Are you looking to start a new website for your business? We’ve become very reliant on getting our information online, so a functional website that makes a lasting impression is pretty much mandatory for your success. With a great website, you’ll basically have your own lead generator with high conversions and hopefully low bounce rates. But there are many factors to consider, such as user friendliness, coding, information security, and not to mention optimization practices. 

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here’s an overview of the essentials and what you may need before you start yourself on your new venture.

#1 Domain Name & Hosting Provider

First and foremost, an easy to remember domain name is essential. It’s one of the first things your customer will notice, so make sure that it’s not too long and that it relevantly reflects your brand’s voice. The right name for your brand is integral to its success; a memorable name that stands out and utilizes SEO will present better search engine results. The world is becoming more and more digital; if your website is easy to access, then customers will be able to find you without having a hard time.

There are tons of top-level domain options, from .net, .biz to .info, though .com is the most common. Each extension has its own purpose, but most sites use .com for commercial use. Also make sure you choose a hosting provider that offers good customer support and allows for a fast website speed, so access on both your end and your customer’s end won’t be too grueling. 

Hosting companies with great customer support can also help migrate an old website to a newer one. Several platforms like SquareSpace can make it easy by offering both domain, hosting and CMS all-in-one. Make sure you do the research to see what domain and provider is right for you.

#2 User Experience

Your website’s design and accessibility is the next thing that a customer will notice. It's integral to choose a CMS platform that provides attractive templates with trouble-free user experiences. Navigation is an important factor in design: the navigation menu should be easy to spot and avoid being clunky. Your target audience is also something to note; a hamburger menu may be clean, but may not fit all of your requirements and be confusing to some of your clients. 

The website’s design should align with your brand’s identity. If a template doesn’t fit your vision, you may need to hire a developer for a custom-built website. Don’t forget about site speed, either: large, high-quality compelling images and videos may be visually appealing, but can slow down a site immensely and lead to high bounce rates and loss in conversion.

Above all, make sure that every aspect of your site is functional, that contact forms are secure and links are working properly. A site that doesn’t work shows incompetence. It’ll reflect poorly on what a customer thinks of your service, and they’ll leave your site. Be on top of it, and remember to update your site frequently to make sure it’s always in tip-top shape.

#3 Management of Website

Do you plan on building your site on your own, or hiring a developer? What are you looking for your website to do, and what do you want to achieve? If you build your website yourself, you may want a CMS like SquareSpace or Wix that’s easy to use. We mentioned it in the last point, but these sites provide attractive templates that allow you to drag and drop the essentials, with a few minor tweaks to code here and there. Meanwhile, a more complex platform like WordPress will give you greater control, customization and better marketing options that may improve your SEO, but you’ll probably need a developer’s help.

#4 SEO Friendliness

Going back to the last point: while some platforms make it easy to manage on your own, you may want to consider more complex platforms if SEO and digital marketing is a priority. Platforms like Wix and SquareSpace can be very limited on what you can edit, such as backend code, sitemaps and page speed improvement. WordPress sites also tend to receive more organic traffic than SquareSpace sites, so if this is something you’re worried about, keep it in mind.

#5 Mobile Friendliness

Fortunately, most CMS platforms are mobile-friendly, but this is also an integral factor to consider as audiences (especially younger generations) become more reliant on mobile. Google also prioritizes mobile friendly websites, so while you’re editing on your CMS, check both your desktop and mobile layouts to make sure they’re working properly or choose a responsive design template that adapts to any device.

#6 3rd Party Integrations

If you’re looking to do a lot of marketing, then a more comprehensive platform like WordPress may again be of more use to you. WordPress offers an abundance of plugins that will integrate your site with many different services, like Google Ads, Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, MailChimp, Constant Contact, call tracking services, and even customer relationship management tools (CRMs) like HubSpot. These applications can serve to make user experience better, saving you time, simplifying processes and enhancing your offers to customers, but using too many can also be expensive and make your website look chaotic.

#7 Cost

Here’s the factor you’re probably most worried about: the price tag! Sites like SquareSpace and Wix are very cost-effective, but again, limited in their features, editing options and marketing. They may be appealing in the short-term, but if your business booms you may want to expand your site’s functions and features. 

Therefore, take your long-term goals into account. If your goal is only to have an online presence, and do some email marketing, minor blogging and simple advertising here and there, SquareSpace and Wix can achieve your goals without many complications. However, if you’re looking to do heavier advertising, blogging and want to go deep into SEO practices, consider making a more robust WordPress website.

#8 Branding, Design and Identity

You want your business to make an impact, so aesthetics like your logo design and color scheme are crucial. Color theory is more important than you may realize! Different colors have different associations with them, so make sure the ones you choose are appropriate and relevant to your company’s audience and niche. Blues evoke a sense of calmness, reds a sense of urgency, etc. You also want to make sure your colors go together and don’t look tacky.

Design and branding are also things that stick inside your customers’ heads. A professionally designed and unique logo will leave a lasting impression on your customers. Your logo should have a proper placement on your site, either in the center to catch the viewer’s eye or in the upper left corner as this is where the eye naturally starts scanning when reading. A logo should also remain consistent: if you’re selling a product or sending out promotional prints/newsletters, remember to integrate your logo as well. That way, your brand will always have a visual to associate with, further making your product or service more memorable to your customers.

#9 Website Speed

This has been touched upon in the above sections, but needs to be reiterated as it’s probably one of the most important characteristics of a website. Test your website to ensure that your loading times don’t have any issues before a site’s official launch, and periodically check that your times remain speedy. If loading times exceed more than a few seconds, people are very likely to bounce and look elsewhere. Most people want to get their information quickly, when they want it, whenever they want it, so if you can’t promise them a fast experience they’ll find it somewhere else.

#10 Cyber Security

With the rise of scams, viruses and different malware technologies, you need to guarantee your site’s safety. E-commerce sites need to be especially careful as you handle money transactions and customers’ precious information. Businesses must add SSL certificates (stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a security technology that enables encrypted communications) to their websites to reduce the chances of threats. Also make sure to conduct regular security checks or hire a cybersecurity provider if you cannot do them yourself. Prevent security breaches and keep your reputation trustworthy; it’s the least you can do for your customers.

#11 Exceptional Content

Unique and original content is vital to make sure your website is noticed and that customers will find the information they seek. The quality of your content and the keywords you use affect your ranking in search engine results. Conduct keyword research and run your copy through tools like CopyScape to reaffirm that your content passes duplication standards. Otherwise, your site may suffer from vicious penalties and will even be removed from search engines. You can check your competitors for some inspiration, but ensure that your content is distinct.

Your site is essential to your business’s success. Your goal is to increase traffic, generate leads and inspire interest/customer interaction with your brand. However, as a business owner, you’re already juggling so much on your plate and have enough to worry about. Why not hire a marketing agency to help you with this endeavor? Doukas Media offers a wide range of web services and has been proudly assisting small and mid-sized businesses with their web needs since 2012. Your business deserves a proper website that achieves results, and we’ll make sure we help you achieve your goals.