Building your website can seem daunting and overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. In this post I have provided 11 website design tips for building your website to help you.
- Choose the Right Hosting Company
When it comes to hosting your website you want to choose a hosting company that has a really good reputation and very reliable. The best way to find out which web hosting company is right for you and your business is to do some research and read the reviews and compare each company’s pros and cons.
When conducting your research make sure that the company offers really good customer service to help you with any questions or problems. It’s also worth checking their response time.
- Choose Your Domain Name Carefully
The next step is to choose your domain name and then to check if it is available for registering. When you select your address, you want to make sure that it is easy to remember and includes the keywords you want to rank for in search engines. Doing so will make it easy for people to find your business online and grow your traffic.
- Choose a Good Website Builder
If you are on a budget, then I recommend using WordPress’s free site editor with their free templates to get you started. There are also plenty of tutorials available online that can walk you through the process of setting up a WordPress site.
If you are looking for a professional website builder, then Divi might be for you. Divi is one of the most advanced WordPress themes available with a completely new website building platform that replaces the standard WordPress post editor with a superior visual editor. They have two plans available either yearly access or lifetime access.
Alternatively, Squarespace might be the one for you. They offer beautiful templates that are easy to use, and their business plan start at A$25/month.
Wix is another popular website builder that offers a range of templates and features. Their unlimited plan for entrepreneurs and freelancers starts at A$23/month and they offer Wix for 14 days and if you are not happy they will refund your money back.
- Have a Professional Website Design
A professionally-designed website is important to the overall success of your business and should be easy to use, fast-loading and optimised first for mobile devices.
When visitors come to your site, they need to know who you are and what you are selling within seconds. If they can’t navigate through your site easily or find what they’re looking for, then it’s very likely that they will leave and go somewhere else.
Additionally, when you design your website, the design should include a logo that speaks to your brand with high-quality images/videos, clear calls to action, easy navigation, quick loading time on all pages and security features.
Website templates can help you get started with a professional design, however, if you don’t know where to start, it’s best to hire a professional web designer who understands your business and can create a site that represents your brand.
- Get an SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate is short for Secure Sockets Layer and is a security protocol used by websites to secure the connection between visitors’ web browsers and their servers.
SSL certificates are important for e-commerce stores and just a few years ago it was mostly recommended for sites that took payments but in recent changes to Google’s Chrome browser and search engine rankings have helped penalise websites without an SSL. If your website doesn’t have an SSL certificate, your visitors will receive a message that the site is unsafe.
- Look at Similar Small Business Websites for Inspiration
If you’re not sure what you want your website to look like, conduct a Google search for similar small business websites for some inspiration and take notes on the features and design elements that you may want to include on own your site.
Keep in mind that you don’t want to have the same website as another business you should aim to create a site that is unique and reflects your brand.
- Install Plugins to Increase Your Website’s Features
Plugins can help you add features from a contact form, website security to SEO tools. If you want to increase your website’s functionality there are free and paid plugins available. However, keep in mind that there shouldn’t be too many plugins as this can lead to problems.
Here are a few that I recommend starting with:
Yoast SEO Plugin: Optimises your website for search engines, making it easier for potential clients to find you online.
MonsterInsights: Tracks your website’s traffic and sees how people are finding your site.
WPForms: Creates custom forms, such as contact forms, payment forms, survey forms and more.
Wordfence: Keeps your website safe with their firewall, malware and security scanner.
UpdraftPlus: Backs up all of your WordPress files.
- Choose a Suitable WordPress Theme
Now it’s time to choose a theme for your website and it can get confusing with so many available. The theme is the design and layout of your site, when choosing one, it’s important to make sure that it is responsive—meaning it will look good on all devices, from desktop computers to phones and tablets.
Here are two that I recommend:
Thrive Themes
Thrive Themes Builder is a fully-fledged WordPress theme and site builder with drag and drop features. The Theme Builder allows you to visually create and customise your header, footer, blog post templates, sidebar, page layout and much more.
Divi
Divi is a versatile drag and drop page that comes with 40+ website elements and 2,000 pre-made website layouts that allow you to get ready and create your website immediately.
- Have a Contact Page
Visitors need a way to get in touch with you through your business website, so it’s important to include a contact page on your website. Your contact page should include information like your business address (if applicable), telephone number, email address and a form that allows visitors to send you a message or enquiry.
Many WordPress plugins, such as WPForms and Fluent Forms, allow you to create a contact form really quickly.
- Use Professional Photography and Images
If you’re selling products or services avoid using low quality images, it’s important to use professional images on your website. If you don’t have the budget for a professional photographer, there are plenty of options available online. You can purchase stock photos from sites like Shutterstock or Deposit Photos.
- Include Reviews and Testimonials
If you have any reviews and testimonials from your clients, include them on your website. These can help improve your credibility and convince visitors that they should do business with you.
Now that you have read the tips, it’s time to start working your way through them! Start by creating a list of the most important things you want your website to achieve. From there, begin designing and building your site using these tips as a guide. And don’t forget to check your website before going live.
Do you need help with any of the above? Then book a free consultation with me.