your website to be a success, you need to think about your launch strategy. There are a lot of things to consider: the date on which you will launch, the marketing strategy and the promotion. Make sure that your social media pages are up to date and hype up the audience about your upcoming website. Don’t hesitate to use Facebook or Instagram ads! Main takeaway? Plan ahead and be prepared. Your main goal will be to generate traffic to your website so make sure you advertise it properly so you are all set on the expected release date.
7. Find the right partner so your website is constantly being optimized
Finally, once your website is up and running, the job is not done. Managing and optimizing your website is hard work. You will need to frequently check your analytics and listen to your users. By analyzing user behaviour, you can implement solutions to offer your audience what they want. Getting traffic is only half the story. Retaining those users is just as important. Finding the right partner will allow you to optimize your website so it appears higher in the Google rankings, so the loading speed meets expectations, so your content is up to date, etc. New content should also be generated on a biweekly basis for optimal results.It all can be quite confusing if you’re doing it alone, so we highly recommend you explore your options to find the right partner to help you maintain a successful web presence.
At MC, we take care of all these things, and we make sure that your website is fully optimized before the launch. After the launch, we look at the analytics and make recommendations, keeping track of the progress and success of the website. We also have blog writers who ensure not only quality material but also the right amount of SEOs to give your website maximum visibility as frequently as you need. Got more questions? Feel free to fill out our contact form and we will happily get back to you with all the answers.
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